As part of our efforts to make the Missouri Botanical Garden accessible to all visitors, the Garden offers free access tours specifically designed to meet the needs of people in the disability community.
Additionally, we offer an easy way for those taking part in paid classes to request accessibility accommodations for all of our onsite and online classes.
“Our goal is to provide opportunities where everyone can experience engaging and meaningful visits to the Garden regardless of their disability,”
– Jennifer Smith-Simms, Manager of Public Education Program for the Garden.
Access Tours
Attendance for the access tours is free, but space is limited to ensure a quality, personalized experience for participants. We require prior registration for access tours.
Access tours can be found online at mobot.org/classes and in our printed class catalog each quarter.
American Sign Language
The Garden partners with certified American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters to offer tours of the Garden specifically designed for those who are deaf or hard of hearing and their loved ones.
The tours are led be a Garden docent who is accompanied by an interpreter. The ASL access tours explore the Garden’s history, plants, and culture.
ASL interpreted Fall Foliage Hike at Shaw Nature Reserve
In 2024, the Shaw Nature Reserve is offering its first ASL interpreted fall hike on October 31. Join us for a 2-mile hike to view the fall colors .
Audio Description Access Tours
For visitors who are blind and partially sighted, the Garden offers audio description tours with trained audio describers.
This fall, several staff members and docents will be participating in MindsEye’s Audio Description Program to learn how to connect visually impaired visitors to the Garden in a meaningful way.
Memory Tours for those with alzheimer’s Disease
One of the Garden’s earlier partnerships to curate inclusive programming began with the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Missouri Chapter. For several years, the Garden has offered specialized tours to those experiencing memory loss and their families.
During these memory tours, participants will enjoy a short walk highlighting the history and beauty of the Garden. This tour is created especially for people with memory loss and their family and friends. We will be taking a short walk highlighting the history and beauty of the Garden.
Other Accessibility Programs
Along with our free access tours, the Garden offers resources to make visiting our locations more accessible.
Low-sensory events
To make the Garden more accessible to those who may need a low-sensory experience, the Garden and Shaw Nature Reserve have begun offering low-sensory tours and guided hikes.
These events are designed not only to create a calming experience for participants, but to also encourage sensory exploration in nature using sight, sound, touch, and smell.
Discover More: Top 10 Plants for a Sensory Experience
These low-sensory events are not part of the access tours program, but can be found in the class catalog.
The Garden also offers Calming Corners for children who need a quiet space during any visit. The Calming Corners are purposefully designed to meet the needs of its users. Comfortable chairs, soft lighting, soothing colors from nature are just a few of the elements
that make this room so special.
Accessibility Requests
The Missouri Botanical Garden, Shaw Nature Reserve, and Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House are committed to providing an inclusive education environment by ensuring that our classes are accessible to everyone.
With this in mind, we now have an easier way for our students to request accessibility accommodations for all of our onsite and online classes. You can request American Sign Language interpretation, captions, audio description, large print, and more for classes you attend while registering online with just a few clicks. Or, contact us to request accommodations at (314) 577-9506
or classes@mobot.org.
More accessibility: You can learn more about accessibility at the Garden by visiting mobot.org/accessibility.
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