Company Profile

Company Overview

One of the world’s most significant botanic and sculpture experiences, Meijer Gardens regularly serves approximately 700,000 visitors per year and was recently listed in the top 30 most-visited museums in the United States by The Art Newspaper. The 158-acre main campus features Michigan’s largest tropical conservatory; one of the largest interactive children’s gardens in the country; arid and Victorian gardens with bronze sculptures by Edgar Degas and Auguste Rodin; a carnivorous plant house; outdoor gardens; a farm garden replicating a 1930s era Michigan farm; and a 1900-seat outdoor amphitheater, featuring an eclectic mix of world-renowned musicians every summer. In June 2015, the eight–acre Richard & Helen DeVos Japanese Garden opened. Created by renowned designer Hoichi Kurisu, the garden features sculpture by Anish Kapoor, Jenny Holzer, David Nash, George Rickey, Giuseppe Penone, Masayuki Koorida and Zhang Huan.

The internationally-acclaimed Sculpture Park features a permanent collection including works by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Richard Serra, Louise Bourgeois, Ai Weiwei and Jaume Plensa, among others. Recent sculpture acquisitions include works by El Anatsui, Monika Sosnowska and George Minne. Meijer Gardens has also commissioned a large-scale work from Jaume Plensa for the Garden Pavilion room in the new Welcome Center. The acquisition of sculpture is supported by a permanent endowment gifted by Fred and Lena Meijer, by other donors through our capital campaigns.

The robust sculpture exhibition program hosts changing sculpture exhibitions each year by artists such as Ai Weiwei, Pablo Picasso, Edgar Degas, Mark di Suvero, Jonathan Borofsky, Alexander Calder, Jim Dine, Lee Ufan, Masayuki Koorida and Dale Chihuly. Historical exhibitions are also part of our programming when you open a major new feature. The sculpture exhibitions are presented primarily in our indoor galleries but also are featured in our Sculpture Park and conservatories.

In 2016, Meijer Gardens began construction on a $115 million expansion of its facilities, gardens and art collection. The expansion, called Welcoming the World: Honoring a Legacy of Love, includes a 69,000 square foot Welcome Center, a 23,000 square foot Covenant Learning Center, the Peter C. & Emajean Cook Transportation Center, an expanded and upgraded Frederik Meijer Gardens Amphitheater, a 230seat Picnic Pavilion, the Padnos Rooftop Sculpture Garden, the redesigned Tassell-Wisner-Bottrall English Perennial Garden, and reimagined parking lots. In addition, the permanent sculpture galleries
are being expanded and renovated along with significant internal existing building improvements. Consistent with our commitment to the natural environment, LEED certification is being sought for all eligible areas of the project. All elements of the project are expected to be ready in 2023.

Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects (New York City) serve as the lead architects for the project. Grand Rapids based Progressive Architects and Engineers serve as the lead engineers for the project and are the lead architect for the Covenant Learning Center. Owen Ames Kimball is the builder and construction manager for the project.