Kids Go Green! Environmental Center & Gardens

The Kids Go Green! Environmental Center and Gardens (KGGECG) was constructed in 2011 on three-fourths of an acre behind the museum. Funded with a $150,000 Institute of Museum and Library Services Museums for America Grant and private donations, the facility opened in 2012.

The KGGECG includes outdoor educational spaces, a pavilion, water feature, rock garden, meadow garden, seven raised planting beds, and more. It is used for many of the museum’s camps, family events, and special events, and is a featured part of the museum’s Third Sunday Open House program from March – October.

The KGGECG was overseen for many years by Bucky Smith, who passed away in May, 2026. The museum is currently forming a volunteer-led team to oversee the facility and lead educational programs. If you are interested in this opportunity, visit our Volunteer Page.

We are profoundly grateful to everyone who made the KGGECG possible:

Institute of Museum and Library Services
Larry and Margaret Allard
James and Rhonda Bogard
Arden and Marsha Burkholder
Joan Burkholder
Larry and Marge Burkholder
Ch2M Hill
Steve and Mary Ann Damos
Virginia Dunlap
Viola Ergen
Gordon and Miriam Fee
Mark Fuhrman Complete Landscaping Services
Steve and June Gibbs
Dr. Sue Hamilton
Martha and Jonathan Hart
Patricia Imperato
Bruce and Phyllis Jacobson
Hal and Pam Jernigan
Harold and Helen Jernigan
Jeanne Lane
Brad Marsh and Elizabeth Obenshain
John and Eileen Neiler
Rotary Club of Oak Ridge
Ted and Selma Shapiro
Chris Smith, Y-12 Federal Credit Union
Ellen Smith and Rich Norby
Richard Spining
David and Marilyn Stanley
The Telluray Foundation
Tennessee Naturescapes
Paul and Pam Williams