Starting soon, St. Louis residents and visitors can expect to see a new face when they arrive at Missouri Botanical Garden. The facility will break ground on the Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center in 2020, a project designed to “enhance the guest experience, better reflect [our] world-renowned reputation, and re-introduce a city treasure to the community and generations to come.”

Upon entry, visitors will be greeted with views of some of the institution’s most notable locations, as well as new gardens and fountains. The landscape will be more diverse in species of plants and will include a permanent, year-round conservatory.

“As a global leader in plant science, and as an important cultural institution, we must raise our physical visibility with a face that matches what is inside the Garden and improves understanding of our mission, research, and impact,” said Missouri Botanical Garden President Peter Wyse Jackson. “This will create a new treasure for St. Louis and further build the region’s reputation as a hub of research and innovation.”

The entrance will be more accessible, with benches for gathering and resting, wide pathways, and additional drop-off areas. The shop will include a space to offer outdoor plants, and dining options will include a grab-and-go location, as well as a sit-down café that will look out into the Garden. The new center will also provide more space for meetings and events.

Construction on the $92 million, privately funded project begins in January and is expected to conclude in spring 2022. The Garden will remain open throughout the construction process.