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BEFORE YOU GO
Due to ongoing COVID-19
safety measures, be sure
to either call ahead or
check a conservatory’s
website for the latest
information on visiting
guidelines and hours.
LENA MEIJER
TROPICAL
CONSERVATORY
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN
With a five-story-tall
collection of plants from
tropical regions all over the
world, waterfalls, streams,
and butterflies flitting about
during March and April in
an annual exhibition, the
conservatory is an oasis in
spring. Located within the
Frederik Meijer Gardens &
Sculpture Park, it mimics
a Southern climate with
85-degree weather that, along
with the sounds of waterfalls
and tropical birds such as
red-legged honeycreepers
and turquoise tanagers, will
transport you instantly to a
warmer place.
The orchid wall features
over 3,500 plants, and the
arrangement is ever changing.
The conservatory’s collection
of plants includes cacao trees,
a Bismarck palm tree and
fragrant orange jessamine.
Learn more:
meijergardens.org •
Marija Andric, the deputy
editor of our sister publication
Country, has loved visiting
conservatories since her
college days when the campus
greenhouse was a welcome
break from cold temperatures.