In 1937, Sam McCrory and his wife arrived in Brookings and planted a seed — he envisioned a botanical research garden along Sixth Street.
A protected collection of plants, trees and shrubs could serve as a living laboratory for South Dakota State University students and the community.
Today, through a 25-acre botanical garden and a 45-acre arboretum, his idea has come into bloom and continues to flourish as McCrory Gardens celebrates its 60th anniversary.
With growing enrollment at SDSU in the early 1960s, Bailey Rotunda and Wagner Hall were set to be built on the site of the original Horticultural Research Gardens on campus. As department head of Horticulture, Forestry and Parks, McCrory, assistant department head Ronald Peterson and SDSU President Hilton Briggs secured the property at 22nd Avenue and Sixth Street.
McCrory learned of the South Dakota Board of Regents' approval for the new site before his death on March 5, 1964. Relocation and planting started in 1965 under Peterson, who took over the project. SDSU's woody and herbaceous ornamentals were relocated from campus to Sixth Street, sharing the location with fruit tree and vegetable research and the university's poultry unit.
McCrory Gardens was formally dedicated in honor of Sam McCrory on Aug. 8, 1966. Plans for the gardens began to take shape as LeRoy Johnson, founder of the SDSU landscape architecture program, designed two large circular garden rooms. No additions were made until Jim Klett was named the first director of McCrory Gardens in 1971. Two additional garden rooms were created, expanding the space as a teaching, research and public service facility. The gardens gained traction, earning accolades such as the All-American Display Garden Award.
In 1981, the gardens faced potential closure due to lack of funding. The community came together, launching a fundraising campaign that created an endowment still supporting McCrory Gardens today. While partially funded by SDSU, private donations, garden admissions, venue rentals and community support remain essential to its continued success.
Connecting people and plants
Sixty years since its start, McCrory Gardens remains true to its mission of connecting people and plants through education, discovery, research and enjoyment of the natural and built landscape. The gardens' impact on SDSU, the Brookings community and South Dakota and beyond is apparent.
Out of the 112 land-grant universities in the U.S., SDSU is one of only 19 that maintain an arboretum, botanical garden or both. McCrory Gardens offers hands-on experience for students without leaving campus. Approximately 41,000 plants are started from seed each January in the SDSU horticulture greenhouse.
Preparing for future careers in horticulture, extension, marketing, hospitality, tourism and event management, 17 college students and three high school students gained experience working at the gardens and the Education and Visitor Center this summer, said Lisa Marotz, McCrory Gardens director and 1989 SDSU alumna.
SDSU students, faculty and staff receive free admission to the gardens, and employees can bring up to six guests at no charge. For many, the gardens are a quiet haven. When the stress of school builds, McCrory Gardens offers space to recharge.
"There is just something about those few minutes when, if at all possible, we can give that break to ourselves," Marotz said. "I feel it leads to exceptional mental wellness."
Taking time to reset in a quiet, natural environment can be vital. The care of students and employees is not overlooked. Marotz recalls an SDSU administrator who frequently brought his lunch to the gardens. He told her, "I can't believe I just stared at a butterfly for 45 minutes." After an hour of calm, soaking in the sun, he returned to his workday refreshed. Community members and visitors can receive the same satisfaction with an annual membership or daily admission, finding comfort among the plants or fostering relationships in the shared space. Signature events held throughout the year such as the Insect Festival, Garden Glow and TuliPalooza draw people in, boosting the gardens' visitor numbers to record levels. McCrory is a one-of-a-kind space for the community to gather, Marotz said.
Plans for the future
Mayor Oepke Niemeyer '85 declared Aug. 1, the date of the annual garden party, as McCrory Gardens Day in Brookings. Gardens staff used it as an opportunity to celebrate the past and look to the destination's future. Current and former staff gathered for an all-crew reunion, live jazz filled the air, SDSU ice cream was served, and new chapters were added to the gardens' history wall. The night also included the awarding of the inaugural Han and Bang Kim Scholarships for Outstanding Student Employees, with two $1,000 scholarships presented in honor of exceptional student leadership and service.
Marotz said plans for the future at the gardens include a 2.5-kilometer accessible walking path looping through the arboretum and expansion of the adjacent disc golf course from nine to 18 holes.
Thanks to a South Dakota Department of Transportation grant, this long-envisioned project is becoming a reality. Fundraising is underway to secure matching dollars. Inside the Education and Visitor Center, opened in 2012, upgrades are also planned: fresh carpet and paint for the Great Hall. McCrory Gardens has also been awarded a $10,000 Wokini Initiative grant to fully renovate the Prairie Medicinal Garden.
The passing of plant knowledge
Partnering with the American Indian Student Center, students will help revitalize "Phezuta Owozu" and share the cultural significance of Dakota plant knowledge. Marotz said additional collaborations are in development with SDSU's School of Design and SDSU Extension.
Originally established as an outdoor laboratory for horticulture, plant science, landscape architecture, forestry and parks students, McCrory Gardens has evolved. While community access has expanded, formal research activity has declined due to shifts in faculty roles. Today, all types of projects are welcomed as research — scientific, creative and cultural.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has collected bees from the gardens for the past three summers, and a recent graduate student conducted bee research onsite. Artists, photographers, bird watchers and nature lovers are also welcome. McCrory Gardens would not be the sanctuary it is today without community support, Marotz said. Donors have contributed largely to projects like the Rock Garden Waterfall and the Cottage. Anyone can support the gardens with donations, sponsorships and gifts or simply by buying admission, event tickets or event rentals. The value of an outdoor community space should not be taken for granted.
When people leave the gardens, they're surprised by how they feel. They can't quite come up with the words to describe it. They've lost track of where they are — and I love it.
— Lisa Marotz
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