The Quad City Botanical Center is a 501 c 3, non-profit organization dedicated to bringing people and plants together in fun and meaningful ways. Adjacent to the Mississippi River in downtown Rock Island, IL, the Quad City Botanical Center is comprised of an indoor tropical atrium, a spacious banquet room, a physically enabling garden, a G-Scale garden train exhibit (seasonal), other thriving outdoor gardens, an educational greenhouse, a three-season event canopy, resource library, and gift shop.As a public garden we maintain hundreds of plants ranging from tropical varieties to regional zone five perennials. A garden for all season, our tropical atrium is splendid throughout the winter months, and our rare conifer collection is unique to the Quad Cities. In spring, flowering bulbs enliven the garden, including a stunning iris collection. Other special collections include day lillies, mums and ornamental grasses. Our outdoor butterfly garden attracts pollinators by the hundreds, and is lively from early spring to late fall when the Monarchs start their migration.
The Center is open to the public 360 days a year, and serves the public in a myriad of ways. As an educational resource we offer staff guided tours of our gardens, grounds and greenhouse, serving 10,000 students annually. In addition, we participate in outreach programs at school campuses, and set up educational booths at various community expositions and special events. Our Helpenstell Resource Center has hundreds of garden and environmental books, and our expert staff is on-hand to answer questions and help interpret the garden and exhibits.
As a banquet facility we serve thousands of customers throughout the year, before, during, and after business hours - affinity groups, service clubs, businesses and corporations, brides, birthdays and anniversaries, and class reunions are all celebrated within our gardens.
In addition to housing living collections of plants that grow and thrive throughout the many countries, we, as a cultural venue, host many special events and programs throughout each year, providing a wide range of entertainment and tying back to the many gifts of the plant world. From the Chocolate Festival to the Pumpkin Extravaganza, there is an event for everyone during our calendar year. Additionally, we support local artists and artisans, providing gallery space to exhibit works of art from various mediums, and a gift shop that showcases and sells many one-of-a-kind handcrafted items. Our travel club arranges day trips throughout the tri state area, visiting gardens and venues of horticultural, environmental and historical interest. Inbound motor coach visitors are treated to specialty tours featuring lectures, tours, and samples. We are located at 2525 4th Avenue, Rock Island, IL 61201.
See what our employees, volunteers, interns and community supporters have to say about us:
Take a look at our Winter 2011 Newsletter (Click Here)
Click on the links below to see what the comunity had to say about us in this recent 2011 survey
Survey Results Survey Data Graphs
Our Mission
- To provide collections and exhibits that promote the beauty and enjoyment of plants
- To increase botanical and horticultural knowledge through education
- To encourage ecological concern for the plants that sustain us
- To inspire citizens to improve their environment
Contact Information
Phone number: 309-794-0991The Window Box Gift Shop extension is 200
Fax Number: 309-794-1572
Executive Director . . . . . . . . . . . .Ami Jenkins
extension 206 jenkins@qcgardens.com
Accounting Supervisor . . . . . . . . ..Gretchen A Hampsey
extension 207 accounts@qcgardens.com
Education Director . . . . . . . . . . . .Gary Koeller
extension 208 edu@qcgardens.com
Education ...................Ellen Loechner
extension 209 edu@qcgardens.com
Gardener . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dave Searl
extension 204 gardens@qcgardens.com
Marketing and Guest Services . . . .Beth Peters-Carpenter
extension 203 vs@qcgardens.com
Wedding, Sales and Sponsorship...Katie Hepner
extension 201 katie@qcgardens.com
Meet the Staff
Ami Jenkins
Ami Jenkins has been honored to serve as Executive Director of the Quad City Botanical Center for the past four years, having begun her career there in 1998 as the rental facility manager. She is a Moline native, and graduate of Illinois State University with a degree in English Literature. Ami has a love of gardening and a passion for promoting interaction with the natural world, so she greatly enjoys serving the Quad Cities by bringing people and plants together in fun and meaningful ways.
Gary Koeller
Gary has been in the Quad Cities since 1972 when he began his student teaching at Moline High School. He was fortunate to have spent 36 years at Moline High as a social studies teacher, coach, and administrator. Gary grew up in Northwest Illinois on a fifth-generation dairy, crop, and livestock farm. Large vegetable and flower gardens were fixtures in his life. As a result, he grew to be aware and appreciate how important our environment is not only in function and appearance, but also our responsibility to care for and preserve that environment. This awareness comes through knowledge and experience and this is what the Botanical Center offers. "The quality of life in our community is greatly enhanced by organizations like the Botanical Center and I am happy to be part of the team."
Dave Searl
Dave Searl has been the head gardener for the QCBC since 2000 bringing with him over 27 years of job related experience. Growing up on a farm in rural Port Byron, IL, he developed an early interest in nature and plants. Working at the QCBC has given him the opportunity to share his interests and knowledge with others. Dave enjoys traveling and assists in planning the many bus trips the Center offers each year. Dave is currently the President of the Moline Horticultural Society.
Beth Peters - Carpenter
Beth is a native to the Quad Cities, growing up in LeClaire, IA. Beth graduated from Pleasant Valley High School in 1989. She continued her education at Iowa State University, graduating with a BFA in studio art in 1993. Beth is a 20 year veteran of the cultural not for profit world, starting her career after college at the Putnam Museum. Mrs. Peters-Carpenter began working at the Quad City Botanical Center in November, 1998 just 6 months after the Botanical Center opened its doors.
Gretchen Hampsey
Accounting Supervisor 
Kari Campbell
She applies her highly refined customer service skills and positive attitude assisting with rentals, memberships and weekend event coverage. Kari is a hands-on participant in all major events at the Center. She has portrayed the Cowardly Lion from the “Wizard of Oz” at the Pumpkin Extravaganza.
Max
Max came on board in August 2010 through Americorps, to aid and assist the grounds Gardener. He gained a lot of his landscape and horticulture experience from his time managing the yard at Meyer Landscaping and Design, in Moline, and planting at their Taylor Ridge growing division. The past couple of years he's worked with local landscape and plant companies in many different capacities.Bridges Catering
We were involved in the initial planning stages of the Quad City Botanical Center. To be able to be a part of such A Quad City Treasure from its inception to what we are now, is very rewarding to us. As Bridges Catering we have served over 100,000 quests since the center opened and are looking forward to doing our part to insure the continued growth of the Quad City Botanical Center. ~ Bill Healy
Mark Karstens (Bridges Catering: Banquet and Beverage Manager) 
Present and Past Interns
The Quad City Botanical Center has been extremely fortunate by having a huge array of talented interns. We have had interns from Augustana College, St. Ambrose University, Scott Community College, Black Hawk College, Western Illinois University and many many more colleges from around the country.
Quad City Botanical Center Board of Directors:
Chad Cruse, Owner, State Farm (Chair)
Marshall Porter, General Manager, WHBF TV4, (1st Vice Chair)
Bill Onions, Senior Manager, Deloitte Tax LLP (2nd Vice Chair)
Clyde Schoeck, Retired, Modern Woodmen (Treasurer)
Bill Nelson, Director, Rock Island Parks and Recreation (Secretary)
Allen Dieter, retired Oscar Mayer
David English, CFO, Augustana College
Derek Engstrom, Owner, Evergreen Landscaping
Tom Flaherty, Sr. Vice President, QC Chamber
Dave Freund, Director of Federal Taxes, John Deere
Kevin Koski, retired, Missman Stanley
Tar Macias, Owner, Hola America
Michael O’Day, President, Hometown Plumbing
Cheryl Reger, US Bank
Kristi Seago, Technical Accounting Analyst, John Deere
Celebrating 15 years of growing minds through nature.