Boerner Botanical Gardens and Whitnall Park are named for two men who made major contributions to the Milwaukee county park system. Charles B. Whitnall was responsible for the acquisition of much park land including the 630 acres that make up Whitnall Park. As a longtime member of the County Park Commission, Whitnall was particularly interested in the preservation of natural landscapes and urged the Commission to purchase undeveloped land for future parks at a time when prices were still relatively low. It was not long before the growth of the county’s population would have made this impossible.

As county landscape architect, Alfred A. Boerner planned the design of Whitnall Park, its botanical gardens, and arboretum. His intention was to make a visit to the gardens both inspiring and educational. Paths are laid out which lead visitors from one garden area to another. Labels tell gardeners which plant varieties may be grown successfully in Wisconsin’s climate. A plaque recognizing Boerner’s contributions to the parks was placed at the entrance to the gardens in 1957.