Sep

Today in Smithsonian History: September 27, 1976

View of the Victorian Garden in the South Yard looking north towards the Smithsonian Institution Building, October 15, 1976. The design, developed by the Office of Horticulture is based on the horticultural displays at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. (Photo by Richard Farrar)

September 27. 1976 The Victorian Garden behind the Smithsonian Institution Castle opens to the public. The design is based on the horticultural displays at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. In the South Yard to the west of the Arts and Industries Building, it is the work of the Office of Horticulture and is the Smithsonian’s first major horticultural display.

Today Smithsonian Gardens creates and manages the Smithsonian’s outdoor gardens, interiorscapes, and horticulture-related collections and exhibits. Established in 1972 to manage the museum grounds, Smithsonian Gardens extends the museums’ exhibits and learning environment in a public garden setting while shaping visitors’ overall experience of the Smithsonian.

Located directly above the National Museum of African Art, S. Dillon Ripley Center, and Arthur M.Sackler Gallery, the 4.2-acre Enid A. Haupt Garden is actually a rooftop garden. It comprises three separate gardens, each reflecting the cultural influences celebrated in the adjacent architecture and the museums below. (Photo by Dane Penland)

Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution Archives