After two years of construction, the new visitor center at the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens is almost ready to open to the public.
Construction has finished up on the LongHouse Visitor Center, with just some furnishing left to do. Construction of the $23 million facility was funded by Overland Park’s Capital Improvement Plan and the Arts & Recreation Foundation of Overland Park.
Once LongHouse opens to the public in September, the visitor center will serve as the new front entrance to the arboretum and gardens.
Before LongHouse was built, the arboretum lacked a visitor center for indoor programming and education. The new 2,000-square-foot center features indoor and outdoor event spaces, a gift shop, a cafe, lawns and gardens and a reflecting pool.
The center will officially open to the public with a grand opening celebration at 10 a.m. on Sept. 9. Admission to the arboretum is free Sept. 9-10. Here’s a look inside and around the visitor center.
