1455 Palmer Drive, Janesville, WI  (608) 752-3885

About the Gardens

Facility and Garden Rental

Business and Event Information

Think of Us For Your Next...

• Business Social

• Retirement Party

• Training Sessions

• Banquet

• Holiday Party

Additional benefits include:

• Easily accessible off I-90

• Close to Hotel facilities

• 30 minutes from Madison, WI

• 30 minutes from Rockford, IL

• Handicap accessible

Meeting Equipment 

• Sound System & wireless  microphone

• Staging capabilities

• Projection screen

• LCD Projector

• Dry erase board

• Flip chart

• Easel

Rotary Gardens offers four individual rooms, each 19’ x 31’ with separate access, for business meetings, training sessions or retreats.  The rooms expand to create space for conventions, banquets or sales seminars.  The stunning atrium provides natural lighting and a breath-taking view of the gardens, creating a convenient area for reception with a coat room, gift shop,  and restroom facilities close at hand.  The atmosphere is calming and quiet, with access to 20 internationally themed  botanical gardens to stimulate your mind and create an inspiring and productive environment.  We customize layouts to serve  your individual needs.  Pricing is based intensity of staffing, set-up, food, alcohol, hours, cleaning, and other issues.

Please call for pricing information: 608-752-3885 x19

Wedding and Reception Information

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!  We are pleased you are considering Rotary Gardens as your wedding ceremony site.  Our seventeen internationally themed botanical gardens provide an ideal location to have the wedding of your dreams.  Receptions may be scheduled in the Parker Education Center. 

Rotary Gardens books wedding ceremonies in three time blocks: 11am-1pm, 2-4pm, and 5-7pm

Reservations are first come basis. We urge you to make your plans early so you can secure your date of choice.  Your wedding reservation includes the right to have professional photography taken on our grounds during and immediately after the wedding. 

Our garden areas are ever-changing; whether you choose the formal look of the Rose Garden, the  enclosed Sunken Garden, or the more casual Gazebo, you are sure to have beautiful surroundings. 

Rental Areas 

Parker Education Center Rental: Events booked on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays will have the building all day, however the Atrium area is open to visitors. The Friday, Saturday and Sunday rates include use of the room, banquet tables, chairs, dance floor, bar set-up, bartenders and cleaning.  Catering and other costs are the responsibility of the event host. 

Click on pictures below for large size preview of the garden area.

French Formal Rose Garden:

This beautiful formal garden is a wonderful, sunny setting overlooking the pond and fountain.  The circular lawn in this garden is surrounded by beds that are filled with colorful and fragrant roses.  These low-maintenance roses include lots of pink, white, yellow and red.  A curved, Pennsylvania bluestone walkway delineates the northern edge of this space and is accented with formal boxwoods and yews.  A stately pergola is positioned above this walkway and eight colorful hanging baskets provide seasonal color from this structure.  Granite urns punctuate this garden with color and formality.  Peripheral plantings surround and define this very special space, designed as a French formal garden.

Sunken Garden:

This rectangular garden space is defined by an impressive clipped hedge of Eastern arborvitae.  Large cottonwoods and honeylocust overhang the garden, providing dappled shade at times as well as a sense of enclosure. Wide, peripheral planting beds are defined by a low, lannon stone wall and are filled with drifts of bulbs, perennials and annuals.  Over 200 varieties of plants are grown in this garden every year.  Spring colors include blues, violets and yellows.  Summer colors become more vibrant with yellow, reds, maroon, white and touches of blue.  A large, center section of lawn is ringed with a brick walkway and accented with a fountain at the east end.  Eight large containers provide seasonal color as do “planting pockets” along the walkways. 

Gazebo Garden:

This informal garden space is located on the eastern edge of the pond.  It is truly the “coolest spot” in the gardens due to a combination of breezes across the water as well as ample shade from mature hackberry trees.  An ornate gazebo structure is the focal point of the garden and provides a restive spot for contemplation near the water.  The gazebo frames a wonderful view across the pond to the Japanese arched bridge and fountain beyond.  Plantings throughout this garden focus on varieties that will tolerate part shade or even deep shade conditions.  Color and texture abound with perennials and annuals, both in beds and containers. 

Gardens provides a stunning backdrop for every wedding photograph.

Garden rental rates:

Parker Education Center rental rates:

Facilities Usage Guidelines 

• Please note that Rotary Botanical Gardens is a public garden. The grounds will remain open to the general public during your reserved time.

• To maintain the quality of our plant collections, we do not permit tents to be set up on our grounds for private functions.

• Outdoors, we do not provide chairs, tables, podiums, etc.  We recommend you contract with a rental service for these supplies.

• All wedding activities, including setup and cleanup, must take place within the reserved time block.

• Damage deposit will be returned within 30 days after the wedding, providing there is no damage assessment and the contract has not been violated.

• Your reservation includes the right to have  professional photography taken at the Gardens the day of your wedding.

• With your paid reservation, you are entitled to schedule a dress rehearsal. Rehearsals must be scheduled in advance.

• Rotary Botanical Gardens does not refund rentals because of inclement weather.

Catering

Rotary Botanical Gardens offers you the flexibility to choose your own caterer.  No catering minimum is required for events.

Rotary Botanical Gardens has requested that caterers add on a 12% commission charge to all booked events, before tax and gratuity; caterers agree to add on this charge and reimburse Rotary Gardens. Other caterers may be used if approved by Rotary Botanical Gardens.

Please call (608) 752-3885x19 for our current list of preferred caterers and we welcome the opportunity to work with others!

No food or alcoholic beverages are allowed in the garden at any time.

Food & Beverage Charge 

Parties choosing to bring in food from an authorized vendor (i.e. Logli’s, Woodman’s, etc.) must bring a copy of their receipt and will be subject to a food charge to take the place of the 12% commission charge.   Beverage service is provided by Rotary Gardens.  All beverage service is subject to a $300.00 minimum.

No food or alcoholic beverages are allowed in the garden at any time.

Contact Rotary Gardens' facility coordinator to schedule your upcoming event, (608) 752-3885 x19.

Photography Permits

Rotary Botanical Gardens requires a $30 (one day) or $250 (year-long)  professional photography permit (ie. wedding, prom, senior portraits, etc.).  Permits can be purchased same day inside at Cottage Garden Gift Shop.  One-day permits are included with all facility rental contracts.  Permits are not required by amateur photographers and visitors to the gardens.

Our current preferred photographers include:

LiV photography

Rosenbrook Studio

KA Piehl Photography

Princess Pride Studio

Download a copy of the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print information provided as PDF files.