Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory
Is this tourist attraction really all that attractive? Decider investigates.
Like it or not, tourist attractions are part of this city, too. But do they deserve the bad rap they get from grizzled locals? Decider takes an ongoing, objective look at the cold, hard facts of establishments that largely exist to draw in transients in Tourist Trap. In this edition, travel guide Rand McNally is taken to task on the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory.
Rand McNally says:
"One of the most unusual facilities of its kind and a major Milwaukee attraction..."
Decider says:
The Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory is known simply as “The Domes” around here, and they are impossible to miss. The three beehive-shaped domes stand 85 feet tall and look like enormous alien mammaries rising from the earth. (That's reason enough to visit right there.) Visitors can also get a peak at the foliage of two climates not associated with Wisconsin—arid and tropical—plus the Floral Show Dome, an exhibit that changes seasonally. But the Domes aren’t just for plant lovers; nothing quite beats the hot, humid air of the Tropical Dome on a gray winter day.
Is it “the most unusual facility of its kind”? Well, yes and no. There aren't any other conoidal greenhouses in the world, but then again, most botanical conservatories worth their weight in begonias have an architecturally significant building. Madison's Olbrich Botanical Gardens, for instance, has a pyramid shape. And, let’s be frank: Plants are plants. That's not a bad thing—plants are great, but putting the word “unusual” next to any plant conservatory is probably a stretch.
Tourist trap? Nope. It's cheap, educational, and fun—definitely worth a visit. Right now is the perfect time to go, too. After years of funding problems, the Domes have gotten a private cash infusion and much-needed repairs. Newly reopened, they promise a cleaned-up act, repaired glass, and new halo lights up top.
