American Rose Center Takes Over Rose Gardens
The American Rose Society and American Rose Center have completed their legal separation, with the nonprofit now owning and operating the Gardens of the American Rose Center in Shreveport.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Gardening
The American Rose Society and American Rose Center have completed their legal separation. The American Rose Center is now the owner and operator of the Gardens of the American Rose Center, which opened to the public in 1975.
Why it matters
The Gardens have been the American Rose Society's national home and headquarters for more than 50 years, and the separation lets each organization focus on its own mission. Local supporters and community leaders are now responsible for the property's future in Shreveport and across Northwest Louisiana.
The American Rose Center nonprofit was formed on November 20, 2025, and the Gardens have operated since 1975 as the home of the American Rose Society for more than 50 years. The source does not specify the financial arrangements or any new admission or membership costs under the new ownership.
The players
American Rose Center
An independent nonprofit corporation that now owns and operates the Gardens of the American Rose Center in Shreveport, with partnerships including the Heritage Rose Foundation and LSU AgCenter.
American Rose Society
A national organization that promotes the culture, preservation, and appreciation of the rose, and which used the Shreveport property as its headquarters for more than 50 years.
The details
The American Rose Center is an independent nonprofit corporation that now owns and operates the Gardens and associated property. Longtime supporters and community leaders formed the new organization, engaged a small staff, and established a new Board of Directors, while American Rose Society staff continue working in offices on the property.
Timeline
1975: The Gardens opened to the public.
November 20, 2025: The American Rose Center nonprofit corporation was formed.
2026: The American Rose Center operated the Gardens during the legal separation.
November 13, 2026: Completion of the separation was announced.
Roadmap
The separation follows more than 50 years in which the American Rose Society made the Shreveport property its national headquarters. The new American Rose Center intends to build on that horticultural heritage while broadening how visitors experience the Gardens.
Visitors to the Gardens in Shreveport will now deal with the American Rose Center as the property's owner and operator rather than the Society. The Gardens will continue to celebrate the rose, America's national floral emblem, and the nonprofit plans to broaden the ways people experience the property.
The takeaway
Organizations that share a historic site can separate ownership from national mission while keeping both active, as the American Rose Society and American Rose Center have done in Shreveport. Garden visitors can expect the rose to remain the focus of the Gardens' programming.
Further reading
For more on local plant life and garden spaces, explore our Gardening coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Bossier Press-tribune.
