Present Day
In the wake of AmeriFlora, Franklin Park Conservatory’s future lay in question. However, the decision was made in December 1992 to hire an executive director. With a handful of dedicated staff, volunteers, and an operating budget of $500,000, the institution began to regain its identity and momentum.
In 1994, Franklin Park Conservatory debuted Blooms & Butterflies, becoming the first conservatory in the nation to showcase a seasonal butterfly exhibition. It was an instant success. Since then, the annual exhibition features thousands of tropical butterflies flying through the Pacific Island Water Garden. It attracts thousands of visitors each year, and other conservatories throughout the nation have followed suit.
In 1996, the Conservatory’s board of trustees was expanded to 17 members, and by 1998, the Conservatory’s staff and its board developed a comprehensive strategic plan and mission statement to ensure its success:
| “ | Franklin Park Conservatory nurtures plants and people. We promote environmental appreciation and ecological awareness for everyone. Our unique botanical collections provide lifelong learning opportunities in a friendly and accessible setting, which preserves tradition and provides a refuge for the soul. | ” |
The years 2003 and 2004 brought new milestones when Franklin Park Conservatory presented Chihuly at the Conservatory, a blockbuster exhibition that increased attendance by 182 percent. On October 29, 2004, the Friends of the Conservatory, a private, nonprofit group that supports the Conservatory’s programming, made a stunning move. They purchased nearly the entire exhibition of Dale Chihuly’s artworks valued at close to $7 million. To this day, Franklin Park Conservatory is the only public botanical garden in the world to own a signature collection of Chihuly’s magnificent glass artworks, which represents over 3,000 pieces of glass.
In 2006, Franklin Park Conservatory had an operating budget of more than $4 million, a staff of 75 and more than 250 volunteers. The facility offers a wide range of educational classes for school groups, families, and individuals of all ages. Its extensive plant collections and special exhibitions provide hands-on learning opportunities about the natural world, gardening, and the arts.
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