A brief History of the Milwaukee Mitchell Park Conservatory "DOMES"

Land for Mitchell Park was first purchased by the Milwaukee Park Commission in 1889. As our first permanently named park, Mitchell is the oldest park in the Milwaukee Parks system. The original Milwaukee Conservatory, built in traditional glass house style, was opened to the public in 1899. A large water mirror, fountains and extensive parterre gardens were constructed on the Mitchell Park Grounds in 1904. The area known as the Sunken Garden was featured south of Milwaukee's Mitchell Park Conservatory until 1994. The tradition of flowers as the keystone at Milwaukee's Mitchell Park remains today. Razing of the old Conservatory to make way for The Mitchell Park Domes horticultural Conservatory facility took place in 1955.

The Mitchell Park Conservatory has been part of the Milwaukee scene since the first conservatory was built in 1898. The original Milwaukee conservatory exhibited flowers in a "greenhouse" setting and served the public until 1955. Because it was determined to be unsafe and impractical to repair, the conservatory was demolished.

A design competition, won by a Milwaukee architect, produced the plans for the new, "Milwaukee Domes," conservatory. Donald Grieb's winning entry called for three beehive-shaped (not geodesic) glass domes, 140 feet in diameter at the base and 85 feet high, offering 15,000 square feet of growing space for plant display. Each dome has a distinct climate and exhibit plants in a naturalistic setting. The three Milwaukee Domes are the Arid, Tropical, and Floral Show domes.

Construction of the new Conservatory, "The Milwaukee Domes," started in 1959. Local architect, Donald Grieb designed the unique conoidal ‘Dome' structure - After nearly fifty years, our Milwaukee Domes are still the only conservatory of this kind in the world. Four and one-half million dollars were appropriated over a six year construction period.

Construction of the Milwaukee Domes was completed in stages over four years. Milwaukee's Floral Show Dome was the first dome to open in 1964. Lady Bird Johnson dedicated the Floral Show Dome in 1965. Milwaukee's Tropical Dome was completed in 1966. Milwaukee's Arid Dome was completed in 1967. These stages of construction allowed Milwaukee County to pay for the construction in yearly appropriations, avoiding the cost of bonding. The last of Milwaukee's three Domes was opened on one of the most historic days for the Milwaukee Parks system in October, 1967.

In 2005, a "Ribbon cutting" celebration with Milwaukee Domes architect Donald Grieb began a four year capital fundraising campaign to improve Milwaukee's Mitchell Park Domes.

With major revitalization being undertaken in the summer of 2008, it is clear new chapters in the history of our Milwaukee Domes are being written right now. Please consider joining the Friends of the Domes in preserving the historic Milwaukee skyline fixture that is our Milwaukee Domes