Last weekend I took a trip to the McNeely Conservatory in St. Paul. I can walk there from my house in nice weather and this place is truly one of the gems of Minnesota. The conservatory underwent a major renovation lately and the building complex now includes the visitor center, gift shop, restaurant and Tropical Encounters portion of the Como Zoo. It becomes a little muddy as to where the conservatory ends and the zoo begins. It is all part of Como Park and it is all enjoyable. The photo at the top of the post is the original conservatory building. Below is the new addition.
The new building is a completely different style though the portion to the left is sort of a more modern conservatory. This is the tropical encounters area. Whereas the old conservatory is more like a formal garden indoors, the new Tropical Encounters is more of a re-created landscape. It is a wonderful retreat on cold winter days. The humidity is near 100% and it is wonderfully warm. Here's a wide shot of how the two buildings blend together. I'll save description of Tropical Encounters and the Zoo for another post.
The glass ceiling of the fern room has built in solar cells. Ferns are understory plants that don't like full sun so why not block some with solar cells and make a little electricity? It is cool to see these kinds of innovations.
Coming into the old section of the Conservatory we can see the building was built between 1914 and 1915. World War I had just began in Europe with the US entering the battle in 1918. It is interesting to surmise whether or not the conservatory would have been built had the plans been delayed by just a few years. This plaque is located in the Palm Dome at the center of the conservatory.
The dome contains many species of palms as well as a circular path and a central fountain. The old main entrance to the Palm Dome is still open for visitors who don't want to enter though the visitor's center and fern room.
I would have written down the scientific names of these beauties but I barely had time to take the photos as my toddler son was leading the way.
This garden also contains a large koi pond with some really beautiful fish.
There's more to see at the Conservatory, especially in the summer when the outdoor gardens are at their full splendor. The Japanese Garden is especially wonderful. The last photo is a glimpse into the kids room at the conservatory and the real reason we came. It is a great place to hang out with your kid on a cold day.
1 comments:
I haven't been there in a couple of years. It feels like it's time to return.
The old fern room was my favorite.
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