HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden officially opened a $31 million expansion Saturday, nearly doubling the size of its conservatory and adding 7.5 acres of new gardens to its Richmond campus.
The two-year project adds tropical and subtropical houses to the conservatory, including a permanent year-round butterfly house called Butterflies Bloom, where hundreds of butterflies fly freely around visitors on multiple levels. The existing conservatory houses have been converted to Mediterranean and desert climate zones, giving visitors four distinct climate experiences under one roof.
“We have continually seen an increase in visitation and engagement with our programs over the years,” Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden President and CEO Brian Trader said. “This expansion enables us to grow our mission by increasing opportunities to bring the community together for enjoyment, learning and connection to the natural world.”…