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TODAY'S HOURS: 8 AM – 4 PM

*Last entry is an hour before closing

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SUPPORT
Guests at the now-demolished hedge maze at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden

Glimpses of the Garden through Time

Over the last 90 years, the Fort Worth Botanic Garden has grown and evolved while consistently delighting guests. Photos from the Garden’s past show this evolution in progress while offering fascinating glimpses of people finding joy in nature.

Enjoy this collection of photos drawn from the BRIT Library & Special Collections and digitally archived by The Portal to Texas History, a digital repository hosted by UNT Libraries.

Lower Rose Garden 1940
The Fort Worth Botanic Garden was less than a decade old when these guests explored the Rose Garden. The exact date is unknown, but the blooming flowers and short sleeves point to a warm day.
Botanic Garden hedge maze 1956
Some additions to the Garden came and went over the years. This photo depicts one short-lived attraction: a hedge maze. Six-foot tall Yaupon holly shrubs were shaped into a maze based on a similar structure at Hampton Court Gardens in the U.K. Using more than 1,000 plants, the maze was constructed for $12,000 at the current location of the Backyard Vegetable Garden. The curious could wander through the maze, searching for its center, for an admission fee of 20 cents for adults and 10 cents for children. This photo depicts three women and a child outside of the maze in 1956. The maze never caught on with guests and was demolished only a few years later.
Arid and wildflower garden
Wildflowers and cacti have always been part of the native Texas landscape, and so they've always been part of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. This image shows what seems to be a family exploring a section of the Garden devoted to these plants. The exact location is unknown, as is the date. At a guess based what can be seen of the family's clothing, the image could date from the 1950s or 1960s.
Lower Rose Garden with snow March 1962
Snow has always been rare in Fort Worth, especially in March. Yet in March 1963, a late storm dropped more than two inches of snow on Fort Worth and Dallas. Some brave soul ventured to the Shelter House and snapped this photo of the Rose Garden blanketed in white.
Moon Bridge covered in snow, January 1984
The winter of 1983-1984 was particularly cold in North Texas; December 1983 remains the coldest December on record in Fort Worth and Dallas, with one cold front after another hitting the Metroplex. January and February remained bitterly cold, with temperatures dropping as low as 10 degrees F. And on January 2 and 3, three inches of snow fell at DFW Airport. This photo shows snow blanketing the Moon Bridge in the Japanese Garden, and we can only hope the photographer was able to get a nice cup of hot chocolate afterwards.
Fuller Garden under construction 1986
The Fuller Garden on the northern side of the Garden was added in 1986, and this photograph shows an early stage of construction. Concrete walkways, fountains, and benches have been constructed but landscaping has not yet begun. The Fuller Garden is now a favorite location for events such as Concerts in the Garden.
Conservatory visitors along pool 1986
The Garden Center and Rainforest Conservatory opened in 1986 as part of a major expansion of the Botanic Garden. The tropical interior and its collection of exotic plants quickly became a favorite of guests. In this photo, several children explore the space and view the pool.
Couple sitting in Rose Garden on sunny day, ca 1980s-1990s
This man and woman seem to be enjoying a beautiful day in the Rose Garden. The date of the photo is unknown, but based on the clothing this seems to have been taken in the 1980s or 1990s.
Rose Garden and Rose Ramp May 1989
The Rose Garden and Rose Ramp have always been the heart of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. In this image from May 1989, the roses are in bloom, bright red annuals cover the hillside and guests are enjoying the view.
Children at Botanic Garden outdoor activity
Generations of children have learned about nature at the Garden. This photo shows a group of children outdoors at the Garden listening to an instructor. The date is unknown, but clothes suggest the 1980s or 1990s.
Propagation Workshop for children at Garden, January 1993
The Garden's education programs have always placed an emphasis on hands-on activities. In this photo from January 1993, a group of students from Everman Elementary School are literally getting their hands dirty in a lesson on propagating plants.
Harvest time at the vegetable garden
Hands-on vegetable gardening with children has been a favorite education strategy for decades. This photo from May 1993 shows children and adult harvesting vegetables such as greens and spinach.
Concerts in the Garden 1995
The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra began the Concerts in the Garden series of outdoor summer concerts in 1991. In this photo from 1995, guests have filled lawn chairs in anticipation of the night's event.
Botanic Garden North Entrance sign landscaping
The north entrance signs to the Garden were added along Trail Drive across from Will Rogers Memorial Center in 1998. This photo shows members of the community, including children, helping landscape the area.

Research Team

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We respectfully acknowledge that the Fort Worth Botanic Garden is located on traditional lands of  Indigenous Peoples. We honor the ancestry, heritage, and gifts of all Indigenous Peoples who were sustained by these lands and give thanks to them. We are grateful that these lands continue to provide enrichment for many people today. [More…]

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