The views of rolling farmland available around the Michigan State University Tollgate Education Center are practically unknown elsewhere in present-day Oakland County.  Tollgate has long provided a unique setting for conferences and meetings.  The site also houses the office of the Director of Extension for southeast Michigan.  Many MSU research and demonstration projects are also located at Tollgate.  The many gardens of Tollgate are beautiful in all seasons.  The public is welcome to enjoy the gardens Monday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The gardens of Tollgate began in earnest in 1992 with a small group of Master Gardeners who saw the potential of the farm.  Since then, the horticultural areas of Tollgate have grown dramatically to encompass the 60 acres owned by MSU and an additional 100 acres provided by the Americana Foundation.

Michigan State University uses Tollgate to host classes, research and demonstration projects in:

• Homeowner horticulture
• Topics of interest to the turf and landscape industries
• Woodlot management
• Pond, lake, river and other aquatic management
• Agriculture and natural resources
• On-site waste water treatment
• Emerald Ash Borer research

The beauty of Tollgate is due primarily to the efforts of our many volunteers.  The Tollgate Garden Volunteers are a group of individuals with a love for gardening and a desire to share their knowledge and enthusiasm with others.  Our mission is to assist, enable and encourage members to use their horticultural knowledge and experience to help the people of southeast Michigan enrich their lives through gardening and good gardening practices.