Fort Wayne's Botanical Conservatory is a great attraction and landmark

On a cold day in early March when we longed to be outside but the snow was looking crusty and uninviting, we went instead to downtown Fort Wayne. The first Thursday of the month, 5 - 8 pm, is $1 night at the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory. It's in the tall heart of downtown at 1100 S. Calhoun, across from the picturesque Catholic cathedral. Owned by the city of Fort Wayne, the conservatory features three separate indoor biospheres as well as four outdoor gardens. There is 25,000 square feet of indoor gardens featuring 1200 plants and 500 different species. There's also educational exhibits, meeting spaces and a gift shop.

Upon entering, the first space a guest encounters is the Showcase Gardens, a seasonal display. Currently featured is Changing Tides, with colorful art made using recycled materials. Artist Sayaka Ganz created elaborate jellyfish, coral, dolphins and kelp by fusing objects such as utensils, tools, etc. This exhibit hangs among the hibiscus, gardenias, orchids and bamboo. We saw Boy Scout groups coming in and participating in a scavenger hunt to identify pieces in the composed art.

The second, or middle environment in the Botanical Conservatory is the Tropical Garden. It smells wonderful - it's flower perfume. This glass "greenhouse" has orchids, palms, the mimosa tree and Bird of Paradise plants shown above, and two cascading waterfalls. It was relaxing and transformative for me to be in there in the winter weather. We paused and strolled, and sat by the upper waterfall. Unfortunately an area in the lower center was roped off with no admittance. It appeared to be closed for repairs but there was no sign.

Farthest in, the third bio-environment, is the Desert Garden. 72 types of cacti are displayed representing plants in the Southwestern United States. We saw the Saguaro, prickly pear, mesquite, creosote, yucca and more. In the Midwestern US, one forgets unless one has travelled to Arizona or such state, a citizen doesn't see these specialized plants. Probably lots of children there are seeing many of these plants for the first time.

We reminisced about attending weddings and corporate events in the Botanical Gardens over the years. It's a wonderful setting in which to mingle, eat and even dance while music is played and food is catered. It was good to revisit it. The BC is closed Mondays and major holidays. Check their website for hours. Adults are regularly charged $5 and kids are $3. There are other great opportunities, such as classes and volunteering, at this unique place: check it out, and take your out-of-town visitors if you're looking for something to do.