Botanical Conservatory's Holiday Season

The Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory comes alive with a month-long holiday celebration including the Holiday Kick-Off Party, Piñata Paradise, Stories from the Conductor, Hands-On Family Fun Thursdays, Visits with Santa & the Reindeer, 5k Reindeer Romp, Breakfast with Santa, $1 Saturday, Garden of Lights, Interurban Railroad Display and the Three Faces of St. Paul's!  You won't want to miss the fun.


 


 


 


Downtown Landmarks — Holiday
November 21-January 3


Get a new perspective on downtown Fort Wayne with models of city landmark buildings past and present, set among the poinsettias. The Lincoln Tower, Baker Street Station, Keenan Hotel, Allen County Court House, and Embassy Theatre will be built and displayed by local architectural firms in the garden along with artifacts and information.   

Test your knowledge of landmark buildings with an interactive exhibit.  Historical photographs, a life-size interurban car, and festive holiday lights and decorations will make this display a fun visit for the holidays. The featured architectural firms are Design Collaborative, Inc.; Martin-Riley Architects-Engineers; Moake Park Group, Inc.; MSKTD & Associates, Inc.; and Schenkel Shultz Architecture, Inc.   Regular Conservatory admission fees apply.


Garden of Lights
November 25-January 3

Tuesday-Saturday 10 am-5 pm
Sunday 12-4 pm
Special Hours! Open Thursday & Friday nights in December until 8 pm


Visit during the holiday season for a delightful walk through the Conservatory, illuminated with a creative array of twinkling and colorful lights in the Tropical, Desert, and outdoor gardens. A life-size train car makes a great vantage point from which to watch the animated, music-linked light show on the Terrace. Special evening hours with free hot chocolate will be offered on Thursday and Friday nights until 8:00 p.m. so you can enjoy the lights at their best. Closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Regular Conservatory admission fees apply.


Interurban Railroad Display
November 21-December 18


Glimpse a snapshot of Allen County, Indiana, in the days of the interurban railway with an HO gauge layout of the Lima-Van Wert-Monroeville line, part of the extensive electric railway system of the turn of the 20th century. As rural communities supplied workers for the burgeoning city factories, mass transit became more desirable. Fort Wayne was the center of a network of rail lines from Kendallville, Waterloo, Lima, Wabash, Decatur, and Muncie. This display is from the private collection of Blane Ryan, local historian and teacher. Catch Mr. Conductor on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, 10 am-2 pm. Regular Conservatory admission fees apply.


Three Faces of St. Paul’s
December 19-January 31


One well-known downtown landmark in this “City of Churches” is St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran. As the congregation approaches its 175th anniversary, we celebrate a remarkable story of genesis, destruction, rebuilding, and a very special Christmas, as told through a set of detailed models and the history they record. Regular Conservatory admission fees apply.


Holiday Nights
Thursdays & Fridays in December


Take some time to relax and enjoy the festive displays and programs downtown at your botanical garden. Special light displays, exhibits, free craft projects, and hot chocolate are scheduled during this period to bring a little holiday magic to your evening. Call (260) 427-6440 for more details. Regular Conservatory admission fees apply. Closed Christmas Day.


Piñata Paradise
November 14-December 6


Piñatas are a traditional part of Mexican Christmas celebrations. Enjoy our creative display in the Desert Garden, designed and decorated by area children. At the end of the display the candy-filled creations are donated to local children’s agencies for their holiday celebrations. Regular Conservatory admission fees apply. To participate by making and donating a piñata, please call 427-6446 for more information or visit our web site at www.botanicalconservatory.org.


Holiday Kick-Off Party
Wednesday, November 25, 5-9 pm


Enjoy hot chocolate and a cookie, make a card for a service person, meet Mrs. Claus and let us give you a photo with Santa. You can also meet Becka and Teeka, two live reindeer that know all about the North Pole. Don’t forget to participate in the Fort Wayne Downtown Lighting Ceremony before or after your visit to our holiday garden and displays. Regular Conservatory admission fees apply. No reservations required.  For more information, call (260) 427-6440.


 Stories from the Conductor
Saturday, November 28, 10 am-2 pm


For about 100 years, Fort Wayne history -- and in fact U.S. history -- was closely linked to its railroads. Visit the Conservatory’s Downtown Landmarks exhibit this Thanksgiving weekend and enjoy Mr. Conductor’s lively first-person interpretation as he shares train legends and lore in costume with our guests. Regular Conservatory admission fees apply.


Hands-On Family Fun
Thursdays, December 3, 10, & 17
5-8 pm


Bring the family to the Conservatory during the holiday season for family-oriented fun and crafts. On the selected Thursdays you will be able to make a Christmas card, decorate a cookie, or make an ornament to hang on your Christmas tree. Regular Conservatory admission applies. Children 2 and under are free.


Santa & the Reindeer
Saturdays, December 5, 12, & 19
12-4 pm


Santa and two of his reindeer will be on site to greet the children while Mom and Dad take pictures to capture the moment. Explore the Conservatory in its holiday glory – this year’s theme is “Downtown Landmarks”. Enjoy scale models of buildings past and present such as the Baker Street Train Station, the Lincoln Tower, and the Keenan Hotel. Regular Conservatory admission fees apply.


5K Reindeer Romp
Saturday, December 12
Start time 10:30 am


Run, run, Rudolph! This 5K run will take you down through Calhoun Street’s historic business district, back up Harrison Street, with a mad dash to the right down Douglas Street for the finish line. Dress up in your favorite Christmas gear as a part of the costume contest! Costumes are not mandatory but prizes will be given out for best adult, best parent and child, and best child. For more information and registration please visit www.reindeer5k.com.


$1 Saturday
Saturday, December 26
10 am-5 pm


Need to get out of the house? Enjoy the beauty of the holiday gardens and exhibits at the Botanical Conservatory. Our gift to you — admission is only $1 per person with no wrapping paper to clean up!


Halo
Metal Sculpture Exhibit
November 21-January 3


Continue your garden visit into the crisp outdoors beyond the Desert House and you will discover an exhibit of life-size sculpted figures. Individually, these iron angel-like figures exemplify the capability of human movement and raw emotion. As a whole the exhibit is designed to provoke and inspire the viewer to interpret his own scene or story. Artist Greg Mendez is a graduate of the University of Saint Francis where he studied Fine Art with a concentration in sculpture.  Regular Conservatory admission fees apply.


Check out the Botanical Conservatory website for more informtation.