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| DESCRIPTION: Set on 915 acres of lush, rolling hills and windswept meadows, Powell Gardens — Kansas City's botanical garden — offers breathtaking displays of intricate gardens, interesting architecture, a nature trail and a year-round calendar of special events and classes for the entire family. |
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| ADDRESS: 1609 NW US Hwy 50, Kingsville, Mo. |
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| LOCATION: 30 miles east of Kansas City. |
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| PHONE: 816-697-2600 |
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| WEB SITE: www.powellgardens.org |
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HIGHLIGHTS:
- The 18,000-square-foot Visitor Education Center houses a gift shop, a café and classroom space, plus a glass-topped conservatory.
- The 3.25-mile Byron Shultz Nature & Hiking Trail leads visitors past frog-filled ponds, through woods of honey locust and into a field of meadow flowers.
- Along Powell Gardens' 12-acre lake, the colorful Perennial Garden features more than 6,000 plants in 3 ½ acres, including 1,200 varieties hardy to this area.
- Discover the Island Garden — a 2-acre oasis of cascading water gardens, secluded gardens and a 600-foot "living" rock wall, the largest of its kind in North America.
- The Rock and Waterfall Garden features a dramatic collection of ornamental trees, shrubs and perennials interspersed with native woods, meandering brooks and subtle waterfalls. More than 800 azaleas accompany this garden.
- Encounter four creations by world-renowned architect Fay Jones, including a special meditation chapel.
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| HOURS: April thru October, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. and November thru March, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Visit www.powellgardens.org for chapel, café and gift shop hours. |
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| ADMISSION: November thru March: Adults $7, children (5-12) $3 and seniors $6. April thru October: adults $9.50, children (5-12) $4 and seniors $8.50. Children under 5 are always free. |
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| ANNUAL ATTENDANCE: Approximately 120,000. |
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| HISTORY: In 1948, George E. Powell, Sr., a prominent Kansas City businessman, acquired the beautiful tract of land that is now Powell Gardens. In 1969, he donated the 640-acre farm to the Kansas City Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, who used it as a regional camp until 1984. Partnering with the University of Missouri's School of Agriculture, the Powell Family Foundation then began developing a horticultural and natural resource facility. As a part of this project, the Powell Center retained Pittsburgh-based Environmental Planning and Design, the leading U.S. consultants for botanical gardens. The firm recognized that the site would be ideal for development as a botanical garden. In 1988, official ties with the University of Missouri ended and Powell Gardens Inc., a not-for-profit organization, was established. Friends of Powell Gardens, a separate organization, is made up of nearly 5,000 members. The attraction is supported through private donations and admission, gift shop and rental revenues. |
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| WHERE TO GET LUNCH: Open seven days a week, Powell Gardens' Café Thyme offers a wide variety of menu options for brunch, lunch and snacks. (The café is closed Mondays and Tuesdays during January and February.) |
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WHAT'S NEW: With an anticipated ribbon cutting set for spring 2009, Powell Gardens' largest expansion to date will celebrate the region's agricultural heritage by exploring food's journey from seed to plate. Unlike any other installation in the United States, the Heartland Harvest Garden will include a stunning, educational, 12-acre landscape of field crops, orchards and demonstration gardens offering a chance to taste the day's harvest. The product of a $8.5 million campaign, the new area will include three major components:
Menu Gardens — A greenhouse exhibit chronicling the transition from early cultivation methods to modern production techniques.
Youth Education Garden — Hands-on gardens with interactive components for school groups.
Quilt Gardens — Inspired by the famous Villandry gardens in France, the vast textures, shapes and colors of crops, vegetables and fruits will comprise four acres of ever-changing quadrants symbolic of Midwestern fields and classic quilt patterns. A new 45-foot silo's observation deck will provide picturesque views of the "fabric" design.
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| HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES: Powell Gardens offers a year-round schedule of classes on gardening, botanical arts and related topics. Hands-on discovery stations for children are frequently available on a drop-in basis. |
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| DID YOU KNOW: Powell Gardens and its visitors celebrate the official flower of Kansas City, the iris, each May with a weekend devoted to the Garden's extensive collection. Special tours are provided by collection developer Dr. Norlan Henderson, who bred the first dark iris (appropriately named "Kansas City"). |
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| DON'T FORGET: The Gardens' winding paths, wooded trails, large gardens, secluded corners make comfortable walking shoes a necessity for those wanting to explore. |
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| GROUP TOURS: Powell Gardens offers three, themed group tour packages-Powell Basics, Perfectly Powell and Garden Tea Time-to help navigate the nature collection. Call for more information. |
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DRIVING THERE: From the north: From I-35 S, take Exit 12A to I-435 S. Take MO-350 E (Exit 66) to 63rd St/Raytown/Lee's Summit. Continue on MO-350 E and then merge onto US-50 E. The entrance to Powell Gardens is on the north side of Hwy 50.
From the south: Take I-435 E to I-470 E. Then take the Hwy 50 E exit in Lee's Summit. The entrance is on the left (north) side of Hwy 50.
From the west: Take I-70 E toward St. Louis. Exit at Bates City. Take Hwy Z south 13 miles to Hwy 50. Turn left on Hwy 50. Travel one mile; the Gardens' entrance is on the left (north) side of Hwy 50.
From the east: Take Hwy 50 west toward Kansas City. Powell Gardens is 20 miles west of Warrensburg. The entrance is on the right (north) side of Hwy 50.
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| PARKING: Parking at Powell Gardens is free. |
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| PUBLIC RELATIONS CONTACT: Callen Fairchild Zind, director of marketing and special events, at 816-697-2600 ext. 236 or czind@powellgardens.org. |
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