Only a block from my hotel, Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Downtown Fort Wayne, was a beautiful oasis of flowers and butterflies -- Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory.
The Conservatory began as an idea between two good friends who wanted Fort Wayne to have an indoor sanctuary to enjoy the wonders of nature. Helene Foellinger, publisher of the News-Sentinel, and Bill Sowers, a local attorney and trustee, often visited gardens around the world together and wanted to share the same beauty with the people of Fort Wayne.
Their dream became a reality in 1983 with help from the City of Fort Wayne, the Foellinger Foundation, the Freimann Trust, and Lincoln National Corporation.
The Conservatory offers four changing showcases each year, including a butterfly garden the day I visited. There are 24,500 square feet of indoor gardens with a vast plant collection and four outdoor gardens. The gardens are home to 2,000 plants from 1,000 varieties, including 72 types of cacti.
I wandered through the three massive greenhouses and outside among the spring blooms of tulips and flowering trees. My last stop was the butterfly exhibit which is always a thrill. To me, butterflies are like living blossoms flitting from flower to flower.
There is also an excellent gift shop here offering just the right souvenirs to remember your journey through Fort Worth's glorious gardens.
No matter what time of year, this oasis in this city will be a treat for the senses. Colorful exotic plants, blossoms, waterfalls, winding pathways, and bright flowers greet guests with every step of their journey.
For more information about the Conservatory, click here. For more information about the hotel, click here. For more information about visiting Fort Worth, click here.
Drone image courtesy of Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory
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