Our History and Grounds

The Antique Rose Emporium was founded in 1983 by Rosarian, Horticulturist, and garden enthusiast Mike Shoup. The Rose Emporium display gardens encompass eight glorious acres of roses, perennials, annuals, trees and shrubs, historical buildings and rental venues, retail spaces and adjacent headquarters and growing fields.

GROUNDS

The Champneys' Green Victorian home was built in 1904, and hosts intimate and romantic private wedding events and celebrations year round. An outdoor pavilion blanketed in signature roses connects directly to Champneys.' The promenades to Champneys' include massive Rocket Junipers, multiple-tier trellis pathways and a gazebo, all flanked in cascading roses and plant varietals, and period gardens groomed and managed by the display garden staff. The 1,500 square-foot adjacent chapel seats 150 guests and is serene in its design, welcoming all faiths. The dramatic Gothic window heights and century-old European doors and transom entrance make for classic and timeless portraiture.

Also a treasure to the display gardens, The McKnight-Hairston House was a two-story stone house with expansive wooden porches, and stood on the land for over a century. Today the stone kitchen remains, fully restored. The stone kitchen houses gardening hardware for sale.

The main gift shop sells seeds, dry goods, and gifts. Starting in 2019 to expand offerings, the Garden Club and Antique Shop will open and offer refreshments and collectibles.

The display gardens and retail spaces draw 50,000 visitors a year. The growing fields - just down the road from the display gardens - propagate 350 varieties of roses, totaling 100,000 perennials and rose plants annually. The display garden has been designated a Hall of Fame Garden by the Great Rosarians of the World (GROW) in 2012. Private tours are encouraged.

The company serves thousands of customers and clients all over the United States, including ecommerce (mail order), wholesale and retail. The Antique Rose Emporium supplies historical roses for every level of enthusiast -- from single roses for one-time guests, to scaled landscape projects and restorations, and major national garden retailers.