Winter Gateway 2022

Restored greenhouses a highlight
of Boyce Thompson Arboretum
Completed on Aug.
11, 1926, the
3,600-square-foot
stone structure served as
Boyce Thompson Arboretum’s
first administration
building, visitor center,
research laboratory and
greenhouses. In 1979, it
was named the William T.
Smith Building after the
longtime chair of the board
and CEO, who served from
1963 to 1986.
The building’s original
greenhouses were constructed
by Lord & Burnham,
a leading designer
and manufacturer for public
conservatories for 125
years. Most of their original
structure remained
unchanged for 95 years,
featuring cacti on one side
and succulents on the other
- primarily rare and
frost-sensitive plants. Over
time, however, the greenhouses
had deteriorated so
much that visitors couldn’t
enter safely. Broken and
missing glass covered the
roofs; rusted steel was evident
across the structures;
the walls of the beds, made
from native rock, had crum-
See ARBORETUM, page 31
ARBORETUM DISCOVERY TOURS
Courtesy photo/Boyce Thompson Arboretum
A 1926 photo of the Boyce Thompson Arboretum’s original
visitor center and greenhouses, known today as the
William T. Smith Building.
Courtesy photos/Allie Tolman
Discover Arizona’s first and oldest botanical garden. With collections from many of the worlds’ deserts, you will learn
how this myriad of plants are crucial to our survival. Learn what makes desert plants unique and allows them to survive
in regions with such low precipitation. This tour will last approximately one hour and cover 0.5 miles. This introduction
to Boyce Thompson Arboretum is a great gateway to further involvement at BTA and is accessible for most everyone.
Space is very limited so pre-registration is required.
Please check in at the Visitor’s Center at least 10 minutes prior to the start of your tour. Unclaimed reservations will be
released to other guests at that time.
30 Gateway to the Copper Corridor 2022