March Gift

March Gift to the Community 

Experience the opening weekend of "That’s Amore!," the spring show at the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory (The Domes), for free, courtesy of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. Free admission and family-friendly activities are all part of the Foundation’s March centennial Gift to the Community.

Where: 

Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory (The Domes)
524 S. Layton Blvd.
Milwaukee, WI  53215
Directions and parking information

Dates: 

Feb. 28-29, 2015

Hours: 

9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday

Features:

• Floral Show Dome: New "That’s Amore!" exhibit will fill the air with the aroma of Mediterranean herbs and scented geraniums surrounding a rustic courtyard reminiscent of an Italian countryside
• Desert Dome: Featuring one of the world’s finest collections of cacti, succulents, shrubs and arid-land bulbs native to the deserts of Africa, Madagascar, South America and North America
• Tropical Dome: Featuring more than 1,200 species of tropical plants as well as some tropical birds in a microcosm of a rainforest ecosystem
• Milwaukee County Winter Farmers' Market: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the greenhouses adjacent to The Domes
• Very Fairy Princess Day: Sunday – featuring fairy and wizard makeovers; character appearances by princesses, fairies and wizards; make your own fairy garden; fairy dances; and treats. Children wearing fairy wings or costumes may win a prize
• No tickets or reservations required.

For questions about parking options, on-site amenities and general information, contact The Domes at 414-257-5611 or visit its website.

Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory (The Domes)

The Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory, known to area residents as “The Domes,” welcomes more than 200,000 guests annually. Donald Grieb's winning design of three beehive-shaped glass domes—140 feet in diameter at the base and 85 feet high—offers 15,000 square feet of growing space per dome. The Tropical and Desert domes have distinct climates and exhibit plants in naturalistic settings. The Floral Show Dome has a more moderate climate and offers themed, seasonal displays, along with LED light shows set to music. The Domes is a gathering spot for the popular “Music Under Glass” concert series, ethnic festivals, the Milwaukee County Winter Farmers’ Market, special events, and weddings.

The original conservatory, built in 1898, exhibited flowers in a “greenhouse” setting until it was razed in 1955. Construction of the current facility was phased, beginning in 1959. The final dome opened in 1967. “The Domes” received Milwaukee Landmark designation in 1981 and is often referred to as “Milwaukee’s Living Landmark.”