Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory

I visited here for a reception as part is a conference I was attending. The conservatory is small but the planting seeds are dense and full of greenery. There was not a lot of color but I went in November so it may have been off season. The lobby looks new and the rest looks rather old. The room for large groups is very plain but enough room for tables and buffet, and if your guests are mingling in other areas. There are stations to engage kids but not many. I don’t know what the entry cost is but if it’s more than $ 5 – 10 I’d be unhappy. May be worth one visit if you need something to do.

Took my girlfriend here for Valentine’s Day. We loved it! Such a nice place to spend a few hours in the middle of winter. The paths were nice and clean, most of the plants were marked with a name and where they can be found in the world. The back walls could use some color, but other than that, no complaints! My girlfriend loved this place so much that we actually returned the next day and walked around for a couple more hours before heading back home! We will definitely be back in April for the concert series.

I visited this last weekend for a little getaway to Fort Wayne. While the gardens are small, it is a wonderful place to spend an hour or so. From my research, it looks like the gardens change their main «exhibits» on a seasonal basis. Given it was about two weeks before Christmas, the theme was «The Grinch that Stole Christmas».
The garden offered children the opportunity to have their picture taken with Santa. They also had a Christmas themed scavenger hunt that looked like fun. Given I’m over 30 years old, I abstained. One thing I participated in was viewing the reindeer they had visiting from a local farm. Candy Cane and Jingle Belle were quite friendly and allowed children to pet them and have their photo taken with them. I also give Ms. Cane an Ms. Belle a lot of credit for allow their «owners’ to brush them, put glitter in their fur and then applying hairspray. They looked beautiful. :)
For a family with young children, it appears there were several «hands on» exhibits for them to complete.
While the indoor gardens are small, the outdoor gated area offers a very nice sitting area, koi ponds and a nice view of downtown Fort Wayne.
As a bonus, the parking structure near the gardens offers free parking if you show the attendent your receipt!
The gardens offer a small gift shop that has a wide selection of nice gift items. I didn’t purchase anything, but did puruse and could have spent a lot of money if I had it!
Lastly, there is a deli/​sandwich shop adjacent. While the seating is minimal the menu appeared to offer awide selection of sandwiches, soups and salads.
If you were to be in Fort Wayne, I would suggest a visit to the Botanical Gardens.

A very small, but pretty conservatory, I would imagine, it would be even more enjoyable during the winter. You walk through the door and there are a couple of nice fountains in a garden setting. There is a gift shop and a café and deli. The admission is very reasonable. The first stop is a children’s area with a talking tree. There are educational activities along the way. There are two large glass rooms, with full grown trees and plants. There is a desert room and a room with a roaring waterfall. This is a very peaceful place to hang out and they have free WIFI. There is an outdoor garden area and a space that can be rented for special events. This a great place to hangout with family and friends and to get some great pictures.