The Marjoire McNeely Conservatory in Como Park Celebrates 100 Years

Media Alert
May 4, 2015
Contact: Matt Reinartz
matt.reinartz@stpaul.gov
651.487.8294 (o)
651.248.9836 (c)
 

The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory Kicks Off the Centennial Celebration June 19-21
New Centennial Garden to be Unveiled

The Jewel of St. Paul, the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, first opened its doors to the public in 1915. Now in its 100th year, this tropical gem is planning on celebrating in a big way. The Como Park Zoo and Conservatory is welcoming the public to come and revel in the beauty of this historic landmark with a weekend of music, activities, and events June 19-21.

“This centennial gives us a wonderful excuse to showcase how much the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory has meant to this community for so many years,” says Horticultural Curator Tina Dombrowski. “But it’s also a great time to celebrate all the ways this generous community has helped the Conservatory grow and thrive.”

This summer, Como Park Zoo and Conservatory will also unveil the new Centennial Garden (artist rendering attached), a stylized nod to the traditional European landscape gardens that drew visitors to Como at the turn of the century. The Garden will welcome guests into the Visitor Center and serve as a landmark to remember all of the community members who have made the past 100 years possible.

From its seasonal flower shows in the Sunken Garden to its wide collection of rare and beautiful plants found in the North Garden, the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory has become one of the most beloved buildings in Minnesota. Open 365 days a year the Conservatory serves as a tropical getaway during the winter months and place of lush, greenery in the summer.

“Como’s Conservatory is part of that the golden age of Minnesota architecture, between about 1900 to 1920, where you had the rise of the Prairie School, along with these grand public buildings,” says architecture critic Larry Millett. “Architecture of that period tends to be really monumental and well built, and the public has a great deal of affection for these buildings.” The strong sense of ownership Como visitors feel for the Conservatory has helped save the building from a few calamities over the decades. The Great Depression forced much of the Conservatory to close for lack of funds, and rusted rivets were a serious structural problem through the 1950s. A devastating 1962 hail storm smashed thousands of glass panes, but the plexiglass replacements blocked sunlight to plants, and required a second renovation back to glass.

Citizens concerned about preserving the Conservatory’s unique history formed a restoration society which helped secure Como’s place on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, and later, a $12 million renovation that opened in the early 1990s. Their efforts were part of a long legacy of community and docent groups that raised private funding to protect the Conservatory’s future, a mission that’s been carried forward by Como Friends—a merger of several nonprofit fundraising groups that incorporated under one banner in 1999. Over the last 15 years, Como Friends has invested more than $35 million in improvements at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory and the Como Zoo, including the new Fern Room opened in 2005, Tropical Encounters opened in 2006, and The Ordway Gardens opened in 2013.

While the Conservatory may be 100 years old, a century of community commitment to the building and the botanical collections it contains has made the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory’s future brighter than ever. “Conservatories like this got their start during the industrial revolution, an era when people began to realize how essential it is for humans to stay connected with nature, and that lesson has only been strengthened over the last century,” says Dombrowski. “We have an affinity for plants and animals, and we find comfort and inspiration in nature. I believe that’s one reason why the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory endures and is relevant to visitors today.”

Look for a detailed list of events and activities for the weekend of June 19-21 coming soon. It will include a ribbon cutting ceremony, a vow renewal ceremony for all interested couples, special history talks, strolling musicians, a coloring contest, lighting of the conservatory dome purple, and an outdoor concert followed by a screening of the 1986 rock musical horror comedy “Little Shop of Horrors”.

The public is also encouraged to share their memories and photos using #MMC100 on their social media sites.

XXX