ABOUT US
The Worcester County Horticultural Society, founded in 1842, established New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill in Boylston, MA as a horticultural resource—a place for people to experience the wonder of plants, learn about the natural world, and make joyful connections. Our doors opened in 1986 and we’ve continued to grow our mission, our footprint, and our role in the community ever since. Today’s Garden sits on 200 acres. It includes conservatories, formal and naturalistic gardens, a café, Garden Shop, walking trails, accessible pathways, and expansive views of the Wachusett Reservoir. A nonprofit organization and AAM-accredited museum, we care for an irreplaceable collection of plants and place sustainability and environmental stewardship at the forefront of our work. A robust, year-round calendar of educational classes, activities, and events engages people of all ages in meaningful experiences with plants.
We’re proud to be a garden where everyone belongs, where wandering is always welcome, and where no two visits will ever be quite the same.
MISSION
New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill creates experiences with plants that inspire people and improve the world.
VISION
New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill envisions a world where people and plants thrive.
CORE VALUES
We value the Art & Science of Horticulture.
We value Lifelong Learning.
We value Environmental Stewardship.
We value Visionary Leadership.
We value Inclusivity.
We value Integrity.
We value Joyful Connections.
STRATEGIC PLAN
New England Botanic Garden’s five-year strategic plan (2020 – 2025) is organized into three strategic pillars: horticulture, leadership, and engagement. With IDEA principles and sustainable values woven throughout, this aspirational plan pushes the Garden to be better, think bigger, and engage our community more.
IDEA STATEMENT
New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill is a place where people of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities belong. We are committed to building a culture that understands, respects, and promotes inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) across all aspects of our organization. Through continuous learning, we aim to embody IDEA principles in the ways we engage with our staff, volunteers, members, visitors, and community. As a trusted community partner, we collaborate in meaningful ways to expand access to nature, horticultural resources, and the many benefits plants offer us. By celebrating diversity in all its forms and fostering a sense of belonging, the Garden welcomes everyone to play a role in creating a world where people and plants thrive.
New England Botanic Garden’s 30-year master plan imagines a world class botanic garden and charts the course for ambitious expansions to match growing annual visitation. View our Master Site Plan here.
New England Botanic Garden is owned and operated by the Worcester County Horticultural Society. Read our Bylaws here.
New England Botanic Garden is owned and operated by the nonprofit Worcester County Horticultural Society, one of the oldest active societies of its kind in the United States. The society was incorporated in 1842 for the purpose of advancing the science and encouraging and improving the practice of horticulture.
For more than 150 years, the society held flower shows and educational programs, highlighting the produce and gardens of Worcester’s thriving agricultural community. By the 1940s however, the large nineteenth- and early twentieth-century country estates that had supported large-scale shows began to diminish. This caused a reduction in exhibition entries—and so the Worcester County Horticultural Society set its sights on cultivating its own gardens.
The society purchased Tower Hill Farm from the Carter family in Boylston, Massachusetts in 1986. The land came with a mid-eighteenth-century farmhouse, a barn, and outbuildings with deeds dating back to 1718. On this site, the society laid plans to develop a botanic garden where the ideals of the organization could be put into practice for the community.