Since 1934, the Fort Worth Botanic Garden has been a haven of natural beauty, education, community engagement, and an integral part of our city’s cultural tapestry. We are filled with gratitude for your generous support, which has enabled our growth over the years. As we celebrate our milestone birthday, we invite you to take a look at some of the most historic moments throughout our 90 years that got us to where we are today.

Historic Timeline for the Fort Worth Botanic Garden

1912      The City of Fort Worth purchased 37.5 acres for a community park that would later be named Rock Springs Park. 

1925      Citizens of Fort Worth passed a bond to draft a plan for a park system. Architectural landscape firm Hare and Hare from  Kansas City was hired to complete a comprehensive design. 

1929      The Tarrant County Rose Society proposed a municipal rose garden for the east side of Rock Springs Park. The following year, Hare and Hare drew plans for a rose garden inspired by the gardens of Versailles. 

1932      Despite the Great Depression, construction on the iconic Rose Garden was able to proceed due to a $340,000 Reformation Finance Corporation (RFC) grant from the government and the hiring of 750 unemployed men through the Works Progress Administration (the first relief project in Fort Worth).  

1934      On December 18, 1934, the park and Rose Garden were officially renamed the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. FWBG is Texas’ oldest botanic garden. 

1935      The Fort Worth Garden Club opened the Garden Center (now the Rock Springs Building) in June 1935, as the first established garden center in Texas.  

1965      The original entrance gates, a gift from the Garden Club Council of Fort Worth, were dedicated. On the columns are wrought iron lanterns that originally hung on the Montgomery Ward Building on West 7th Street.  

1973      The 7.5-acre Japanese Garden opened on March 29, 1973, featuring an evergreen landscape, iconic moon bridge, winding paths, water features, koi fish, and a meditation garden. 

1986      The 17,000 square foot Deborah Beggs Moncrief Garden Center and 10,000 square foot tropical conservatory opened to the public. Both structures were built with money raised by the Fort Worth Garden Club. 

1990      FWBG’s new entry opened in the spring of 1990.  

2009      The Fort Worth Botanic Garden was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

2011      On May 21, 2011, the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) building was dedicated. The $46 million LEED, platinum-certified structure was built on 7.5 acres on the north side of the Garden. 

2019      General admission fees were established to help maintain and update the Garden.  

2020      On October 1, 2020, BRIT assumed nonprofit management of FWBG from the City of Fort Worth. The city council approved the 20-year management agreement with BRIT after extensive review, assessment, and public involvement, including a community task force that determined transformational change was needed for the Garden’s long-term sustainability. Under this agreement, the city still owns the Garden’s assets, including buildings, landscapes, and collections.