Visit The Pete Pike Museum

Honoring A Garden Industry Icon

Inside The Family Tree Garden Center in Snellville, GA, you'll find The Pete Pike Museum. This quaint little museum is a loving tribute to a garden industry giant, William "Pete" Pike, the original Pike Family Nurseries founder. As you may know, The Family Tree Garden Center is owned by Pete's daughter, Dana Pike-Van Vlake, and her husband, Jeff Van Vlake. In fact, our single-store building on Highway 78 was built in 1976 by Dana's brother and uncle, making it the eighth Pike Nursery location. Today, it is still fondly referred to as Store #8 by the family and longtime staff members.

Pete Pike sold the business in 2008, but in 2010, Dana and Jeff decided to start their own family garden center business by acquiring the Store #8 property and opening The Family Tree Garden Center. In 2013, as a tribute to her beloved father, the Pete Pike Museum was unveiled. Through photos, letters, and artifacts, the museum chronicles the life of Pete Pike, from his childhood on a Georgia farm to his service in the Navy to start a gardening business. Along with the help of his wife Jerri, they grew their business into the popular chain of garden centers known as Pike Nurseries.

  • Pete Pike Museum Sign

    Welcome To The Pete Pike Museum

    The Pete Pike Museum is located inside The Family Tree Garden Center gift shop (on the right side).

  • Pete Pike Family Photos

    Pete Pike's Life In Pictures

    Pete personally selected each and every item that is inside the museum, including family photos.

  • Pete Pike Artifacts

    Personal Artifacts From Pete's Life

    View a collection of interesting artifacts that were important to Pete during his 90 well-live years.

  • Red Flyer Wagon

    The Story of The Red Radio Flyer Wagon

    Have you ever wondered why you’ll often find red wagons in garden centers? It’s because of Pete!

  • Pike Nursery Photos

    Pike Nursery Photos and Artifacts

    Pete Pike met a lot of celebrities, politicians, and other influential people throughout his years in business.

  • Pike Nursery Print Advertising

    Collection Of Print Advertising

    Anyone interested in the history of print advertising will find this collection of old ads fascinating.

The Legend of Pete Pike

Inside The Pete Pike Museum, you'll find a collection of personal photos, hand-written letters, and unique items that were curated by Pete Pike himself to paint a picture of a life well-lived. From his humble beginnings of growing up on a small farm in Hogansville, GA, you'll find childhood artifacts, family photos, and inspirational stories from Pete about how he achieved success through hard work and perseverance.

In 1958, after serving honorably in the Navy, marrying his sweetheart Geraldine (Jerri), and starting a family, Pete decided to start his own nursery business by selling plants at a small location on Hwy 41 in Marietta, GA. With signs hand-painted by Jerri and placed along the roadside to advertise their small business, a gardening legacy began. You'll see these signs, plus other interesting advertisements and marketing materials that were used to promote Pike Nurseries throughout the decades.

There is also a fascinating collection of photographs of Pete with well-known sports legends, politicians, and other notable Georgians. You can also watch "The Legend of Pete Pike" documentary movie and hear a special song written in honor of "The Legend," which were gifts presented to Pete by his employees in 1983 to honor his 25th year in the nursery business. So, the next time you're in the Snellville area, make sure to stop by The Family Tree Garden Center and visit The Pete Pike Museum.

Building Mountains By Playing In A Little Dirt

The Story of William L. Pike

To learn more about the life story of William "Pete" Pike, make sure to pick up a copy of his autobiography, "Building Mountains by Playing in a Little Dirt." In this 2014 memoir, Pete (with Jennifer Pike) shares his life story of growing up poor in a small Georgia town, being drafted into the Navy in 1948, and then building a successful garden business from a roadside shack to the hugely successful Pike Nurseries! He also shares his personal philosophies on hard work, business, and creating a life well-lived. This book is now out of circulation, but they are available for purchase in our store. Find copies in the museum or at the register area.

Visit Mom’s Garden

Mom's Garden is a lovely on-site garden area dedicated to Pete's wife (and Dana's Mother), Geraldine "Jerri" Pike. In 1953, she and Pete were married, and together they founded Pike Nurseries. Since 1958, Jerri worked alongside Pete to create the family business that became a staple of the Atlanta garden industry. All this while raising four children, Jerri has always been considered the well-loved pillar of the family and the heart of the company. Jerri was known for her compassion and generosity, dedication to her family, and dry sense of humor. Come stroll through Mom's Garden and enjoy the serenity of the surrounding trees, garden statues, and beautiful hydrangea bushes.

  • Pete Pike Day

    Pete Pike Day

    Pete Pike Day

  • Pete and Jerri Football

    Teammates For Life

    Quarterback Pete and Cheerleader Jerri

  • Pete Pike Family

    Families Who Garden Together

    Jerri, Pete, Dana, and Jeff

  • Pete & Jerri

    Pete & Jerri

    Pete and Jerri

  • Family Tree Grand Opening

    From Pikes Nursery to The Family Tree

    The next generation of garden centers.

  • Pete and Jerri Pike

    Lifetime Partners

    Jerri and Pete

  • Pete Pike Family Tree

    Pete Pike at The Family Tree Garden Center

    A lifetime passion for playing in the dirt.

Rest In Peace Pete & Gerri

Geraldine Pike 7/5/32 to 7/18/18

Margie Geraldine (Jerri) Coleman Pike, of Stone Mountain, GA, died following a brief illness on Wednesday, July 18, 2018 at Dekalb Medical Center in Decatur, GA. She was 86.

Pete Pike 1/25/30 to 2/28/20

William L. “Pete” Pike, the founder of Pike Nurseries, died on Friday, February 28, 2020 at home surrounded by his loving family at the age of 90.

Pike Nurseries Remembers Pete

Pike Nurseries mourns the passing of founder Pete Pike. Company leadership expresses sympathy to the founding family and honors Pike’s memory.