Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory
| Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory | |
|---|---|
| Mitchell Park Domes | |
Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory
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| Type | Public |
| Location | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Nearest city | Milwaukee |
| Coordinates | 43°01′35″N 87°56′45″W / 43.026432°N 87.945963°WCoordinates: 43°01′35″N 87°56′45″W / 43.026432°N 87.945963°W |
| Area | 45,000 square feet (4,200 m2) |
| Created | 1959 |
Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory (Mitchell Park Domes or The Domes) is a conservatory located at Mitchell Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It is owned and operated by the Milwaukee County Park System, and replaced the original Milwaukee Conservatory which stood from 1898 to 1955. The three domes display a large variety of plant life.
Designed by Donald L. Grieb Associates, Architect, the Conservatory is composed of three beehive-shaped glass domes that span 140 feet (43 m) in diameter and are 85 feet (26 m) high. They are properly referred to as the world's first conoidal domes. They cover 45,000 square feet (4,200 m2) of display area and were constructed in stages from 1959 to 1967.
Connecting the three domes is a central lobby area, which was extensively redesigned in the summer of 2008. A smaller service dome behind the Conservatory holds replacement plants and an orchid collection. This section is not open to the public.
The Conservatory was closed during the summer of 2008 to facilitate the replacement of 800 cracked glass panels. The lobby was remodeled and a $500,000 donation allowed for a new external and internal lighting system. The Conservatory re-opened to large crowds on October 20, 2008. A series of concerts was held on Thursday nights through November. Several other improvements include a re-configured parking lot, outside landscaping and a new educational center scheduled to open in fall of 2009. Future plans call for a greenhouse complex at the rear of the Conservatory to replace current off site facilities.
On February 8, 2016, it was announced the Mitchell Park Domes would be closed until further notice due to structural concerns, with a short-term fix expected to take three to six months
Each of the three domes maintains a distinct climate and setting for the exposition of its contents.
The Show Dome opened in December 1964. It hosts four seasonal shows and one holiday exhibit held annually in December for visitors to enjoy. Each show has a theme chosen based on cultural (such as Japanese, German and French), literary (Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol"), or historical interest (Colonial Williamsburg and the History of Herb Gardening, for example). In most recent years, the Winter Show has featured an extensive garden railway display put on with the cooperation of many Wisconsin Model Railroad club members. The garden railway has become one of the most popular displays during the year and is one of the largest such indoor displays in the Midwest.
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