Best Hidden Gem in Columbia Missouri: Shelter Gardens
What are Shelter Gardens
Visiting Columbia, Missouri comes with its own set of traditions - grabbing a slice at Shakespeare’s Pizza, a pint at The Heidelberg Restaurant or a meal on Broadway. Many make their way to a MIZZOU sports event or find themselves reminiscing about the freedom of college life from oh so many years ago.
I did not grow up experiencing Columbia; I caught a few concerts at The Blue Note and found myself in the occasional early morning at Shattered, but I never quite checked off the “traditional” list.
Recently I created my own tradition by discovering something just as meaningful: Shelter Insurance Corporation’s Shelter Gardens, a peaceful oasis offering a welcoming discussion with nature.
Located behind Shelter Insurance’s corporate headquarters at 1917 West Broadway, this botanical garden offers an alternative to life’s bustle - vibrant flower beds, a replicated one-room schoolhouse, a war veteran memorial, an oversized sundial, and a gently calming koi pond.
Whether you spend a lunch hour or a quiet evening wandering the looping paved pathways, you’ll find yourself moving beneath more than 300 varieties of trees and shrubs holding vigil over 15,000 annuals and perennials in bloom.
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Accessible Public Gardens
The five-acre botanical garden developed out of the vision of Shelter employee, Scotty Garrett.
Mr. Garrett envisioned turning the company’s former farm into a tree and flower oasis for public enjoyment. His proposal was approved, and in August 1975, Shelter Gardens was formally dedicated.
From the very beginning, it was designed with dual purpose: part company retreat, part community offering.
A replica of the Newcomer Schoolhouse, a one-room structure originally built in 1914 in Brunswick, Missouri, represents the heart of the gardens with the looping trails interconnected around its central location.
The schoolhouse marks the origins of the farm club that would later become Shelter Insurance, connecting both natural beauty and historical significance.
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Be sure to thank the gardeners for their work expanding and preserving the gardens, tending to the trees & shrubs, and weeding the annuals & perennials.
Visitors can wander through themed areas that range from a desert landscape to an Oriental garden to a serene Japanese maple grove - each space offering a unique experience and feeling.
But Shelter Gardens is more than a collection of landscapes.
It has become a backdrop for life’s moments - picnics, weddings, concerts, school field trips, and university research visits.
Generations have passed through its paths, capturing senior portraits and prom photos beneath its trees. Don’t make our mistake and get in the way on prom weekend.
The Shelter Gardens even welcomed moments of national significance. In 1992, the gardens hosted then-President George H. W. Bush, who met with Columbia families alongside Missouri Governor John Ashcroft.
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Our mantra is simple: we design our route - because adventure shouldn’t be outsourced to a GPS.
Once we pick a destination, I dive into PlugShare for charger intel while Cheryl brings the magic by charting each stop on our paper atlas, giving us a colorful, big‑picture snapshot of the journey.
That blend of EV tech and old‑school wanderlust keeps our planning smooth, colorful, and unmistakably SightSee EV. Check out the full article to see how this combo keeps our road trips smooth and fun!
Charging your Columbia, Missouri EVisit
Offering three primary charger stations, you will find Columbia Missouri an EV friendly town with all three stations in easy to access locations.
Less than two miles from Shelter Gardens a Hy-Vee grocery hosts Tesla Superchargers.
Find a Rivian Adventure Network at the Columbia Mall.
Or grab a quick charge at the EVConnect station located near the Interstate 70 and US Highway 63 interchange.
Each of these stations are located near restaurants and convenience stations allowing a full recharge - your car and yourself.
Birds Eye Review: Frequent Visits Required
Placed during the Shelter Garden’s early years, the 1981 time capsule preserves a snapshot of the community and Shelter Insurance’s growing legacy for future generations.
You will find Shelter Gardens is more than a garden — it’s a place of community, history, and natural beauty in Columbia.
It reflects Shelter Insurance’s roots in Missouri’s rural farming community and continues to serve as a peaceful retreat for residents and visitors alike.
Go ahead and continue your normal Columbia traditions, I encourage you to make the time to start a new tradition among the floral delight of Shelter Gardens.
Better yet, get out and enjoy all that Missouri has to offer, the variety of State Parks, canoeing the rivers, trout fishing, hiking the Ozark Hills or enjoying Baseball in the anchor cities - Come see why Missouri should be called the EV Adventure State.
👉 Charge up and head out on The Great American Electric Highway, you never know what you will find.
An avid runner, John’s fascination with electric vehicles began the day he left a 1970s Citicar in the dust.
Since then, he’s worked to educate readers that EVs are simply cars powered by an alternative energy source.
His favorite way to experience it? Road-tripping along the Great American Electric Highway, where the miles turn into opportunities to visit family, reconnect with friends, and soak in the country’s scenic beauty.
When John isn’t writing about EV adventures, running in new places, or exploring new destinations, you’ll probably find him reading a book before the next journey begins.
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