Kansas City’s largest botanical garden is officially a 2023 Blue Star Museum, meaning it will offer free admission to currently serving U.S. military personnel and their families this summer.
Powell Gardens is a nonprofit and public garden that maintains hundreds of acres of regionally native plants that highlight the beauty of our Midwestern flora. A rotating collection of educational and recreational programs supports the gardens’ conservation efforts, and they remain dedicated to action that will improve biodiversity and protect their surrounding ecological communities.
There are several theme gardens within the main grounds, including the Heartland Harvest Garden, an edible plant landscape, the Marlese Lowe Gourley Island Garden, featuring aquatic plants, and the Memorial Garden, adjacent to the Marjorie Powell Allen Chapel.
“Powell Gardens is helping to enrich the lives of military families and build meaningful connections between our nation’s military and their local community,” says Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD, chair of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The initiative began as a partnership between the NEA and Blue Star Families with the Department of Defense.
The discount is unavailable during special events and festivals, including the upcoming Festival of Butterflies.