The Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory — the century-old glass-domed structure in Detroit's Belle Isle Park — reopened Wednesday after two years of extensive renovations.
Tom Bissett, urban district supervisor with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, described the importance of the renovations in a statement. “The conservatory has not received significant capital investment since the 1950s,” Bissett said. “These renovations have now enhanced the structural integrity of the dome, prioritized public safety and improved conditions for the plant collection.”
The upgrades included:
- Replacement of more than 1,500 panes of glass in the upper dome with new laminated glass
- New concrete floor and planter walls in the showroom.
- New roof, ceiling, ceiling fans, glass and exterior limestone panels in the vestibule.
The conservatory is a draw for both what it grows — it features "an indoor display of over 2,000 plants from around the world, outdoor seasonal flora beds, and a lily-koi pond," according to a DNR statement, in addition to unique horticultural and aquatic collections — and its architecture.
Amanda Treadwell, an urban area field planner with the state DNR, said the conservatory is a key part of Belle Isle's national recognition. "Belle Isle Park is on the National Register of Historic Places, so the whole park as a whole is recognized as a national historic resource," she said. "The conservatory and aquarium is a very important contributing resource to that status."
The DNR said a total of $10 million was available for the project, "including $7.5 million of federal COVID-19 relief funding and a $2.5 million private donation given to the Belle Isle Conservancy for purpose of restoring the conservatory."
Admittance to the newly reopened conservatory is free, although a recreation passport is required for vehicles entering Belle Isle Park.
The conservatory will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
