Cincinnati’s Krohn Conservatory – A Complete and Comprehensive Guide!

Laura Williams

Updated on:

Photo by Rafik Wahba on Unsplash

Introduction

The Krohn Conservatory, located in the heart of Eden Park, is a nationally recognized indoor botanical garden with over 200,000 visitors visit each year to see the 3,500 different plant species from all across the world, including desert plants, Bonsai trees, tropical exhibits, carnivorous plants, unusual fruit trees, and rare orchids.

The Garden is open all year and features ever-changing special exhibitions and activities. It’s a great location to visit in any season to get some fresh air and see a wide variety of plants.

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We’ll show you around the Conservatory, as well as a look at its current programs, membership options, and the events calendar in this post.

The Krohn Conservatory’s Brief History

The Eden Park Greenhouse, established in 1933, was initially known as the Krohn Conservatory. It was renamed Irwin M. Krohn Park in 1937 in honor of Irwin M. Krohn; from 1912 to 1948, he was a member of the Board of Park Commissioners.

The Conservatory was created in the Art Deco style by the architect company Rapp & Meacham at the time, which explains the building’s unusual geometric shape today.

The Garden drew an amazing attendance of nearly 300,000 visitors during its first full year of operation, 1934. With the passage of time, the Conservatory gathered a sizable plant collection and began to offer more public activities.

The Conservatory now houses six distinct collections:

Bonsai Collection

A collection of bonsai trees was donated by the Conservatory, the Greater Cincinnati Bonsai Society, and private persons.

Desert Collection

A diverse collection of cacti and succulents native to the desert.

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Floral Collection

Featuring six seasonal floral presentations, the Floral Collection is a must-see.

Orchid Display

At any given time, there are roughly 75 blooming orchids

Palm Collection 

It features a 45-foot-tall center house with rubber trees, palm trees, shrubby vegetation, a waterfall, and a goldfish stream.

Tropical Collection

A great range of ferns can be found in the Tropical Collection.

The Conservatory’s most well-known event is the Butterfly Show, every year between late March and mid-June. Thousands of butterflies are free to flit throughout the showroom in a particularly themed garden during this time.

Another popular show is the Holiday Exhibit, which takes place every year between mid-November and early January. Throughout the Conservatory, toy train displays are set up, and model replicas of Cincinnati institutions are presented in various rooms.

Today, the Conservatory is a go-to place for anybody interested in botany and the natural world.

The Conservatory is worth visiting

The Conservatory includes a lobby area with a gift shop and six distinct rooms with various plant types.

The building’s main room is a 45-foot central house with rubber trees, palm trees, shrubby plants, a waterfall, and a goldfish stream.

Visitors can stroll through this main room on a paved path, observing the astonishing diversity of plants and listening to the soothing sound of the waterfall.

The Conservatory’s high ceilings make it appear much larger than it is, and it only takes a few minutes of walking around to feel as if you’ve entered another universe.

Smaller rooms with Bonsai trees, desert plants, and orchids branch off the main chamber, providing guests with a diverse selection of plants to admire.

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Each room has numerous windows on all sides, making it simple to observe the plants in natural light. There are also leaflets and pamphlets in each area with intriguing information about the various plant types, so your inner botanist can go crazy.

Current Events, Membership, and Programs

Adults and children can purchase one-day entry ($7) and annual memberships ($5) at the Krohn Conservatory. Parking is accessible for free on the street in front of the Conservatory and in the lot adjacent to it.

You may see a list of upcoming events at The Krohn Conservatory by clicking here.

The Conservatory can be booked for private parties and is an ideal location for small to medium-sized weddings. Visit Premier Park Events, phone 513-221-2610, or email [email protected] for rental rates and availability.

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