Two years after breaking ground, Norfolk Botanical Garden’s “Garden of Tomorrow” expansion is entering the final phases of construction.
The $50 million project will most notably feature two glass-walled indoor biomes inside the 26,000 square foot Perry Conservatory; a desert and sky-high tropical biome.
Both will be climate controlled to protect endangered plant species inside.
“In both of the biomes, our mission is to expose people to types of plants that they’re not going to be familiar with here, but also to conserve plants that are endangered in the wild so we can be part of ‘Noah’s Ark,'” said Les Parks, Vice President of Horticulture for the garden.
The rest of the development will include the Brock Parking Garden and Brock Entry Pavilion, which will include a gift shop and bistro. Atop the pavilion is a rooftop sky garden that’s already taking shape.
A second-story skywalk will take visitors from the rooftop through tree canopies and into the biomes, offering never-before-seen views of the 87-year-old garden in the process…