In 1992 several local naturalists from the Fox Valley formed the Friends of the Parks, Inc and began making plans for approximately 32-acres in Appleton’s Memorial Park.
The original purpose was to promote harmony with nature by helping people recognize and appreciate plants native to Wisconsin and their role in the environment through education, preservation, propagation, and protection.
The initial plan was to include an arboretum like the Madison Arboretum. This idea later became the Henry and Mary Scheig Learning Center named after the former president of AAL (Thrivent). The Center was designed by architects trained by Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin Architecture of Spring Green.
Next to the Center volunteers interested in landscape, horticulture, and botany were asked to develop and maintain the surrounding gardens. (Volunteers continue to be involved with garden maintenance and development. Last year, volunteers contributed over 1,000 hours maintaining the gardens) There have been various groups caring for the gardens, but the city of Appleton retains the ownership of the land and the Center.
These gardens were created as an attractive setting to encourage visitors to explore the plants, flowers and trees. The once open field became a collection of trees, trails, ponds and perennial gardens. The gardens include: native roses, an herb garden, all-season, fragrance, family, and native wildflower gardens, a rose garden, and a prairie. Paved paths make most of the gardens accessible to people with mobility issues.
The gardens were created to provide an attractive setting where visitors could enjoy the outdoors and restore beauty in their lives through the senses. The gardens are often used as a backdrop for wedding and graduation pictures.Join us on Saturday, July 19, 2025 for “A Walk In the Park” from 9AM to 1PM. There will be activities for adults, kids, garden themed art for sale and live music. The event is free and open to the public. Check out https://www.facebook.com/foscg/ for more details.
