Budget cuts and recent expansions have forced Reiman Gardens to start charging visitors who are not ISU students for admission.

Beginning April 12, visitors will begin paying fees ranging from $1 to $3. A membership program will also be available, which will allow free entrance into the gardens for one year and discounts on special events, such as concerts and fairs.

“We’ve studied about a hundred gardens across the country and looked at all of the various kinds of financing plans, and I think we’ve come up with a reasonable package,” said Teresa McLaughlin, director of Reiman Gardens.

Currently, Reiman Gardens is funded primarily by the ISU Foundation, self-generated revenue and Iowa State through the College of Agriculture, she said.

Expansions at the gardens, such as two indoor conservatories, a cafe, gift shop and meeting room, in addition to requests for more services and educational offerings, have forced the gardens to increase the self-generated revenue, McLaughlin said.

“This really changes the dynamics of the garden,” she said.

Students will still be allowed to visit the gardens for free in the long-term plan because the gardens partially belong to Iowa State, she said.

“We want to encourage students to use the gardens for their academic programs as well as to enjoy themselves,” McLaughlin said.

The new conservatories will most likely prompt more classes to use the facilities available at the gardens as well.

“I see a greater role for teaching as [Reiman Gardens] becomes developed, and as it matures,” said Jeff Iles, associate professor and chairman of the horticulture department.

Iles said when he first heard about the admission fee, he thought there may be a better way to go about maintaining the gardens while still keeping it free, but he is now convinced the financial situation of the gardens is more serious.

“It’s a great facility, and it’s going to continue to get better, but I’m afraid that we’re going to have to face the fact that admission fees are a fact of life,” Iles said.

Reiman Gardens can be viewed as an ever-evolving laboratory, and despite its proximity to students’ classes, it is an excellent place for students in horticulture, entomology and agriculture to get hands-on experience, he said.

“It’s a place to put what you learn in classes into practice,” he said.

Attracting more classes from the university is not the only aim of the expansions, however.

The current annual visitor count is 70,000, but this number is expected to double or even triple after all the construction is completed, she said.

“I think we’ll attract a lot of Iowans and Midwesterners to make this a destination in their travel plans,” McLaughlin said.

Ames residents pulled together to help keep the gardens beautiful, as $26,000 was garnered from a donation box over the summer and more than 400 families have already signed up for the membership plan, she said.

“It’s difficult to charge for something that was once free, but it’s less than what you would pay to park your car for most events,” McLaughlin said.

Price Information

Beginning April 12, adults will be charged $3 per person, and $2.50 will be the cost for those over 65. Children 6-18 years old will be charged $1, and children under six and ISU students will be allowed in free.

There will also be a membership program available, which will cost $35 for an individual, and $50 for a household. Members will be allowed in free year-round and will get discounts on special events such as concerts and fairs.