Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

D F 2 months ago

Such a fun experience, whither your going solo, with the family, a date, or friends! Some of the buildings where closed due to construction but the butterflies and plants were absolutely beautiful. They have a large kid area with interactive games and other exhibitions to see indoors as well. From cacti, to carnivorous plants, orchids and more, I really enjoyed the little pond area outside and the wooden insect statues. A great place to relax, or to spark your creativity with a small sketch book to draw or small camera to take photography. Lots to see, and really enjoyed my visit. Parking fills up fast, especially if they are hosting any public events there so make sure to arrive early! *Pack sunscreen as theres not a lot of shade outside & water! Id avoid bringing extra large kids strollers as some of the pathways in the cacti exhibit or butterflies room can become quite cramped and the stroller may even become stuck. Single strollers Id say are fine, but any double seated strollers *where two seats are horizontally next to each other* likely wont make it through. The exhibits are wheelchair accessible though!

Andrea Onyett 2 months ago

Franklin Park is a beautiful conservatory. Unfortunately, lightening struck shortly after I arrived, so the grounds will have to be a later adventure! The conservatory has many different types of plants from different biomes and is clearly labeled. The glasswork intertwined with the plants makes for a unique and lovely experience. I was fortunate to catch the on-site glass blowing demonstration before the storm hit! Such a cool experience. Will definitely be back.

Sadie Kane 3 months ago

The fern garden is not there, it has been demolished and is being rebuilt. There is not as much land as there used to be, a lot of it is now Franklin Park, which is free, and not part of the Conservatory park. You can leave the park to get lunch and come back in as long as you have a receipt. They have really cool big bug art sculptures, and a nice outdoor playground for kids. In the children's garden they have little spray misters, and other little places with water they can play in to cool down. They have a nice butterfly exhibit with free-range butterflies. Please do not touch any of the butterflies, the oils on your fingers will hurt them and they will no longer be able to fly. They do have a food court and a gift shop. They have a very cool extensive train village outside with a bunch of little themed villages scattered around it. The whole park is fenced in, so the kids can't get out. They also have beautiful orange trees, bonsai trees, and a plant wall. There are bathrooms, and they are clean. There's lots of different areas inside and outside to sit and relax or have a picnic. Pets are not allowed, and they have a small farmers market on Wednesdays.

Kristi B. 3 months ago

Wonderful visit, the day was beautiful, the butterflies were awesome. Very nice mix of art and flowers. Was pleasantly surprised at just how much there was for kids, but even the areas designed for kids had sights for the adults to enjoy. We were visiting from out of town and also were appreciative the the reciprocal agreement in place for the various museums and gardens, as members of our local art museum we did not have to pay admission to enjoy Franklin Park Conservatory.

Michele Ford 3 months ago

Simply beautiful. You could easily spend half or a full day here if you take your time to explore all the areas ( indoor and outdoor). There is no fee for parking. The butterfly exhibit was amazing. They have diverse plants, beautiful glass sculptures, a café, a gift shop, a nursing pod, and clean bathrooms. The grounds are well maintained and include beautiful plants and flowers. The David Rogers’ Big Bugs exhibition was occurring during our visit.