Capen Garden, named for Bessie Capen, is located in the northeast corner of campus, off Prospect Street. This secret treasure is one of several outdoor gardens on campus. Its dual functions of education and display serve the Botanic Garden's mission well. The garden is used by horticulture students as a living laboratory, and at the same time it is enjoyed by the visiting public. Features include a formal gazebo, rose arbor, rustic pergola, knot garden and the Friends Fountain. Displays of tulips, mountain laurel, lilacs, roses, annuals and perennials, in addition to a variety of trees and shrubs, make the garden a delight in any season.
Bessie Capen, one of the first women to graduate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was hired in 1876 to teach botany and chemistry at Smith. She later founded the Capen School, adjacent to the Smith Campus. The college acquired the school and property in 1921.