Mitchell Park Domes

Reading the list of the possible "Gems of Milwaukee" reminded me of the Mitchell Park Domes, a place I've heard about for years but have never been to. I know that many people consider the Domes to be one of the most fascinating places to visit when in Milwaukee.

We got six inches of snow here last night, and today dawned sunny and clear. It looked like the perfect day to go sledding or ice skating or skiing, but man was it freezing out! It probably barely reached 20 degrees today, and after shoveling snow for an hour this morning, I didn't really want to spend any more time outside. The sledding and the skiing will come - we have a long winter ahead of us.

On a side note: shoveling snow really loses its fun factor when you have to do it four times within a week and a half. I can't believe the snow we've gotten already this year.

We headed to the Domes early this afternoon. The three seven-story glass Domes can be seen from miles away, and upon pulling up in front of them, they are a grand sight to see. Once inside, we saw that the conservatory was quite crowded with people - a lot of older folks and a lot of families, and also a handful of children dressed in festive dance and cowboy costumes who were performing in the Show Dome.



Dave and I headed into the Tropical Dome first which, after seeing all three, was definitely my favorite. It was very weird to go from being freezing to being in a thick, humid, warm climate. I took off my coat and scarf and marveled at all the trees and plants and flowers as we walked around. The sun shined through the huge glass panes, and birds chirped and flew overhead. We spotted bananas, avocados, cocoa, grapefruits and chili peppers that were being grown.

I touched a lot of the leaves since they were so unlike anything I'd seen before. I also couldn't stop taking deep breaths in, just to smell the fresh, earthy smells and feel the warm air in my nose and lungs. It really wasn't too hard to imagine I was somewhere far, far away from Wisconsin.



We headed to the Arid Dome next. It was obviously dry, but also much cooler than I expected it to be. There were all kinds of trees, cacti and flowers, and also some skeletons and rocks thrown in to set the desert scene.



The third Dome was the Floral Show Dome, which currently houses tons of poinsettias and a huge Christmas tree, along with other Christmas decorations including a house, a fireplace with Santa's legs hanging down, and his eight reindeer and his sleigh. The Show Dome features five different floral displays yearly.



Besides the three domes, there is also a gift shop and a educational center for children who visit the conservatory. Construction on the Domes was begun in 1959 and the last of the three domes opened in 1967. They're open 365 days a year, and more than 200,000 people visit each year.

Dave and I spent a little over an hour walking through the three Domes today, though I can see how you could stay much longer, if you really wanted to learn about the different trees and plants by reading the numerous signs, or if you simply wanted to sit and enjoy the different climates. I very much enjoyed our visit, and I think it's marvelous that Milwaukee boasts such a unique and interesting venue.

Comments

[Utenzi]

Michele sent me to see you, Erin--and oddly enough I was thinking I was going to another Erin's blog. You have much prettier pictures so I'm glad I ended up here in Wisconsin.

I've never been to Milwaukee. Chicago is the closest I've been. Those domes you and Dave visted look awesome. But all in all, I'm not sure it's worth dealing with all that snow you get. Brrrr!

[Glenn]

You can not believe how much snow we have had this year. I find that statement to be funny. I do not think we have had that much snow. A lot of snow in my opinion would be a snow storm of 10 inches on a weekday. You state we had 6 inches of snow. Offically the city had 4 inches. This snow storm was like a all day drizzle of rain.

[april]

those domes look amazing! I've never been that far north, but I seem to keep picking up blogs to read from Wisconsin & Minnesota. Maybe you're the only interesting people?! :)

Michele sent me, and it's my first time so I'll poke around for a little while.

[Kat]

Wow, that's amazing! I never knew about the Domes. I wish we had something like that in NYC.

[Erin]

Glenn,

I just know that in recent years, it seems like we hardly get any snow before Christmas, and then it's all piled on after the New Year.

However, this year, we had 3-4 inches the day after Thanksgiving, and then we got another couple of inches - was it Tuesday? -last week, and then last night we got 5-6 more! I think I get a bit more than most of Milwaukee since I live less than a mile from the lake and we get that lake effect stuff.

Anyway, it's been a lot of snow in a week and a half. I do acknowlege, however, that I could be a bit dramatic since this is the first year I've ever had to shovel my own snow!

[Glenn]

You have a real nice Blog. It is fun to read. It is interesting to see how you and I see the amount of snow falls. It is like the question "Is the glass half empty or half full?" Thank you for the enjoyment.

[Uisce]

Hello, Michele sent me! Wow, awesome pictures! I've been to Wisconsin, but never to Milwaukee. I'll have to see about changing that!

[Andre]

I haven't been to the domes in twenty years, but I keep saying I want to go. It was always an accidental tradition that I would buy a cactus from there and then somehow manage to kill it.

[kelly]

I have never been to the domes and I have lived here my entire life. It looks cool...especially the tropical dome. What a great little escape on a freezing day...I can see how it might feel like you were in Hawaii.

[Derek]

Nice post. I went to the Domes for the first time last year at this time. It really is a neat place that I don't think enough people take advantage of. Great pictures.

[Mark]

Holy comments on this blog Erin! Haha.. glad to see you finally checked out the domes. The tropical dome is my favorite too. :)

[Tony Melendez]

Wow Erin!!

Beautiful!!

Once again, Thanks

Tony

[Andre]

It took awhile, but I finally made it back. Banana tree leaves are huge.