Take a Tour

Danforth Center Group Tours for Current and Prospective Donors

We love talking about our Center’s mission and the difference our scientists are making in the world! We are a young organization responsible for raising much of our own funding. Naturally, the more people who visit our amazing “green building” and learn about its facilities, the more likely they are to support us.

Keep in mind that volunteer docents, not scientists, conduct our Center tours. This enables our scientific and administrative team members to stay focused on the daily operation of the Center and its important research. Tour slots are limited and are reserved for adult groups of current and potential supporters. (8 people at minimum/15 people at maximum)

Basic Information:

• Docent-led tours are generally available Tuesdays and Fridays between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Tours are not scheduled during January, July, the first week of August, the weeks immediately before or after Thanksgiving, and the last two weeks of the year.
• Reservations are required – tour groups must be at least eight (8) adults, to a maximum of 15 adults with a current membership in the Center (or interest in establishing membership). We cannot make an exception to the size of groups, and can only coordinate one group (to a maximum of 15 adults) at a time.
• The tour covers some of our basic science, an overview of the mission of the Center, general information about the building’s architecture, and the need for financial support from generous donors. The tour is not suitable for children (because of its length and focus).
• Tour participants must provide their full name and contact information before embarking on their tour.
• The tour is one hour in length with considerable walking, including staircases, up ramps and on a variety of surfaces.
• While every accommodation has been made to make our research facility accessible to the full range of employees, including those with physical mobility challenges, group tours are not our primary mission. Thus accessibility is extremely limited for large groups touring together: a maximum of two wheelchairs can be accommodated on a tour.
• Visitors are required to stay in aisles, and may not enter work areas.

If you are interested in scheduling a tour, email Chandra Thurman. Please detail the date, time, associated group, number of visitors, contact name / phone number, as well as what specific focus (if any) your group in interested in.

Student Tour

Requests for tours from schools and certain others groups involving school-age youth are occasionally considered by our Office of Science Education and Outreach (priority is given to students in high school or older; we currently do not provide tours for children and youth below the 7th-grade level). To inquire about the possibility of scheduling a student tour, please submit your request by email to Terry Woodford-Thomas or call 314-587-1436.

Want to Help?

In order to expand the Danforth Center's tour schedule and options, we have recently started a Volunteer Docent Program. If you are a "plant-minded" person interested in learning more and communicating about the wonders of plant science, please email or phone (314-587-1072) Karina Benabe. No plant science background or previous experience is required - just a belief that we need to preserve the earth for future generations!