Longtime supporters of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Lyn and Daniel Lerner, were honored recently in a dedication ceremony celebrating the newly named Lyn and Daniel Lerner Visitor Center. 

The Lerners have been coming to Maine for over 30 years. Supporters of the Gardens since 2007, this is not their first transformational gift. The universally accessible Lerner Garden of the Five Senses opened in 2009.

“Over the years, our gifts to Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens have given us the most joy and personal satisfaction of all of our charitable giving,” says Daniel Lerner.

“We are honored by this gift and the Lerners’ continuing support of the Gardens and our mission,” says Gretchen Ostherr, Gardens’ President and CEO. “Their generosity over the years has directly supported our work to make the Gardens more accessible to more people and forging deep and lifelong connections to nature.”

The Lyn and Daniel Lerner Visitor Center opened in 2018 in order to accommodate increased visitation to the Gardens and to support the overall guest experience. The two- and three-story shingled building provides three times the square footage of the previous visitor center while utilizing practical, sustainable passive building standards. The adjacent entry court and gardens, featuring a blend of native and ornamental plants and stonework inspired by the Maine landscape, connect the Gardens’ guests to nature before they even step foot in the central gardens themselves. Airy, light, and accommodating, it’s a fitting prelude to the Gardens itself.

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Boothbay, Maine, opened to the public in 2007. Founded by Maine residents with a passion for gardens and the state’s magnificent coast and forests, the Gardens is comprised of cultivated, formal gardens and natural landscapes that highlight natural history, habitats, botany, horticulture, and ecological connections while honoring Maine and its people.  

At nearly 325 acres, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is the largest public garden in New England. The nationally recognized public garden features two miles of hiking trails, 19 acres of ornamental and themed gardens, a children’s garden, a sensory garden, and so much more. The mission of the Gardens is to inspire meaningful connections among people, plants, and nature through horticulture, education, and research. To learn more, visit MaineGardens.org.