Holden forests and gardens will create a master interpretive plan for its cleveland botanical garden and holden arboretum campuses that communicates a unified organizational brand while highlighting…

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) awarded Holden Arboretum a $237,904 project grant on October 1, 2025, under the Museums for America program (CFDA 45.301) to develop a comprehensive Master Interpretive Plan for its Cleveland Botanical Garden and Holden Arboretum campuses. The project will create a unified organizational brand framework while preserving each campus's distinct identity through enhanced storytelling, wayfinding signage, and educational outreach initiatives. Deliverables include site assessments, stakeholder interviews, and community listening sessions that will inform messaging guidelines for current and future trails, gardens, and educational spaces, ultimately making the organization's environmental research more accessible to visitors.

The two-year initiative, scheduled for completion by September 30, 2027, is designed to enrich visitor experiences and strengthen community connections to nature while reinforcing Holden Arboretum's position as an environmental education leader in Northeast Ohio. As a Museums for America grantee, this project aligns with the program's core objectives of community engagement and lifelong learning through interpretive programming and institutional strategic planning at a qualifying botanical garden facility.

Holden forests and gardens will create a master interpretive plan for its cleveland botanical garden and holden arboretum campuses that communicates a unified organizational brand while highlighting each campus's unique identity. The new plan will enhance storytelling, wayfinding, and educational outreach on holden campuses, making its environmental research more accessible and fostering deeper community connections with nature. The project will include site assessments, stakeholder interviews, and community listening sessions to inform the plan. The resulting framework will guide messaging for current and future trails, gardens, and educational spaces, enrich visitor experiences, and reinforce the garden's role as an environmental education leader in northeast ohio.