Marjorie McNeely Conservatory
Palms, ferns, bonsai, orchids, seasonal flowers, and tropical humidity unfold beneath Como’s 1915 glass-and-steel conservatory.
Artwork inspired by Clara Mairs
The Palm Dome is the spatial center, but the conservatory becomes more interesting through contrast: dry and humid rooms, ancient cycads and seasonal annuals, tightly trained bonsai and exuberant tropical growth. Mechanical systems quietly keep these incompatible worlds alive through Minnesota winter.
Admission is donation-supported and the footprint is compact, so crowd timing matters more than duration. Pair the conservatory with Como Zoo only if energy allows; they share a campus but have different sensory conditions, routes, and reasons to pause.
- Opened
- 1915
- Admission
- Donation requested
- Campus
- Como Park
Quick guide
- Begin with
- Read the Palm Dome’s structure before its plants
- Compare
- Move between tropical permanence and seasonal displays
Compare the climates hidden beneath one glass roof
- Start with
- Begin beneath the Palm Dome and compare canopy, humidity, and vertical space with the surrounding seasonal rooms.
- Look closely at
- Read the Sunken Garden as a changing display whose color and composition depend on the current installation.
- Connect the story
- Connect the Japanese Garden and bonsai collection through pruning, scale, framing, and controlled views.
- Plan around
- Plan for heat, humidity, crowds, and temporary closures during major seasonal display changeovers.
Good to know
The conservatory and Como Zoo are adjacent but distinct; the same address can lead to different entrances and parking choices.
Notice these
- Palm Dome
- Sunken Garden
- Japanese Garden and bonsai