It was my last week of the summer. Wendy and I had a hard time deciding where to visit on this drizzly Wednesday. We googled the Fire Museum, Kelton House Museum, Ohio Historical Center and ended up not at a museum, but at Franklin Park Conservatory.
Though I don't know a lot about plants or flowers, we were in for a pleasant surprise of contemporary art, specially commissioned for the conservatory's display called "Savage Gardens; The Real and Imaginary World of Carnivorous Plants."
The first gallery we went to had a display of photographs, ceramics, paintings and fabric sculptures all so unusual and unique-just a sample of all the wonderful displays to come.
A video showed how local artisans were commissioned for several large sculptures that were interspersed around the conservatory. Seeing how they were designed, made and put together added a new level of appreciation for both Wendy and I.
In 2003 Franklin Park presented a blockbuster 
exhibition of Chihuly at the Conservatory. Attendance increased 180% and Friends of the Conservatory, a private, non-profit group made a stunning move, raising 7 million dollars to purchase nearly the entire Chihuly collection.
Here's the Cobalt & Clear Chandelier and Anemone Wall in the atrium inside the main entrance.
Also, here's where we ate lunch; there's a great soup and sandwich cafe.
Here's the Persian Ceiling, inside the Himalayan Mountain area.
Don't worry-we looked at plants too. Wendy's checking out some of the carnivorous plants.
This is a sculpture made by TORK Industrial Art, the one we saw in the video about how it was put together. It's patterned after a carnivorous Nepenthe's Bicalcavata plant. When you walk inside, you know how the bug feels when caught.
Nepenthe's Bicalvata a little hard to say?
Its common name is Tropical Pitcher Plant.
Trumpet Plant also by TORK.
They are illuminated from within. Would be great to see at night!
You know I am always wondering how did this place get started...who made this project a priority and when did it happen....what outside influences made a difference....how did it end up here in this place????
Well, I found out that in 1852, Franklin County Agricultural Society bought 88 acres just 2 miles outside Columbus to use for the Franklin County Fair. Within 20 years, more land was purchase and became the official site for guess what?? The Ohio State Fair.
The State fair only used this site for a few years, 
and this lot was abandoned until 1886 when the
Ohio legislature passed a resolution, making it
a public park.
Now comes the interesting part: The Chicago's World Fair and Exposition of 1893 was such an influential social and cultural event (which I am determined to learn more about) that it inspired the city of Columbus to create a horticulture building modeled after the Exposition's Glass Palace. The glass structure, built in the grand Victorian style, was erected in Franklin Park in 1895.
Believe it or not, animals were kept in the lower rooms 
of the Conservatory for a short period in the 20's.
These animals soon became part of the new Columbus Zoo-1929.
Here's another Chihuly work-Sunset Tower-located in the Pacific Island Water Garden.
1974-The original glass structure, known as The Palm House, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
1986-Franklin Park Conservatory was chosen to host Ameriflora "92, a world-class international horticulture exposition, and had 6 years to get ready. Renovation and a 14 million dollar expansion began.
1992-While more than a million people attended, Ameriflora was not a financial success, and the future of the Conservatory was again in question.
It took an executive director and dedicated volunteers and staff to regain its identity and
momentum.
Two things seemed to have breathed new life into the Conservatory-In 1994 a seasonal butterfly exhibition that features thousands of tropical butterflies flying through the Pacific island Water Garden. It now attracts thousands of visitors each year.
The other breakthrough-The Dale Chihuly collection!
This is the Tropical Pitcher Plant, also called Monkey Cup. Wendy and I loved looking at all of these; we thought they looked like bananas.
Another Chihuly piece-Red Reeds, located outside on one of the many terraces.
Remember I said this was a drizzly Wednesday?Well, one of the highlights of our visit was a loud and pretty windy thunderstorm. We were essentially inside a greenhouse, and watched the rain sheeting over the roof, pounding on the glass, and dripping in, I'm sorry to say.
This picture was taken when the rain had stopped, and everything was wet, and dripping fresh from the storm.
One of the most amazing things I discovered
about Franklin Conservatory is that there are
so many great spaces for public functions,
dinners, weddings.
Here's one of them-can you imagine this setting for a wedding?
This is called the Bride's Garden, and I have to tell you, the picture doesn't do it justice. It looks straight out of a magazine.
Here's another beautiful terrace.
Pod Sculpture called Please Do Not Disturb by Sharon McJannet and David C. Murphy
See at the end of this aisle? A giant venus flytrap that you can press a button to see how its leaves close up to catch its prey.
An outside view of a perfect place to visit. We wanted to walk around outside to see the grounds-the community garden, the pond, the culinary gardens and live fire cooking theater, but it was drizzling again, so we just took a little drive through the park.
Flashing red lights soon pulled us over, really amazing because we were travelling all of 15 m.p.h. Our crime? We were driving in a no-vehicle area. Luckily, no ticket from the Park police, just an escort back to where we were supposed to be!
As you can probably tell, not only did I love my visit to Franklin Conservatory; I can't wait to go back, maybe to see the butterfly display, maybe to see it decorated for the holidays, recommended by anyone I talked to that had seen it, and hopefully sometime at night to see some of the light displays.
Thanks, Wendy, for the company.
Here's a link for more information.
