Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory

The conservatory grew out of a shared passion for gardens. Helene Foellinger, publisher of the News-Sentinel, and Bill Sowers, a local attorney and trustee, had visited gardens around the world together, and their idea of an indoor botanical garden in the heart of downtown won the backing of the City of Fort Wayne, the Foellinger Foundation, the Freimann Trust and Lincoln National Corporation; the conservatory’s name joins those of its two founding foundations.

It opened in 1983, and according to the institution the first plant set in its beds was a beefsteak begonia. Owned and run by Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation with support from the Fort Wayne Park Foundation, the conservatory marked its 40th anniversary in 2023 and welcomed its three millionth visitor in February 2024. It also acts as a rescue centre for plants of endangered species.

The conservatory brings together three separate indoor gardens, each with its own climate: a seasonal Showcase Garden, a Tropical Garden with a waterfall and pool, and a Desert Garden. The institution cites both 24,500 square feet and more than 30,000 square feet of indoor gardens; the whole site, outdoor areas included, covers some 100,000 square feet. Around the glasshouses lie several outdoor gardens: the Exploration Garden, with shaded paths and a small pond; a brick terrace planted with Midwestern trees; the Salon Plaza, with Megaflora, a 32-foot limestone figure, and a bronze called Flora; and a garden of rhododendrons, azaleas and other acid-loving plants.

According to the institution, the indoor gardens hold more than 2,000 plants from about 100 families and nearly 1,000 varieties. The Tropical Garden combines palms, breadfruit, coffee, banana and orange trees, orchids and bromeliads around a waterfall stocked with mature koi; its cacao tree (Theobroma cacao) is a visitor favourite. The Desert Garden evokes the American Southwest and the Sonoran Desert, with 72 kinds of cactus, among them a saguaro, organ pipe cactus and prickly pear, alongside creosote bush, jojoba, yucca and mesquite. The Showcase Garden changes four times a year around permanent plantings such as loquats, camellias and Mediterranean species.

The conservatory sits in the middle of downtown Fort Wayne, and a visit moves from the humid warmth of the Tropical Garden to the dry air of the desert. The four seasonal exhibits in the Showcase Garden give a reason to return, and in winter the glasshouses offer a welcome tropical escape. The outdoor gardens, from the Salon Plaza to the Exploration Garden, extend the walk in the warmer months, and the central location makes it easy to combine with the rest of downtown.