Walking through Inhotim offers unique experiences born from the encounter between art and nature. And far beyond being exuberant, the gardens are also vibrant spaces for the protection of biodiversity, for scientific endeavors, and for weaving dialogues about other extraordinary ways of existing that plants can inspire in us.

The gardens, whose construction began in the 1980s, bear the mark of the vision of Pedro Nehring (1955-2023), one of the creators of Inhotim's landscape design and a central figure in the development of its landscape concept. Between 2000 and 2004, Luiz Carlos Orsini designed the 25-hectare landscape project. Today, the Institute is a national and international benchmark in contemporary tropical landscaping.

In total, there are more than 140 hectares of land, in addition to a 250-hectare extension of the Inhotim Private Natural Heritage Reserve (RPPN). The Inhotim Institute is located in a region where the Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado meet – two of the most biodiverse and, at the same time, threatened biomes on the planet. It is within this area that the Inhotim Botanical Garden (JBI) manages botanical collections composed of native Brazilian and exotic species from various parts of the world, useful for research, conservation, and education.

As a botanical garden, Inhotim's mission is to maintain, propagate, study, and disseminate ornamental plants and regional flora, prioritizing rare, endemic, or threatened species, displaying these species in a landscaped setting and raising public awareness about biodiversity conservation.

Recognition

The Institute has been recognized as a botanical garden since 2010, a title awarded by the National Commission of Botanical Gardens (CNJB). It is affiliated with the largest international network of botanical gardens, called bgci (Botanic Gardens Conservation International) and to RBJB (Brazilian Network of Botanical Gardens), the largest national network of gardens and similar institutions.

In 2024, Inhotim became the first botanical garden in Brazil to receive the BGCI certified botanical garden seal. This seal validates that the Institute operates in accordance with the highest international standards for botanical gardens, distinguishing it from other types of gardens and recognizing its contribution to the conservation of flora. Since 2023, Inhotim has also been the headquarters of the Brazilian Palm Society, a group of researchers, collectors, producers, landscapers, and other professionals dedicated to the study of this important family of tropical flora.