Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens announces educational & wayfinding signage as part of next phase of rebranding

Signage includes educational interpretive & wayfinding signs to help guests throughout visit

Press Release

The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens announced that, for the first time in its history, it has introduced dozens of educational and wayfinding signs to enhance the visitor experience and help visitors learn more about their plant collections. This project was the next phase of the Botanical Gardens' rebranding efforts, and the whimsical new branding elements can be seen in each of the signs.

Last month, the Botanical Gardens announced its new brand to refresh its identity and align with current and ongoing renovation and future expansion projects. The new brand brings the not-for-profit a revitalized look and feel including a new logo, updated mission and vision statements, a refreshed color palette, and a new website to reinforce its new identity. The brand has been happily received by the public and the Botanical Gardens is excited to continue bringing its audience on this ongoing transformational journey.

The need for interpretive and wayfinding signage was identified by the organization, and it was pleased to receive a grant from the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo to support this exciting project. This grant made it possible for there to be cohesive, comprehensive and branded signs throughout the entire conservatory.

As a living museum, the beautiful collections inside the conservatory will now provide even more educational opportunities to help visitors understand the plant collections that they are surrounded by, and visitors will not only enjoy the beauty of these plants, but also learn some key features and facts about the collections.

"This is a huge milestone for us as a cultural museum. There are so many exciting things happening right now at the Botanical Gardens, and this educational signage is just the start of the progress we are making in our living museum," said Mark Mortenson, president and CEO.

Visitors will first notice the brand as they enter the parking lot and are welcomed by a brightly illustrated sign highlighting a vibrant new logo. As they enter through the main doors, they will also be greeted by a newly refreshed admission desk and gift shop with a collection of lively branded elements. As visitors enter each greenhouse they will notice a variety of plant highlights about the collections, witty plant facts, and wayfinding signs that help to identify each greenhouse.

"Our hope is that visitors will find so much more value during their visit and maybe spend extra time in each greenhouse learning about the collections. Our team works incredibly hard to care for these plants and show them off to the world, and we now have a way to share even more than just their beauty with the public," said Amanda Johnston, director of education.

Through this journey of reimagined interpretation and storytelling, the living collection signage engages audiences in multiple new ways and serves as the first of many steps toward the future of the Botanical Gardens. These exciting changes, and the forthcoming of the expansion and renovation on the horizon, are not the only enhancements that the community will have to look forward to. Visitors will see all new changes inside the conservatory to the plant collections and greenhouses including new pathways, new plants, new exhibits and even more educational opportunities beginning this fall and continuing through 2027.

The Botanical Gardens' leadership team shares that these ongoing changes exemplify that there is more to the Botanical Gardens than just its historic conservatory. Visitors can enjoy the outdoor gardens and arboretum, participate in programming and events, create memories at a wedding or a party, and so much more. The Botanical Gardens mission is to deepen the connection between people and plants through beautiful gardens and extraordinary experiences.

All educational and wayfinding signs were created by the Botanical Gardens team and produced by local sign shop Beyond Print Solutions, in partnership with Metal Supermarkets.

The Botanical Gardens is open daily from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at buffalogardens.com. For events and classes happening during and outside of regular hours, visit the new online events calendar.

More about Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens

Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that welcomes all to enjoy its living plant collections, breathtaking conservatory, and educational programming. Opened in 1900, the Botanical Gardens is located within a park system designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Support for the organization is provided by public funds from Erie County; the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; members; donors; and friends.