Marjorie McNeely Conservatory Review

Best Minnesota winter activity and really nice in the summer too. There's a main atrium with tall trees and ferns with 3-4 wings. 1) Fern garden 2) seasonal garden 3) food/spices garden 4) small bonsai exhibit that leads to the outside gardens. You can currently (Feb2021) make free reservation times to go through the whole conservatory on their website.

Such a wonderful place... Especially when it is so cold outside

I have a degree in Natural Resourse Sciences and I can tell you that this place is fantastic. I would highly recommend anyone who enjoys plants and botany to visit this place.

Open again,
and doing a great job of Social Distancing.

Check for reservation & scheduling information.

Great Winter Getaway.

Well managed and beautiful. The site is free but they do suggest $3 per adult as a contribution well worth it.

Such an amazing collection of plants -- flowering and foliage. It was a tropical break from a sunny, but cold winter day! There were students drawing, families out for a stroll with little kids, older folks. What a gem in St. Paul!

Best sunken garden conservatory in all of Minnesota. Gorgeous for engagement pics too. Fun and beautiful floral exhibitions every time. Beautiful place :)

Felt like a tropical oasis at the beginning of December. Very relaxing here. Someplace to sit and enjoy greenery. Did not get to check out everything. Only went to the Sunken Gardens and the center palm exhibit.

The Conservatory provides much needed solace during cold MN winters. Try to get there during every seasonal flower show!

If only you could capture the combined smell of all the flowers! The Conservatory was nicely maintained and a beautiful place to visit.

The conservatory is beautiful, especially the sunken garden

If its winter, and your still in Saint Paul, this is a perfect place to get a little humidity in your lungs and enjoy the smell of flora all around you. Careful with your camera though, they tend to frown on "professional" photography with out prior consent.

Such a lovely spot for an outing, especially in the winter when you just want to see a bit of green again.

Amazing! Toured the Japanese Garden - so many lovely trees, then the Palm Garden - learned about the trees our spices come from, then the gorgeous and fragrant Sunken Pond room. Oh my. Beautiful flowers in full bloom, so many colors and varieties. I took a lot of pics! Then the Fern Garden. Some of those ferns are tree size. And one dates back to dinosaur era. Well, not that specific plant but that type. Then on leaving got to see the lovely water lilies in colors ranging from pale yellow to lavender to fuschia. And even their floating leaves are different colors!
All in all a great visit. I will be back.

This place never disappoints! Make your reservation and go!

One of the best botanic gardens and conservatories in the northern half of the country. The winters come very early here, with snow already in October when I visited. The gardens are arranged by like plants and families, unlike other places such as the US Botanic Garden or Fairchild Tropical which organises by like biome or habitat. There is the famous sunken garden, the palm house which is the largest, economically important, the primeval or fern and cycad house, and bonsai, among others. There is a nice Japanese-style garden, but unfortunately the climate there is too cold, so many of the plants are not actually from Japan, but the garden is pleasant nevertheless. It s free of charge/donation based, so it s certainly worth a stop by if you re around in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.

Greatly appreciate how you can make reservations online now. When we went we only saw only other family towards the end. It was nice to be able to enjoy without being crowded. We lived almost the palm trees, though the lady room with flowers was not ah inspiring but rather dull. We have come when the flower arrangements have been much more vibrant.

Very beautiful and practically free! Absolutely nothing to complain about, it was a very nice break from the bitter cold that was just outside.

This is one of my favorite places in the Twin Cities. From the ever-changing sunken garden to the spice room and the bonsai, this is well worth the trip. Walk slowly and savor the experience!

Was a great way to get out of the cold and see different things

Absolutely beautiful. It was a very nice stop during our road trip to northern Minnesota.

The sunken garden was my wedding venue. What a romantic spectacular place especially since my husband and I are avoid gardeners.

The conservatory was a life saver in the first few, wintery months of my son's life. We spent hours wandering through the rooms, staring at birds and fish and turtles. We were warm and on an adventure. There are lots of places to sit and rest and enjoy the beautiful scenery. It was lovely. Very grateful for this place.

Just wow! The building alone is worth the trip, let alone the contents. If you like Victorian architecture or plants (especially palms) this is an absolute can't miss

Always a pleasure to visit with family and friends. Great place to go to enjoy a warm up and get out of the cold. Friendly and safe.

Super cool. Definitely humid, that should be obvious, but this is a great place to go. One room contains tropical vegitation and animals including a huge snake, fish, and a sloth. Another is full of flowers and the last has every spice you can think of.

A wonderful place to escape winter.
The orchid show is beautiful.

Great place to be to hide away from the winters in mn.

I want to go back soon. I like the Japanese garden also. Coy fish and tropical plants. Great gift shop too. Right beside Como Zoo.

Beautiful place to visit, especially on a gray winter day.

This is a beautiful place to quickly escape winter in MN!

very cool conservatory, beautiful walking paths and public park spaces, and a nearby lake for summertime kayaking/canoeing and swimming!

Always beautiful, love the flowers and the tropical areas- always beautifully maintained

This place keeps Minnesotans from becoming insane over the long winters...

Beautiful! Very well cared for, and there's nothing quite so wonderful as the smell of green growing things in the middle of a Minnesota winter.

The Conservatory is a wonderful experience, especially in the winter. But of course it's an incredible place year round. The grounds around it should not be missed. Beautiful gardens and walkways all around the conservatory and Como Zoo. Parking can be difficult on weekends unless you come early. Bring a picnic and enjoy a family reunion in one of the nearby parks.

Great place for all seasons, we go all the time and always find something new. It is a nice vacation in the winter time.

Beautiful, and nice quite viewing due to covid spacing. Since reservations are required. Enjoyed it very much!

The staff maintain A great place to distress and relax in the indoor gardens. Be sure to take in the sunken garden show or the North garden where various spice plants are displayed!

Love this place. Always clean, friendly staff, tranquil surroundings. Only reason for four stars, when we got married here, only have a 45mn window. We showed up, and were given no information on which entrance to use! The clock is ticking, door locked, no answer on phone. Thankfully we tried other doors and found our way in. They should've warned us in advance, or put out signs.

Always beautiful!! We had a great time at the Conservatory!

Amazing break from our new normal of utter chaos, easy to make reservations and friendly staff. Will be returning soon....Don't Forget To Donate

Always a great place to visit. It's a great getaway in wintertime.

A lovely tropical escape from MN reality....only for a short while though...