At Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, we consider members part of the family. It’s a reciprocal relationship, and members benefit, too, in so many ways! Beyond free admission, membership means access to the following exclusive events, tours, and programs carefully curated ONLY for members. Members experience more–add these events to your calendar and discover how MUCH more!
Members Only Events
Member Evenings
Thursday, May 11; Thursday, May 25; Thursday, June 1; Thursday, June 8; Saturday, June 17; Thursday, July 6; Saturday, July 15; Thursday, July 27; Thursday, August 3; Saturday August 12; Thursday, August 24; from 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Join us for a relaxing evening at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens! Our member evenings offer you a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the Gardens in a tranquil setting, surrounded by the natural world. Whether you're looking for a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life or simply want to bask in the beautiful sunset, our member evenings are the perfect way to do just that. So gather your friends and family and come escape to the breathtaking beauty of our botanical gardens.
Member Evenings
Thursday, May 11; Thursday, May 25; Thursday, June 1; Thursday, June 8; Saturday, June 17; Thursday, July 6; Saturday, July 15; Thursday, July 27; Thursday, August 3; Saturday August 12; Thursday, August 24; from 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Join us for a relaxing evening at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens! Our member evenings offer you a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the Gardens in a tranquil setting, surrounded by the natural world. Whether you're looking for a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life or simply want to bask in the beautiful sunset, our member evenings are the perfect way to do just that. So gather your friends and family and come escape to the breathtaking beauty of our botanical gardens.
Member Insider: Native Tree Trek (Sold Out)
Join Horticulturist Alison Webb for a tour of our forests and learn the ecological and cultural significance of Maine's native trees, including their role in supporting wildlife, their use by Indigenous peoples, and their impact on the state's economy and tourism industry. The tour also sheds light on conservation efforts aimed at preserving the state's native tree populations. Expect some steep paths along the way, so be prepared with proper footwear!
Member Evenings
Thursday, May 11; Thursday, May 25; Thursday, June 1; Thursday, June 8; Saturday, June 17; Thursday, July 6; Saturday, July 15; Thursday, July 27; Thursday, August 3; Saturday August 12; Thursday, August 24; from 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Join us for a relaxing evening at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens! Our member evenings offer you a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the Gardens in a tranquil setting, surrounded by the natural world. Whether you're looking for a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life or simply want to bask in the beautiful sunset, our member evenings are the perfect way to do just that. So gather your friends and family and come escape to the breathtaking beauty of our botanical gardens.
Member Insider: Bees and Honey Tasting (Sold Out)
This tour is perfect for those who want to experience the sweetness of nature. Join us and learn about native bees and their importance to our environment. After touring the Native Bee Exhibit, we’ll visit the Learning Apiary where you can observe our native bees' non-native cousins--honey bees--in action. Afterwards, we’ll taste a variety of honeys from around the world, from light to dark, sweet to savory.
Member Evenings
Thursday, May 11; Thursday, May 25; Thursday, June 1; Thursday, June 8; Saturday, June 17; Thursday, July 6; Saturday, July 15; Thursday, July 27; Thursday, August 3; Saturday August 12; Thursday, August 24; from 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Join us for a relaxing evening at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens! Our member evenings offer you a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the Gardens in a tranquil setting, surrounded by the natural world. Whether you're looking for a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life or simply want to bask in the beautiful sunset, our member evenings are the perfect way to do just that. So gather your friends and family and come escape to the breathtaking beauty of our botanical gardens.
Member Insider: Highlights of the Hillside
The Highlights of the Hillside tour takes members on a journey through the recent redesign of this breathtaking natural space. Lon Ames, Haney Hillside Garden Horticulturist, will highlight the changes and share information about the process of redesigning a garden, including the considerations that go into selecting and arranging plants, creating appealing paths, and adding amenities for visitors.
For Members: Butterfly House Plants & Pollinators
Join Horticulturist & Lepidopteran Specialist, Alicia Miller, on a tour of the Native Butterfly House where you'll have the opportunity to observe the different stages of development of butterflies and moths and explore their habitats and host plants. This experience can offer valuable insights into the behavior and ecology of these captivating insects. So come and immerse yourself in the world of butterflies and moths, and discover the wonders of their existence.
Family Member Tour: Pond Investigations
The Gardens is filled with beauty and wonder aboveground, but there’s plenty to discover below the surface too! Join us as we dip our nets into our many ponds in search of aquatic friends, including frogs, salamanders, and dragonfly nymphs, learning about their lives in the process. This program is intended for children with an adult caregiver. Please register ONLY for the number of children in your group. This program meets at the Timber Frame behind the Education Center.
Member Evenings
Thursday, May 11; Thursday, May 25; Thursday, June 1; Thursday, June 8; Saturday, June 17; Thursday, July 6; Saturday, July 15; Thursday, July 27; Thursday, August 3; Saturday August 12; Thursday, August 24; from 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Join us for a relaxing evening at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens! Our member evenings offer you a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the Gardens in a tranquil setting, surrounded by the natural world. Whether you're looking for a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life or simply want to bask in the beautiful sunset, our member evenings are the perfect way to do just that. So gather your friends and family and come escape to the breathtaking beauty of our botanical gardens.
Member Insider: Summer Annual Tour
Join Horticulturist Delaney Pitman on a members-only leisurely summer walk at the Gardens. Explore and admire the beauty of our summer annuals and learn a bit about the techniques used to maintain the health and vibrant colors of these plants. The tour offers a unique opportunity to see a variety of summer annuals up close and to ask questions or engage in discussion with our expert guide.
Member Evenings
Thursday, May 11; Thursday, May 25; Thursday, June 1; Thursday, June 8; Saturday, June 17; Thursday, July 6; Saturday, July 15; Thursday, July 27; Thursday, August 3; Saturday August 12; Thursday, August 24; from 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Join us for a relaxing evening at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens! Our member evenings offer you a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the Gardens in a tranquil setting, surrounded by the natural world. Whether you're looking for a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life or simply want to bask in the beautiful sunset, our member evenings are the perfect way to do just that. So gather your friends and family and come escape to the breathtaking beauty of our botanical gardens.
Family Member Tour: Summer Tree Walk
Join us for a scavenger hunt through the woods as we learn how to identify some of Maine’s native trees. Participants will also learn how to distinguish a coniferous tree from a deciduous one. During our walk, we’ll collect leaves to make a leaf-rubbing banner to help us remember our native trees. This program is intended for children with an adult caregiver. Please register ONLY for the number of children in your group. This program meets at the Timber Frame behind the Education Center.
Member Insider: Dragonfly Adventures
Join Andy Brand and Bridget VerVaet, our resident dragonfly experts, for an insider look at these fascinating insects. With Andy and Bridget's expertise, participants will learn a great deal about dragonfly behavior, habitat, and life cycle, not to mention the opportunity to observe dragonflies up close in their natural environment.
Member Evenings
Thursday, May 11; Thursday, May 25; Thursday, June 1; Thursday, June 8; Saturday, June 17; Thursday, July 6; Saturday, July 15; Thursday, July 27; Thursday, August 3; Saturday August 12; Thursday, August 24; from 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Join us for a relaxing evening at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens! Our member evenings offer you a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the Gardens in a tranquil setting, surrounded by the natural world. Whether you're looking for a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life or simply want to bask in the beautiful sunset, our member evenings are the perfect way to do just that. So gather your friends and family and come escape to the breathtaking beauty of our botanical gardens.
Member Insider: Curating the Gardens
Join us for an in-depth look at the role of a curator at a botanical garden. Learn how the Gardens’ plant collections are managed and how they support our mission through educational programs, showcasing institutional heritage, facilitating research, and contributing to plant conservation efforts. Katherine Brewer, Curator of Living Collections, will discuss how two special collections, the Epimedium and Asclepias collections, are built and evaluated.
For Members: Native Edible Plants Tour & Tasting
Discover the world of native edible plants on a guided tour led by Adult Education & Horticultural Therapy Program Manager, Irene Barber. Explore our beautiful gardens and learn about these edible natives, from traditional and contemporary uses to nutritional and medicinal properties. Sample some of these unique plants along the way, and engage your senses in this fun and interactive experience. We'll enjoy a tasting of refreshing, wild fruit-infused spritzers.
Member Evenings
Thursday, May 11; Thursday, May 25; Thursday, June 1; Thursday, June 8; Saturday, June 17; Thursday, July 6; Saturday, July 15; Thursday, July 27; Thursday, August 3; Saturday August 12; Thursday, August 24; from 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Join us for a relaxing evening at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens! Our member evenings offer you a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the Gardens in a tranquil setting, surrounded by the natural world. Whether you're looking for a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life or simply want to bask in the beautiful sunset, our member evenings are the perfect way to do just that. So gather your friends and family and come escape to the breathtaking beauty of our botanical gardens.
Member Insider: Dahlias: Trials and Triumphs
This members-only dahlia tour will explore both challenges and triumphs we've had over the years with these fabulous beauties. Despite facing some difficulties along the way, Horticulturist Courtney Locke persevered and was able to truly showcase the beauty of these flowers. Join Courtney and gain a deeper understanding of the process involved in growing and nurturing these magnificent blooms.
Member Evenings
Thursday, May 11; Thursday, May 25; Thursday, June 1; Thursday, June 8; Saturday, June 17; Thursday, July 6; Saturday, July 15; Thursday, July 27; Thursday, August 3; Saturday August 12; Thursday, August 24; from 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Join us for a relaxing evening at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens! Our member evenings offer you a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the Gardens in a tranquil setting, surrounded by the natural world. Whether you're looking for a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life or simply want to bask in the beautiful sunset, our member evenings are the perfect way to do just that. So gather your friends and family and come escape to the breathtaking beauty of our botanical gardens.
13th Annual Ina & Lew Heafitz Endowed Lecture: Invitations from and to the Garden: Cultivating A Garden Culture of Care
In her presentation, Jennifer Jewell will discuss the philosophy of Cultivating Place, her National Public Radio program and international podcast. Her podcast is a voice for gardeners and nature-lovers and operates from the belief that gardens and gardeners are potentially powerful agents and spaces for positive change in our world, helping to address challenges as wide-ranging as climate change, habitat loss, cultural polarization, and individual and communal health and wellbeing. In this program, she will explore how the power of gardens and gardeners can be viewed through a lens of invitation—both the invitations we recognize and accept from our gardens in our roles as gardeners and those we extend to the greater world through our gardening practices.
Learn MoreFamily Member Tour: Fall Tree Walk
Join us for a scavenger hunt through the woods as we learn how to identify some of Maine’s native trees and discover why their leaves change color in the fall. Participants will also learn how to distinguish a coniferous tree from a deciduous one. During our walk, we’ll collect leaves to make a leaf-rubbing banner to help us remember our native trees. This program is intended for children with an adult caregiver. Please register ONLY for the number of children in your group. This program meets at the Timber Frame behind the Education Center.
Member Insider: Gardens Aglow Design
Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at Gardens Aglow with designer, Brent McHale. Learn about the precise planning, process, and implementation of Aglow. We'll cover topics like creating a unique and eye-catching display and what it takes to put up and maintain the display through harsh weather.
