The Bill Gatton Foundation commits $30 million to transform The Arboretum
Media Kit
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 23, 2026) — A $30 million gift from The Bill Gatton Foundation to The Arboretum, State Botanical Garden of Kentucky — a partnership between the University of Kentucky and the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government — was accepted Oct. 23 by the UK Board of Trustees.
A celebration of the transformational gift is set for 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, at The Arboretum with UK President Eli Capilouto, Danny Dunn, trustee of The Bill Gatton Foundation, as well as university and city leaders, donors, volunteers and community members.
Details of the improvements and renovations planned for The Arboretum will be announced at the event.
Managed through the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Arboretum is a 100-acre public garden that connects university teaching and research with opportunities for people of all ages to explore Kentucky’s natural world.
Over four decades of partnership between UK and Lexington, The Arboretum has become part of everyday life for generations of visitors. Its gardens, trails and collections provide settings for education, recreation, reflection and celebration.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and healthcare. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $1.02 billion research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.