On August 1, Memphis Botanic Garden will open a 2.5 acre children’s discovery garden that will bring to life the best of every backyard adventure ever dreamed about. The $5.8 million project, called My Big Backyard, will feature 16 unique educational and imagination inspiring areas for children to learn, explore, play and dream. MemphisConnect is thrilled to share an exclusive sneak peek at this Memphis treasure:
This Way to My Big Backyard
A centerpiece to My Big Backyard is the Guest House, a permanent structure with a large porch, restrooms, and a classroom large enough to accommodate 45 children. Education is a core undertaking for Memphis Botanic Garden. In the past year, the Children’s Education department hosted 27,000 children for formal programs and conducted outreach programs for another 9,000.
The total of 36,000 children served represents 3.5 times the national average for large U.S. public gardens. With My Big Backyard, Memphis Botanic Garden will have an even larger impact on the children of the Memphis and Midsouth community.
Home Sweet Home (in progress!)
“My Big Backyard will provide a wonderful, engaging resource and will be a major tourist attraction for our area,” said Jim Duncan, Executive Director of the Memphis Botanic Garden. “Our objective is to provide a safe, educational, fun, and inexpensive destination for children and their families, and one they will want to visit often. In a world of video games and heavily orchestrated schedules, escaping to the imagination of a big backyard is a part of growing up that so many children miss. We hope to fill that void.”
A View of the Guest House from Wormville (in progress!)
The garden was designed by Cindy Tyler of Terra Designs, who has designed many children’s gardens throughout the U.S. including the Atlanta Botanical Garden Children’s Garden. Tyler is also working on a design for a Children’s Garden project in Denver, Colorado.
From a treetop adventure that ventures into the tree line, to tunneling excursion that lets kids live and see the world as a worm sees it; from the excitement of a sudden rainstorm complete with thunder, to a creek full of critters; from a place to learn how to garden, to a place to just run and play, My Big Backyard will offer engaging adventures for children of all ages.
Wind your way up the ramp for a Treetop Adventure, where fun-and a giant birdhouse-await!
My Big Backyard will be the newest of over 25 garden experiences offered within the Memphis Botanic Garden, in addition to scores of education and outreach programs for garden lovers of all ages. The Garden is host to the Live at the Garden performance series each summer.
Admission to all areas of the Botanic Garden-including My Big Backyard-is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $3 for children (3-12) and free to children under 2 and to Members. Admission is free to all on Wednesday afternoons, when the Botanic Garden also hosts its weekly farmers market.
Check back soon for another sneak peek at My Big Backyard, and mark your calendars for the August 1 opening!
How awesome is this? We can’t wait to get the girls out there and play around and the price is pretty reasonable. Now, when will East Memphis get a water spray park?
What a truly uplifting addition to a Memphis landscape that seems determined to identify itself only with the negative and the undesirable. I can’t wait for my granddaughter’s next visit.
Congratulations are in order for Jim Duncan. After leaving the top executive ranks of corporate America, Jim has found his true calling as the driving force behind MBG. His accomplishments in creating a truly first class botanical gargen will serve as his legacy for Memphis and the mid-south.
Hey Jim! The next time we are in the area we’ll stop by. Hopefully we’ll have some of the grandchildren with us. Great job!