TRAVERSE CITY — The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park held a ribbon cutting Monday for the redevelopment of Barn 206.
The event capped off years of work on the community-supported project and marked the opening of a new space for events and community gatherings.
The facility, now known as the Debra J. Edson Family Education Center, was first built in 1894 and in use as a barn for decades as part of the Traverse City State Hospital.
Matt Ross, director of the Botanic Garden, says that the project is a testament to the value of Traverse City’s past.
“It’s really built upon the foundation of community,” he said. “When it was an operational farm, that’s exactly what it was, with people from all different parts of the state coming together for a common goal. And we see that same goal living today in a new and exciting way.”
The space contains multiple meeting rooms, office space and an educational kitchen for classes or catering events.
The project broke ground in 2024 and was supported with a voter-approved millage.
Developers also constructed a new silo that connects the building to Barn 204, known as the Cathedral Barn.
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