Winter can be lovely in its own way, but after enough time enduring the bitter cold, it’s natural to fantasize about a warm day in the tropics.
So, if you’re craving a break from winter’s icy grip—dominated by grey skies, bare trees and frozen-over flowers—your nearest indoor green space is a perfect respite from the seasonal blues.
Across America, stunning greenhouses (often called conservatories) are packed with lush and exotic plants, serving as attractions for visitors and community gathering places for locals.
These serene and often over-the-top sanctuaries are in full bloom year-round, offering vibrant colors, lush foliage, and tropical flora to give you an instant mood lift.
A significant number of U.S. conservatories date back to the late 19th century and are Victorian-styled, situated within America’s public parks—from the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh to the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco.
Exhibits feature delicate orchids to towering cacti, and most attractions offer year-round events, classes, and seasonal flower shows. So whether you’re looking to escape the winter chill, connect with nature or simply take some photos in front of an amazing backdrop, these lush indoor green spaces will leave you feeling refreshed and like you’ve been whisked away to a faraway tropical oasis.
America’s best indoor green spaces
1. Phipps Conservatory | Pittsburgh, PA
Opened in 1893, the Victorian-era Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh is enormous—you could spend a whole day exploring the glass-enclosed structure, with 14 distinct rooms featuring horticulture from around the globe. The entrance to the Palm Court offers a grand welcome, with its high glass peaks and lush plant life punctuated by glass installations by Dale Chihuly. Home to some of the oldest “flower shows” in the world, no trip here is the same as curators consistently swap out exhibits and organize events year-round. In the fall and winter, kids cheer on miniature trains winding through the plants during the “Garden Railroad” exhibit. In the spring, the Butterfly Forest draws visitors eager to watch the creatures break free of their chrysalises. A self-guided tour will take you about 90 minutes, but you’ll likely want to stop and linger as you take in rooms modeled after Japanese courtyards, perfectly manicured French gardens and tropical jungles.
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2. Conservatory of Flowers | San Francisco, CA
Golden Gate Park in San Francisco offers several gardens, but the Conservatory of Flowers was the very first formed structure in the park when it opened in 1879. The building is the oldest public wood-and-glass conservatory in North America, spanning 12,500 square feet and featuring more than 2,000 species of plants and flowers (many of which are rare or endangered.) One of its most fun and unusual attractions is Scarlet, the corpse flower (also known as a Titan Arum). This plant, native to Indonesia, has the largest leaf of any plant species—they can tower as high as 15 feet—and gives off a famously pungent odor when it blooms, which only happens every three to five years. When it does, visitors come from all over to watch (and smell) it happen.
3. Conservatory at the U.S. Botanical Garden | Washington, D.C.
Back in the late 18th century, George Washington (ever heard of him?) had a dream of a botanical garden in the nation’s capitol and wrote a letter to Congress in support of it. It wasn’t until 1850 that the U.S. Botanical Garden opened, and in 1933, the Architect of the Capitol constructed the historic Lord & Burnham Conservatory. The greenhouse contains two courtyard gardens and 10 garden rooms under glass, totaling more than 28,000 square feet of growing space. Rooms include exhibits featuring towering tropical forests, a primeval garden (flowering plants from 150 million years ago), Hawaiian flora, world deserts, orchids and a children’s garden.
4. Garfield Park Conservatory | Chicago, IL
Chicago isn’t exactly lush most of the year. Still, luckily, the Windy City has an indoor green oasis for residents and visitors alike to get “a taste of the tropics under glass,” featuring thousands of plant species across eight indoor display gardens—and tropical temperatures to match. The Garfield Park Conservatory hosts programs throughout the year, from yoga in the garden to courses for budding botanists to cultural performances and hands-on classes. It’s completely free to enter, but advanced registration is required.
5. Climatron at the Missouri Botanical Garden | St. Louis, MO
Open to the public in 1960, the Climatron at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis stands apart from the more common Victorian-style conservatories with its bold, modern design. As the first geodesic dome to be used as a conservatory, it became the world’s first air-conditioned greenhouse. The design won the 1961 Reynolds Award for architectural excellence in a structure using aluminum—because the 70-foot high structure has no interior support, the more than 2,800 types of plants inside enjoy more light and space. In addition to the flora, visitors can see waterfalls, a viewing bridge and a river aquarium with exotic fish.
Original article (see more places by clicking on the link)