About

Established in 1873, the W.J. Beal Botanical Garden is the oldest, continuously operated university botanical garden in the United States and illuminates the interconnectedness between people, plants, and place. This living laboratory encourages learning and exploration of the natural world. With a collection of over 2,000 plants from around the globe situated in the heart of MSU's campus along the Red Cedar River, this lovely natural landscape is perfect for collaborative programming to advance research, teaching, wellbeing, and public engagement.

The W.J. Beal Botanical Garden is listed on the Michigan State Register of Historic Places. The Garden is also a part of the Provost’s Office at MSU, and is one of several units that comprise the University Arts and Collections group and reports to the Associate Provost for Arts and Collections. The members of the University Arts and Collections group are:

• W.J. Beal Botanical Garden
• Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum
• MSU Museum
• Wharton Center for Performing Arts

Read a summary of our 2023 Year in Review.

Arts MSU
In 2023, University Arts and Collections launched Arts MSU. Guided by the belief that the arts are essential to a vibrant university community that is resilient, inclusive, collaborative, and globally minded, Arts MSU advances the impact and amplifies the presence of the arts on campus and beyond. Integrating the arts across MSU’s missions will lead to innovative practices of discovering, connecting, exploring, and remembering.

Please contact us and let us know how we can help you.