Franklin Park Conservatory – Columbus, Ohio

   

Are you looking for somewhere that will get your children excited about nature and the outdoors? Do you love beautiful artwork, unique flowers, and hands-on learning for the whole family? If so, we have found just the place for you! Welcome to the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Columbus , Ohio.

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Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is brimming with plenty of possibilities to enjoy year-round.  We love their vision for “A world that celebrates nature as essential to the human experience.”

Conservatory related homeschool resources listed below post. 

   

   

Our friends at Franklin Park Conservatory recently hosted our families for a visit.  We are so thankful for the opportunity to spend some time with them and share our experience with you.

   

  

Throughout their 13 acre property you will find no shortage of things to inspire and grow your family’s love and connection with the outdoors.

   

   

“Quite simply, when we deny our children nature, we deny them beauty.” ~ Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods

    

Let’s Explore Outside

October is a great month to visit the conservatory!  Although the weather was overcast when we visited, it didn’t stop us from having a wonderful time during our visit.  It was nice to get out and enjoy the changing of the seasons.    

  

Welcome Fall

Franklin Park’s grounds were beautifully decorated for autumn.  There were plenty of rich fall flowers in bloom and no shortage of festive details. 

    

  

With Halloween just around the corner, there were many varieties of  pumpkins on display- so many patterns, shapes and colors to look at.  

   

   

There was even a pumpkin house in the Children’s Garden.  And yes…you are allowed to walk through it!  The smell of the pumpkins was warm and inviting.   

   

  

The Children’s Garden

The Conservatory has teamed up with Scott’s Miracle-Gro to create The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden. An outdoor space designed just for children.  There are all sorts of activities to spark imagination and plenty of room to run.  We recommend entering through the living willow branch tunnel!   

   

  

Our kids loved spinning the teleidoscope and watching the colorful mosaic patterns whiz by in the eyepiece.  The lens near the plants is open, which allows you to see them as they would appear in a kaleidoscope.     

  

   

The mud house in the Playhouse Garden is adorable!  It is built out of hay bales, mud and clay, and topped with a living green roof.  It looks like it came straight out of a storybook.  The deep round windows are amazing and we had fun peeking in on our kids. 

   

   

Inside, the playhouse is cozy and inviting.  Our pretend meals came alive with brightly colored wooden fruits and vegetables.  We imagined the foods were just picked out in the garden.  

Nearby the playhouse there is a puppet stage and plenty of open space to play and pretend.   

  

  

My Ohio Woods and Wetland Explore

What would a children’s garden be without water to play in?!  Franklin Park has that covered!

My Ohio Woods provides kids the chance to splash around in a stream surrounded by moss, ferns, lichens and fossils found in the Hocking Hills region of Ohio.  This is a great way to see some of the beauty this state has to offer. 

  

  

Green Man is there to welcome visitors along the sandstone bluff.  Immediately you can hear the sound of the waterfall and of course, the kids go running!  Playing in the stream is encouraged, so be sure to dress appropriately.  

   

  

Another great way to get your feet wet is to step into Wetland Explore.  This area celebrates rain…so we couldn’t have come at a better time!  Plenty of insects, dragonflies, polliwogs and birds call this spot home.  During the warmer months, plants surround the boardwalk to truly give you the feeling of being a nature explorer.    

   

  

“If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.” ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder

  

Whisper Garden

When you are ready to slow down for a bit, head on over to the Whisper Garden.  You will find an area where quiet moments together are cherished.  This area is full of whimsy and lots of opportunities for your imagination to run wild, while your body rests.

One of the first things we found here were two libraries and a reading area full of rocking chairs to sit and enjoy our finds.  The libraries are low enough so kids can grab their own books right off the shelves. There were plenty of nature related books, and quite a few of our favorites. We know…it is SO hard to stay away from books!   

  

   

Right next to the reading area is the Whisper Bench.  Due to how it is designed, you can actually sit at one end, whisper into the corners, and the person on the other end can hear you. It really works! See, indoor voices can be fun!  

  

   

Before leaving make sure to stroll through the fairy garden.  There are several houses hidden along the way full of tiny details.  There is also a creation station so kids can make their own fairy house using natural materials.  

  

Time to Head Indoors

After all we had seen and done outside, we still had more exploring to do indoors!  There is SO much natural light inside…very clean and refreshing.  Everywhere you look you’ll see a bit of nature sprinkled throughout.  

   

Trick-or-Treat

Our visit happened to be on the same day Franklin Park Conservatory was hosting its annual trick-or-treating event for Halloween.  As you know, one of us sisters LOVES Halloween, so we made sure to bring costumes!

Trick-or-treat stations were set-up throughout the Conservatory.  The staff and volunteers were all dressed up too in some amazing costumes.  We saw a Venus fly trap, a butterfly, a ninja turtle and even found another 1950’s era friend. 

  

   

Our kids enjoyed trick-or-treating through the garden pathways and past the waterfalls.  The event isn’t too spooky and is perfect for younger kids.  It was very family friendly, something we appreciated very much.     

   

Beautiful Biomes

The Conservatory features unique plants in biomes from around the world.  We got to explore plant life found in the Tropical Rain Forest, Himalayan Mountains, the Desert and the Pacific Islands.  Each one is SO different. 

  

  

At the entrance of each biome are plaques with information on what to expect ahead.  We liked having a teachable moment with our kids before each section.  There was just the right amount of information and it was presented in easy to understand language.  

  

  

Keep your eyes open for animals along the way!  You will see many plant creations celebrating the wildlife found within each biome. 

  

  

Our kids especially liked both of the Koi ponds.  There is an indoor pond in the Pacific Island Water Garden area, and an outdoor pond in the Bonsai Courtyard.  There were dozens of brightly colored Koi swimming around, ranging from large to small. It was a nice spot to stop and wonder for a while.   

  

   

All Things Glass

Franklin Park Conservatory is home to some remarkable glass masterpieces by artist Dale Chihuly.  In 2003, the Conservatory hosted an exhibition featuring his work.  At the time, it was only the second botanical garden in the world to do so.

  

  

The exhibition was so successful, a private non-profit group, Friends of the Conservatory, purchased the pieces to be on display permanently.  We’re glad they did!

  

   

The glass pieces are truly stunning in person…they even made our kids pause to admire them!  So many unique shapes and bright colors.  It is incredible what an imagination can lead to.    

   

   

“Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature.  It will never fail you.” ~ Frank Lloyd Wright

  

The Hot Shop

Once we had seen the magnificent Chihuly glass, we wanted to know how glass objects are made.  Thankfully, Franklin Park has its very own outdoor glass blowing pavilion. 

  

   

Inside the Hot Shop you can watch a professional master glass blower, from the Columbus area, create works of art.  When we visited, we met Will, of William Ortman Glass.  He is extremely talented in glass blowing and was incredible to watch.   

  

   

We had a front row seat while Will made ornaments for the Franklin Park Christmas tree display.  As he worked, he explained each step of the process.  The hot glass looks like a thick, glowing syrup and he had to move quickly because of how fast it cools.     

  

   

The hot glass was rolled gently in a bowl of beautiful crushed glass pebbles, which adds unique color patterns to each piece.    

  

   

Each piece is one-of-a-kind and you can even take one home with you!  Some of the items made at the Hot Shop are available to purchase at the Botanica Gift Shop.  

If you are interested in finding out more information about Will, he can be found on Facebook, Instagram, and he also has an Etsy.com shop where you can purchase some of his artwork.  

 

Let’s Play!

With all of the new ideas and inspiration surrounding our children, it was no surprise they wanted to put their minds to work.  We headed to the Lower Level Concourse for some hands-on activities. 

  

   

Several areas are set up so children can experiment with light, gravity, art and imagination.  Kids can play at a farmer’s market stand, a giant Lite Brite inspired peg board, or a quirky ball track they can design themselves.  

When you are just too tired to play anymore be sure to watch the trains go by as they chug through the tiny fairy village.  

   

  

Fond of Franklin Park

All five of our children enjoyed our visit to the Conservatory.  Trust us, anytime they all agree on anything, it’s a winner.  Everything we saw was fun, exciting, and best of all NATURE!

Franklin Park is open year round and they have a Know Before You Go section on their website to help you make the most of your visit. 

Perhaps, Franklin Park Conservatory is calling your family back to nature too!   

Homeschool Resources:

• Into the Woods: John James Audubon Lives his Dream by Robert Burleigh
• Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story by Suzanne Slade
• Antsy Ansel: Ansel Adams, A Life in Nature by Cindy Jenson-Elliot
• The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon by Jacqueline Davis
• The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian’s Art Changed Science by Joyce Sidman
• Safari Ltd. Flowers TOOB
• Safari Ltd. Trees TOOB

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