Have You Ever Visited This Plant Lovers Paradise In Missouri? You Should

My mother has always been a plant lover.  If I get her a hanging plant every year for her birthday, she is happy.  She likes having flowers around the house, too.  I think she finds them therapeutic.  If you are like her, you may want to check out the Climatron Conservatory in St Louis.  They have a lot of cool things to see. And she likes the looks of a rainforest.

The Conservatory is located on the grounds of the Missouri Botanical Gardens.  The Conservatory opened in 1960 and covers about 24,000 square feet.  It is the first geodesic dome to be used as a conservatory. Many people have visited this greenhouse. In 1976 it was named one of the 100 most significant architectural achievements in US history.

The dome is the world's first completely air-conditioned greenhouse and the first geodesic dome to be enclosed in rigid Plexiglass panels. According to their Facebook page:

The broad climatic range within the dome, which recreates a lowland rain forest, is achieved by sophisticated climate controls without using interior partitions. The structure is an unpartitioned half-sphere dome, 42m in diameter and 21m high. The frame is supported by aluminum tubes under compression and aluminum rods under tension.

The dome is about a half an acre, and it will look and feel like a rainforest.  70 feet at its tallest point.  Expect to see lots of green, waterfalls, and a river aquarium with exotic fish.

The rainforest is also home to about 3000 plants, and among them 1400 species, including orchids and banana plants.

If you do happen to go, it will be very warm in there.  They keep it at about 85 degrees, with 85% humidity.  It is a rainforest after all so I suppose this isn't that big a surprise.

So do these photos and information make you want to check it out? Or have you been there before.  If you do go, make sure to take a lot of pictures.

You can go to the Missouri Botanical Garden website by clicking HERE to get more info.  You can plan a visit, and get an idea on prices and times.  The Missouri Botanical Garden Facebook page link is HERE.  Might be a fun time.