Adult Tours
Docent-led walking tours that explore various areas of Powell Gardens are available for your adult tour group (of at least 15 persons and not to exceed 50 persons in a tour timeslot) with advance registration. Docent-led tours take place on paved paths throughout the garden and are typically booked for 60-90 minutes per thematic area, but can be tailored in content and duration for the needs of your group based on your group’s interest, ability, and time available.
Guided adult tour requests must be submitted at least three weeks in advance of your desired date and can be planned with box lunches (see information below). All guided tours begin in the Visitor Education Building. Please complete the online form with your group tour information and a tour confirmation including your scheduled time, guidelines, and information for your visit will be emailed to the group contact person. Total payment for your group tour admission is due the day of your visit in the form of check, cash, or credit card based on the total number of tour attendees. All fees are to be paid in the Visitor Education Center during group tour check-in (whether a guided or self-guided group).
Download (pdf)
Group Tour Brochure 2018
$15/person
The focus of this guided experience is on the edible landscape: its design, herbs and woody plants, and fruit and vegetables on view during varying seasons that are featured in our Heartland Harvest Garden and/or seed to plate greenhouses. Learn about this garden’s history, Powell Garden’s CSA program, and spend time exploring this edible landscape with one of our Powell Gardens docents (this is not a tasting tour). This tour leaves from the Visitor Education Center and ends in the Heartland Harvest Garden.
$15 adult
This tour experience features a one-way guided walk through three popular garden areas: The Island Garden, David T. Beals III Woodland and Stream Garden and the Perennial Garden. Beginning in the Visitor Education Center, the tour starts in the Island Garden which is the centerpiece of Powell Gardens and features scenic views of the pond all season long and showcases various aquatic plants and seasonal displays. A featured focus in the Island Garden is the living wall which winds through this garden and showcases a wide variety of perennial plants that provide interest throughout the year. The tour continues by crossing the footbridge and walking up a slight slope into the shady David T. Beals III Woodland and Stream Garden to explore shade-loving plantings of native mixed with non-native understory plant material. Seasonal color-themed features include blooming witch hazel, early spring bulbs, blooming redbuds, azaleas, hydrangeas, hostas, ferns and more. This garden offers natural appeal all season long. This tour ends by walking through the Perennial Garden to beds designed for color. The tour ends by the daylily bed (featuring hundreds of unique cultivars), near the trolley stop.
$15/person
This tour is inspired by what is currently in bloom or offering aesthetic or sensory appeal during any given season and is hand-tailored and planned by your docent. Your tour guide will take special care to select several points of interest to showcase plants, trees and shrubs with beautiful or interesting features. Please share special interests or objectives with us when planning your tour so we might best meet your needs.
$10 adult/$8 senior
As a courtesy to us and to ensure we have your group on our group tour schedule, please let us know when you are bringing a group to Powell Gardens. There is no capacity limit, but let us know in advance the details of your visit by completing this online form. A tour confirmation reserving your space and listing your scheduled time will be emailed to your group’s contact person. The tour confirmation will outline cancellation details, lunch options and bus unloading/parking information.
$15 adult, plus speaking fee honorarium
These private, one-on-one tours are led by Powell Gardens Horticulture staff. Engage our Director of Horticulture, another horticulturist on the team or a senior gardener for your group. A minimum of 15 adults is required. Scheduling is based on the availability of our staff. Please contact Bobi Hallak, Volunteer and Tour Programs Coordinator at bhallak@powellgardens.org or 816-697-2600 x304 to inquire about booking a horticulture tour at Powell Gardens or inviting our expert staff to speak off-site at your function or gathering.
Group tour pricing for our horticulture experts is $15 per adult plus the following honorarium fees. A speaking engagement off-site requires the fees listed below plus travel costs.
- Director of Horticulture $350
- Horticulturist $200 Senior Gardener $150
- Gardener $100.
Dining Options for
Adult Group Tours
There are a variety of lunch options available for any size group. In-house dining at Cafe Thyme must be reserved at least two weeks in advance. Group seating for 10 or more requires a reservation and seating is available for up to 60 people. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options are available upon request.
Complete the online form and a tour confirmation including your scheduled time, guidelines and information for your visit will be emailed to the group contact person.