George Mallet
Nov 6, 2008

MILWAUKEE - Shortly after sunset, hundreds of people lined up outside the Mitchell Park Domes. The Milwaukee landmark has been closed since June to undergo a facelift. That facelift was complete Wednesday night and the public was invited to witness the dramatic lightshow made possible by it.

"I remember when there were ponds outside and flower gardens outside," said Sandy Minnickel as she stood in line to get in. "That was many years ago."

Indeed, many who came to the grand reopening of this childhood haunt, came for nostalgic reasons. Parents have been bringing their children to the dramatic geodesic structures since the mid 1960s.

"The tropical dome was my favorite," said Heidi Hansen as she looked up at the top of the dome she remembered best. "I spent as much time in there hiding as I could from my folks, so we didn’t have to leave."

The children who returned as adults Wednesday night were treated to a dramatic lightshow in the main dome. A philanthropic gift of more than half a million dollars by Chris Abele, Michael Cudahy and an anonymous donor purchased a new high-tech LED lighting system.

When County Executive Scott Walker threw the switch on that new system, all eyes were transfixed on the flashing lights perfectly synchronized with the symphony music piped into the main dome.

"I was just a kid when I designed this," said nattily attired 90-year-old architect Donald Grieb when the lightshow was complete. The most difficult thing was getting the proper materials for a geodesic dome," Grieb said. "Bucky faced the same problems," he added referring to famed futurist and geodesic dome creator, R. Buckminster Fuller.

The addition of a nighttime lightshow has prompted the Milwaukee County Park System to change the hours for the Mitchell Park Domes. The Domes will now be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Fridays through Sundays, the Domes will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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