Rotary Botanical Gardens is a non-profit botanical garden located in Janesville, Wisconsin that is open to the public.
Overview
The 20-acre site contains a number of themed gardens, including Japanese, Scottish, French formal, Italian, and English cottage gardens. The Japanese garden borders a pond that is spanned by a red Japanese-styled bridge. A sunken garden is surrounded by limestone walls and perennial plantings. Its entrance is a Tudor-style stone arch that was once the entrance to the Parker Pen Company's world headquarters formerly located in Janesville. There are also less formal gardens, such as a fern and moss garden, and shade, prairie, and woodland gardens.
Rotary Botanical Gardens is a self-sustaining non-profit organization. With over 100,000 visitors annually, it is the most frequented tourist destination in Rock County. It is also a popular site for weddings and receptions. The popular Holiday Light Show event started in 1996 and features over 1 million lights and has become a regional attraction.
History
Rotary Botanical Gardens was established in 1988 by Janesville Rotary Clubs on the grounds of a defunct sand and gravel quarry. Owned by the city, the site was filled with debris and equipment. The city leased the site to the Rotarians, who began a multi-year cleanup project. After tons of rubbish were removed, gardens, walkways, benches, and gazebos were added. A ramshackle building on the property was rehabilitated and turned into a visitors' and environmental center. In 2002, meeting rooms, classrooms, and a gift shop were added and an addition to the Rath Environmental Center was completed in 2005.
Awards
2012 - First-place winner in category III of the All-America Selections (AAS) Landscape Design Contest 2013 - First-place winner in category III of the All-America Selections (AAS) Landscape Design Contest