Fort Worth Botanic Garden has officially earned accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums, the highest national honor a museum can receive.
Accreditation from AAM places FWBG among an elite group of institutions nationwide. Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, only about 1,100 are AAM-accredited.
That makes the Fort Worth Botanic Garden part of a small, elite circle of institutions recognized for excellence.
“This accreditation is more than a credential — it’s a reflection of years of hard work, integrity, and dedication from our staff, volunteers, and board,” said Patrick Newman, FWBG president and CEO. “It tells our community, our partners and every visitor who walks through our gates that Fort Worth Botanic Garden meets the highest standards in our field.”
Why a Botanic Garden counts as a museum
How does a garden earn a museum accreditation? The American Alliance of Museums recognizes botanic gardens as specialized museums — institutions that meet the same rigorous professional standards as art or history museums, but with a distinct focus on living plant collections, conservation, and public education. The Fort Worth Botanic Garden’s work in these areas, as well as the extraordinary achievements of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT), the Garden’s research arm, are what qualified it to pursue accreditation.
“We commend the thoughtful and successful merger of BRIT with the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, bringing distinct institutional identities into a shared mission and operational framework while maintaining a strong level of cohesion across the operation,” said Lisa Tremper Hanover, chair of the Accreditation Commission.
Joining an elite national circle
AAM accreditation puts Fort Worth Botanic Garden in the company of some of the most respected cultural institutions in the country.
Nationally, AAM accredited institutions include renowned museums such as the American Museum of Natural History, the National Air & Space Museum – Smithsonian Institution, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and other major art, history and science institutions across the country.
Among public gardens specifically, accreditation is even more rare. FWBG joins the Chicago Botanic Garden — one of the largest and most-visited public gardens in the country, the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C., and the New York Botanical Garden, to name some of the prestigious few.
Closer to home, FWBG also joins esteemed Fort Worth cultural institutions that have earned this same AAM distinction, including the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, the Kimbell Art Museum, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth and the Sid Richardson Museum.
A milestone worth celebrating
In celebration of this achievement, FWBG is extending a buy-one-get-one-free admission offer to all guests during August, inviting the community to experience firsthand the collections and programs that earned the Garden this national distinction.
Tickets for this offer must be purchased in person at the Garden and are not available online. Summer hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the last tickets sold at 2 p.m.
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