Mitchell Park Conservatory

The domes are open on Memorial Day. When I went, two of the three domes were closed and so the discounted price was $ 3. The one dome was still pretty interesting and is great for photo ops. I was surprised by how loud it was inside the dome. The surrounding grounds were just ok. But nice for a picnic.
Everyone MUST go to the little shop inside. There are some precious finds in the store. The shop works w several area artists

Only one dome was open when I went (tropical and desert were both undergoing maintenance), but for $ 3 (with student ID — usual is $ 5), was still worth it. Such a peaceful, beautiful space, & the delightful smell will hit you the moment you enter. Some nice chairs and benches for sitting. Would love to live near here and just drop in to sit and read or write, etc. Lovely place for photography hobbyists (or sketchers), too. Nice gift shop as well, which sells plants and all sorts of books about Milwaukee in addition to the usual gift shop items. Definitely worth making the stop for.

Disclaimer: This review is about the Saturday morning winter farmer’s market.
I love a good farmer’s market and finding one in the middle of Wisconsin winter is a real treasure! Some venders are there regularly and others are there on occasion making each visit unique. Some of my product recommendations are: jasmine kombucha, oyster mushrooms, bee pollen (seriously cool stuff), hand-​made organic squid ink pasta, and the hand-​made sage butter. They also have various food options for meals while you’re there, I recommend the sausage rolls from the Blues Egg stand because there are very few spot to sit and it’s the perfect walking snack.
This market gets very crowded, so if you’re not in to crowds or bringing a stroller I’d get there right when the market begins and beat the mad rush that hits around 9:30AM

Very beautiful and a great stop on a cold winter day. 4 stars because I thought $ 7 was a bit much, especially considering how many similar things are free. Currently in the show dome is a train exhibit.

Very enjoyable to be able to purchase all local products handmade organic not to mention the beautiful domes themselves had a great time I would highly recommend anyone to check it out

If it’s the middle of winter. If it’s cold out. If you’re going stir crazy and need to surround yourself in some feel good atmosphere then Mitchell Park Conservatory is the oasis to go visit. Simply put it will help cure your winter blues.
As is known there are 3 domes.
First dome we hit was the tropical dome. Sitting at a balmy 80 deg F you will walk into heaven. This dome has so much to look at, so much lucious growth, so much feel good it makes winter melt away.
Second dome we went to was the desert dome which was 60 deg F. Surprising but still a far cry from the 26 deg F outside. In this dome is a desert of palms through paths that lead past many cactuses with some of the wildest and intriguing geometric forms. It just felt great in there.
Last but not least we went through the final dome the floral dome which was set up for the Christmas expose. All the domes are the same size but in this dome it is left more open to set up for different special displays. It was a gorgeous room filled with perennials (I think) and a host of other trees and such.
Before we left we went through the gift shop and bought some of the foliage they cut/​trim and brought a little bit of the Domes home with us. It was a great visit and we will definitely come back again. This is the place to cure the winter blues!

I’ve been visiting Milwaukee my whole life and every time I would drive there or through it, I would see these domes off the highway. I FINALLY went to them before I moved out of state. A friend and I went towards the end of their open hours and the place was pretty much empty of people, which was nice for us. With so few people there, we were able to take our time going through the 3 domes and enjoy the botanical displays in each. It was a quick stop, no longer than 45 minutes but still, worth a stop.

Don’t kill me but… I don’t really like the Domes that much.
I’m sorry! I tried, I really did! It probably didn’t help that my husband and I went on Labor Day weekend, when it’s already warm and glorious outside. Maybe if we had gone in the dead of winter when the contrast between the frozen world outside the tropical environments inside would be a lot more shocking and thrilling… In early September, it was just humid and sweaty.
We looked at the plants… We looked at the ceiling… It was cool. But then we ran out of stuff to look at. We ended up being really sweaty and looking at each other, wondering what all the fuss was about and why we just paid so much money ($ 12 for like 20 minutes?) to look at a small plant collection. I mean, I do love plants… I like the botanical gardens here in Chicago… I just feel like maybe this collection isn’t the most impressive in the world.
I’m sorry, MKE! I know you love your Domes a lot. I know you like to schedule events and parties here… But maybe you just like the parties? Not so much the actual Domes? They also sell beer here. Is it possible it’s the beer buzz that’s making you so happy, not the sweaty box filled with cactuses?
I promise, if I find myself in Milwaukee in the bitter winter, I WILL GO AGAIN! I will see if I had an off day. I just kind of wish someone else would pay for my ticket.

Free to Milwaukee County residents on Mondays as long as you get there before noon. As a lady with a baby, this is a god-​send, especially when everyone’s going stir-​crazy in the winter. Do you miss summer? Are your bones chilly? Is the skin around your nails getting chapped? Soak up some heat and humidity in the tropical dome (my favorite). I love that they also have an ever-​changing show dome that has interesting themes every time we go.
Also free parking? You can bring your own food and drinks? You can buy wine there??? Yes, yes, yes.

Really pretty! I like that the entire place can be viewed within an hour, tops. The lady at the ticket counter was super nice, and let me purchase a student pass even though I forgot my student ID at home. I’d recommend coming here when it’s not so boiling hot outside – walking through the desert enclosure was torture on a 95+ degree day.

After a long time, thought of finally checking out Milwaukee. The first stop was here in Mitchell Park. It’s a really well maintained place. They’ve got the 3 domes: Floral, Tropical and Desert. Tropical is my favorite, emulating this nice jungle feel. They have a ton of exotic and unique plants. It’s worth the $ 12 admission fee.
Bonus: Got to try the sundial outside the conservatory. That is pretty cool, to be able to tell the time based off the month and daylight

I took my girlfriend to the domes after finding out that she had never been, despite living in the Milwaukee area for most of her life. We went in early summer and it was wonderful. It was quiet and peaceful and the plants are incredible. We can’t wait to go back and see the holiday display in winter!
We spent about 40 minutes going through, so the price felt a bit high — but we’re happy to contribute to the maintenance of the domes. Excellent afternoon activity.

As someone raised in Milwaukee, the Mitchell Park Conservatory aka the Domes has always been a part of life. I’ve got many a family photo taken in the Domes where I’m wearing an awful frilly dress or worse yet, plaid pants (thanks Mom for being so fond of those…). The Domes were the site of annual school field trips and my junior prom was here too — involving yet another frilly, awful dress.
As an adult, I have a renewed appreciation for the Domes — and it’s not just because I no longer have to dress like an idiot when I visit. When you live in a city with long, dark winters it’s great to know that you can spend less than $ 7 to feel like you’re in the tropics for a few hours.
The show dome changes a few times per year, but always seems to have the model railroad set up that kids love. I personally like the desert dome because it’s warm but not sweaty and sometimes you get to see awesome cactus flowers. There must be a small army of people that work behind the scenes to keep all the greenery looking so picture perfect — it really is impressive.
Beyond plant appreciation, the Domes hosts a lot of fun events. This winter, they’ve had a few «mini ethnic festivals» celebrating Chinese New Year, Turkey, Poland, Ireland and Germany. They host the Winter Farmers Market. Every Thursday is «Music under Glass» with a live band. If you haven’t checked this stuff out yet, what are you waiting for?

In the dead of winter, I needed an oasis. A weekday visit to the Domes aka the Mitchell Park Conservatory sounded perfect.
Admission was $ 7. I think there’s a discount for students and children. Various snacks and beverages (including alcoholic ones) are available.
It doesn’t take long to get through the three domes, but it’s a nice little activity for an hour or so. The kids running around seemed to enjoy it! Too, they throw a variety of events on.

When it’s the middle of winter and your SAD kicks in, what’s a girl (or guy) to do? Head over to the Domes! Even on the gloomiest of days, this place is bright and cheery!
Bring a lunch and a good book and spend as much time as you need soaking up some sunlight. They sell wine, beer and soda! (Probably water, too, but who looks for THAT?) :)
Each dome has seating scattered throughout and there is also a seating area in the main lobby, all great vantage points for people watching!
The small gift shop doesn’t really sell that much that is plant related, more so your regular Milwaukee kitsch… books, postcards and jewelry. They do sell a very small assortment of common plants, but the plants are donated, not extras from the conservatory itself.
So, there are three domes: the display dome, the desert dome and the tropical dome.
The display dome is home to ever-​changing seasonal displays. It gets decorated for the various holidays and in between, with various themes. As of this review, there are several model trains running in the middle of the floor through all aspects of the American landscape. I also spotted some fairies and gargoyles in the trees and shrubs along the outside borders. The plants herein consist of begonias, azaleas, petunias, tradescantias, clematis, cyclamen; just to name a few.
The desert dome is just that: home to plants that can live in an arid landscape. You will find the common house plant Sansevieria aka Snake Plant, as well as aloes, euphorbias, jades, baobab trees, prickly pear and barrel cacti. Look carefully because you will see some plants growing in shoes and boots and some plants breaking right through the concrete pathways!
The tropical dome is humid, so, be forewarned if you plan on visiting with a fancy hairdo! This is home to most plants sold as houseplants: calatheas, peace lillies, anthuriums, caladiums, bird of paradise, orchids… only these plants are huge! You’ll also find cocoa trees, banana trees, the trees that we get neem horticultural oil from, and hallelujah! Palm trees! There is a waterfall that fills a pond with huge Koi fish in it, and a small flock of tropical birds (for which there is a bird feeder) flying around.
For a nice respite from the cold and often dreary Wisconsin winters, the Domes are a little reminder of the summer that we all look forward to, and we don’t have to travel very far or spend a lot of money to experience it!
¹⁸⁄₂₀₁₅

Gotta love the domes, especially in winter. All three domes are pretty cool, but the desert dome is probably my favorite. $ 7 to get in, $ 5 with student ID or senior citizen.
The domes are big, but it doesn’t take too long to see all three. However some people make a day out of it by hanging out and reading a book in the warm bright winter sun. Hey why not. It’s a great way of escaping winter if only for a few hours. There’s maybe 5 or 6 tables in the atrium that folks hang out and eat lunch. There are vending machines and a gift shop in the atrium as well.

Milwaukee county residents can get in free with I.D. from 9am to noon on Mondays (I think holidays are excluded). The domes are popular on Mondays for that reason, and there are usually lots of kids there on field trips. The kids are usually gone by noon or shortly after if that’s something you want to avoid.

There is no better place to be in mid-​winter Wisconsin than here. The three domes are the tropical dome, the desert dome, and a «show» dome with a changing exhibit. The show dome was closed today, but the $ 7 entry is still worth every penny.
My husband was able to nurture his photography hobby and I was able to relax in nearly 80 degrees in the sunshine reading a book and taking in the sweet sounds of a waterfall and birdsong.
We enjoyed our time here very much and will certainly be back before winters end. The trip down from Madison, WI was well worth it.

The desert dome alone is worth the trip. There are cactus/​succulents everywhere. Some are the size of a silver dollar and others reach near the top of the dome. Most look like they’re from another planet.
All three domes are very well kept. Aside from being in a controlled environment, everything appears to be growing quite freely without manipulation.
Kind of hard to complain about copious amounts of beautiful lush nature to be seen all year long. That would be like storming out of a library in a huff because you thought there were just too many books.
You’re going to the domes? Good for you. Be sure to buy a cool, cheap plant to take care of at home on your way out.

Who wouldn’t love the Domes?
There’s not much I can say that hasn’t been said. I’m a geek for all things biological, and the Domes are a gateway to some biomes that we here in Milwaukee wouldn’t get to experience at home otherwise. Some serious manpower has gone into making these what they are (especially the one that cycles between things over the year).
Be sure to ask about entrance discounts, because many people are eligible for reduced admittance based on something or another. It’s worth every penny at full price too, though.

It’s a pretty nifty setup that reminded me of Chicago’s Botanic Gardens. Luckily, everything in Milwaukee is a lot closer, and so the hike out to the Mitchell Park Conservatory from downtown is nowhere near the hassle that is Chicago traffic and distance. Set against the backdrop of Miller Park, Mitchell Park is pretty cool to approach.
Once there, the domes are all the eyes can see, and it’s pretty glorious. There’s a small cover to get in, but the sights are pretty worth it. The dome with the model trains is by far my favorite, and yes, I’m an absolute sucker for model trains. The desert and tropical domes are fun as well.