Monday, February 13, 2012

The Mitchell Domes


On vacation in the middle of winter here in Wisconsin...there isn't much to do, except go to someplace warm like the Mitchell Domes Horticultural Conservatory. Located in the heart of downtown Milwaukee, the Mitchell Domes are basically biosphere like greenhouses that literately holds thousands of different species of plants from different regions of the globe in three diverse domes.


Over a thousand plant species are on display in the Tropical Dome. Many of these are economically important fruit bearing trees such as banana, papaya, ackee, avacado, cocoa and guava. Hardwoods include big-leaf, little-leaf, and African mahoganies, ebony and lignum vitae. The center of the Tropical Dome is dominated by a large kapok tree. It is one of the tallest trees under glass growing up to 95 feet. Amazing as it was, when we exited the Tropical Dome we were sweating from the humidity in there.

Expecting to especially hot in the Desert Dome, we found it be surprisingly cool and quite comfortable. A large number of plants, mostly from the Americas and Africa are on display here. Most these are native to the Sororan Desert in Arizona. Among them are species of shrubs, trees, annuals, bulbs as well as familiar cacti. The African section has aloes, crassulas, euphorbias and the unusual Welwitschia plant which has only two continuously growing leaves and may live for over a thousand years. From Madagascar, come the succulent flora of Euphorbia, Pachypdium, Adenia, Didierea, Alluaudic and Operculicatya.

The Show Doom was kind of cool... It hosts four seasonal shows and one holiday exhibit held annually in December for visitors to enjoy. Each show has a theme chosen based on cultural ( German, Japanese and French) literary as well as historical. In most recent years, the Winter Show has featured an extensive killer garden railroad display that will surely please kids and adults like me. It has become one of the most popular displays during the year and is one of the largest indoor Garden Railroad displays in the Midwest.

For $6.50 per adult to get in, I couldn't complain. It was a sure fire way to getaway for a winter afternoon. After that, we had dinner at TGIF's at Miller Park. Talk about a succulent meal...


at

9 comments:

  1. lizardmomFebruary 13, 2012 at 1:28 AM

    sounds like a nice day. my mom is into plants big time, she knows many by their big official names

    ReplyDelete
  2. Why Not?February 13, 2012 at 3:22 AM

    I love the domes.. It's a great thing to do in the middle of winter. I remember back in highschool I got to take care of the greenhouse for the horticulture teacher while she was on maternity leave (I was one of the only ones she could trust in horticulture class that wouldnt start to grow pot in an unattended green house).. I loved watering all the of the plants and sit out there and read my books there..

    I have still never been to Miller Park. I would love to get there sometime.

    ReplyDelete
  3. SassaFebruary 13, 2012 at 8:55 AM

    I love the smell of the domes. It's like you are really there. And they have so many trinkets to buy. Love the place.

    ReplyDelete
  4. OrbsCorbsFebruary 13, 2012 at 6:13 PM

    Thanks for the pictures and blog, drew.

    I have not visited the domes in decades. I was even a member of the Chicago Botanic Garden for awhile and made regular trips there, but not the domes. I have to make point of going.

    ReplyDelete
  5. OrbsCorbsFebruary 13, 2012 at 6:15 PM

    Why didn't any of my horticultural class field trips go to the domes? We went everywhere, including the Chicago Botanic Garden a couple of times. We even went to the old County Stadium for a trip on sports turf.

    ReplyDelete
  6. kkditherFebruary 13, 2012 at 6:30 PM

    Last trip to the domes, I actually saw some mini bananas growing on a tree... so cool! The show dome was closed, but they still charged full price. We felt a bit ripped off.

    I have to admit, my house is a bit like a greenhouse. Does a 6 foot tree growing in my dining room qualify me as a horticulture freak?

    While I visited the botanical gardens in Frisco, I've never been to the Chicago gardens. I'm waiting for orbs to take me on a tour.

    ReplyDelete
  7. drewzepmeisterFebruary 13, 2012 at 7:35 PM

    Liz-Wow, your probably knows WAY more than I do about plants. I can't barely even recognize their names at
    all!

    Why Not?-It was the first I've been to Miller Park myself.

    Sassa-the air inside the domes felt refreshingly clean, especially the Desert Dome.

    Orbs-this was first time I've to the domes since I was a little boy. That was back in the '70's. The domes opened up in the late '60's.

    kk-we saw bananas, grapefruit, lemons, chili peppers and a sausage fruit in various stages of ripeness while we were there.

    ReplyDelete
  8. drewzepmeisterFebruary 13, 2012 at 7:37 PM

    Liz, It should have read your mother. Please forgive my clumsy writing.

    ReplyDelete
  9. OrbsCorbsFebruary 14, 2012 at 5:58 PM

    kk, Chicago Botanic Garden is huge. I don't know if I have the stamina anymore. Even when I was in shape, walking that place wore me out. They do have two sightseeing trams, though, one outer ring and one inner loop.

    They are about half a zone warmer than us, so things bloom earlier there. With this winter, though, who knows what is gonna happen.

    ReplyDelete