Nature Inspires at Franklin Park Conservatory 

See how these exhibits use nature to inspire creatvity.  

By Morgan Mugwira 

Sean Kenney’s Nature Connects 

Come see award-winning artist Sean Kenney’s Nature Connects. This award-winning exhibition features sculptures made entirely of LEGO bricks. Observe how these sculptures complement and work with their landscape. 

Join the fun and compete in the conservatory’s first brick build competition. Enter alone or join as a family or organization. Participants stand to win prizes like a family membership, $100 Conservatory Gift Card or 4 General Admission Tickets for the conservatory. 

Another first for Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is their Conservatory Explore: Brick Nights. Brick Nights will be a themed event where LEGO lovers of all ages will be able to find community and build together.  

Paul Busse Garden Railway 

Next stop, Paul Busse Garden Railway. Travel through the conservatory with these model trains through four themed destinations along the 1,122-mile track. Each miniature destination is handcrafted and together displays over 50 botanical models made of all-natural plant materials.  

For those looking to get wild, there is Wild West Town. Explore how the introduction of the railroad forever changed the country. A skip across the pond has never been closer at the European Travels destination. Visitors will feel transported into the set of their favorite fairytale stories like Rapunzel, Cinderella and the Old Lady in the Shoe in Fairytale Land. For visitors looking to get closer to wildlife, there is the animal-themed destination Who Lives Here.  

Take a trip across continents and even to another world at the Paul Busse Garden Railway. Available until January 1, 2026. 

Through the Vines: A Seasonal Journey 

Applied Imagination has brought all four seasons to Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens all at once. Explore the dynamic changes of the four seasons through these art installations available now at the conservatory.  

Applied Imagination has been inspiring audiences with its installations for 30 years and is responsible for botanical displays in famous gardens like the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe and even the United States Botanic Garden in Washington D.C. 

Visit one of the installations that Applied Imagination has brought to Ohio at Franklin Park Conservatory. Walk through the vine arches and experience these interpretations of spring, summer, fall and winter made of entirely all-natural materials. 

Through the Vines: A Seasonal Journey is available until January 1, 2026. 

Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is open for general admission 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Reserve tickets to your favorite here.