North Star Master Plan | Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical GardensFranklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

After 24 months of community research and visioning with architecture and design experts, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens has announced a bold vision for becoming a premier botanical garden destination in the next 25 years. The North Star Master Plan includes more than 15 transformational capital projects.

The Conservatory’s North Star Master Plan will completely transform the visitor experience. The entrance from Broad St. to Franklin Park and the Conservatory will be moved from its current location to the existing traffic light at Woodland Ave. and Broad St. – and visitors to the Conservatory and Franklin Park will use new centralized underground parking.

The entrance to the Conservatory’s visitor experience will move from its current location on the east to a central location just west of the John F. Wolfe Palm House and the Conservatory’s Grand Mallway.

Reorienting the Conservatory in this way celebrates the splendor of the Palm House and creates a synergy between the Conservatory and Franklin Park. Visitors may visit the Conservatory, Franklin Park or both. By linking these experiences together the Conservatory, Columbus Recreation & Parks and the Community have a shared ethos. Centralizing amenities for everyone’s use creates a better experience and supports a safer environment by improving traffic flow from Broad St. and making upgrades to security.

The North Star Master Plan is packed with a mix of new construction and renovation projects. Many of these projects aim toward a gardens-forward, immersive experience. Some projects include:

John F. Wolfe Palm House and Dorothy M. Davis Showhouse – The first priority will focus on the “roots” of the Conservatory and Franklin Park with a full renovation of the John F. Wolfe Palm House and Dorothy M. Davis Showhouse. These structures are historical icons of Columbus and need to be preserved for future generations to enjoy and love.
New Grand Mallway, North and South Signature Gardens – New, elegant Grand Mallway gardens are planned which will be flanked by new North and South Signature Gardens that will be naturalistic and whimsical.
New Visitor Center Building with Restaurant and Gift Shop – Moving the entrance to the Conservatory will require a new centralized Visitor Center Building that will be home to the Conservatory’s restaurant, gift shop, an event venue, restrooms, orientation space for visitors and possibly an art gallery. Visitors to Franklin Park can also utilize the amenities offered in the Visitor Center Building.
New Centralized Underground Parking and Rooftop Gardens – With the entrance moving to the new Gateway Building, parking for the Conservatory and the park will move to a centralized underground solution.
New Biomes – Two new biomes will be added to the east of the main building in the future. One of the new biomes will be home to the Conservatory’s Chihuly collection, the largest collection in a botanical garden. And, the second new biome could house a year round butterfly experience.
Modernized Main Building – The current Visitor Center entrance will become a secondary entrance used for school groups, events and staff entry. The building will be renovated as visitor space, office space, classrooms, kid friendly play areas, rooftop gardens and gallery space.
Renovated Biomes
Expanded Greenhouse Operations Complex
Expansion of the Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden

North Star Master Plan - Q&A

Why has Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens created its North Star Master Plan?

Central Ohio is on the cusp of a boom in industry and population. Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens plans to grow along with it by providing a connection to nature and educational opportunities to families, our community and visitors to Columbus

What is the “North Star” in Franklin Park Conservatory’s North Star Master Plan?

In early 2022, we embarked on a journey to determine our “North Star” to ensure our alignment with the exciting growth of Central Ohio.

We met with various stakeholders to determine commonalities, strengths and weaknesses and the feedback we received was invaluable. It helped us define our guiding North Star which is, “To be a premier botanical garden destination.”

As such, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens’ purpose is to:
● Inspire a Connection to Nature
● Create Life Enhancing Experiences
● Cultivate a Belonging for All People

In what direction does the North Star Master Plan take Franklin Park Conservatory?

The North Star Master Plan is a big, bold roadmap for our path to premier. This gardens-forward plan is a generational master plan that spans over the next 25 years.

Early on in the master plan process, we considered two directions forward. The first, is a revitalization of the Conservatory as it’s known today and the second, is a reorientation of the Conservatory’s visitor experience.

We chose to move forward with the reorientation of the Conservatory’s visitor experience. A reorientation of the visitor experience strengthens relationships between the Conservatory, Columbus Recreation & Parks, and the Community creating a shared ethos.

What exactly does “reorientation” of Franklin Park Conservatory’s visitor experience mean?

By “reorienting” the Conservatory’s visitor experience, the entrance to Franklin Park and the Conservatory would be moved to the existing traffic light at Woodland Ave. and Broad St. Visitors to the Conservatory and Franklin Park will use a centralized underground parking solution.

The entrance to the Conservatory’s visitor experience will move from its current location on the east of the park to a central location to the west of the John F. Wolfe Palm House.

Centralizing amenities for everyone’s use creates a better experience and supports a safer environment by improving traffic issues on Broad St. and making upgrades to security.

What are some of the projects in the North Star Master Plan?

John F. Wolfe Palm House and Dorothy M. Davis Showhouse – The first priority will focus on the “roots” of the Conservatory and Franklin Park with a full renovation of the John F. Wolfe Palm House and Dorothy M. Davis Showhouse. These structures are historical icons of Columbus and need to be preserved for future generations to enjoy and love.
New Grand Mallway, North and South Gardens – New, elegant Grand Mallway gardens are planned which will be flanked by new North and South Gardens that will be naturalistic and whimsical.
New Visitor Center Building with Restaurant and Gift Shop – Moving the entrance to the Conservatory will require a new centralized Visitor Center Building that will be home to the Conservatory’s restaurant, gift shop, an event venue, restrooms, orientation space for visitors and possibly an art gallery. Visitors to Franklin Park may also utilize the amenities offered in the Visitor Center Building.
New Centralized Underground Parking and Rooftop Gardens – With the entrance moving to the new Visitor Center Building, parking for the Conservatory and the park will move to a centralized underground solution.
New Biomes – Two new biomes will be added to the east of the main building in the future. One of the new biomes will be home to the Conservatory’s Chihuly collection, the largest collection in a botanical garden. And, the second new biome could house a year round butterfly experience.
Modernized Main Building – The current Visitor Center entrance will become a secondary entrance used for school groups, events and staff entry. The building will be renovated as visitor space, office space, classrooms, kid friendly play areas, rooftop gardens and gallery space.
Renovated Biomes
Expanded Greenhouse Operations Complex
Expansion of the Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden

What is the first project Franklin Park Conservatory will undertake?

The first priority will focus on the “roots” of the Conservatory and Franklin Park with a full renovation of the John F. Wolfe Palm House and Dorothy M. Davis Showhouse. These structures are historical icons of Columbus and need to be preserved for future generations to enjoy and love

How much will the restoration of the John F. Wolfe Palm House and Dorothy M. Davis Showhouse cost?

Now that the PH/SH project is designed, we are finalizing the cost to renovate so we can build that funding plan. Conversations with key stakeholders will determine when we are able to share more.

What is the sequence of projects after the restoration of the John F. Wolfe Palm House and Dorothy M. Davis Showhouse?

We will take a thoughtful approach with the board and our partners to develop a proposed order in the upcoming months. We will consider projects from a logical progression, community value, and revenue generation standpoint.

How much will the North Star Master Plan cost?

The North Star Master Plan is a 25 year roadmap for future projects, so rough cost estimates for the full plan are being developed now and will be shared with the board soon for consideration. We will take a thoughtful approach to determining the priority projects and will be able to share more accurate cost estimates for each once those plans are finalized.

Who did the Conservatory work with to develop this master plan?

The Conservatory conducted a national search to select the best landscape and architecture design firm to partner with for this transformational master plan. MKSK, a local firm which has a national footprint, was selected to lead the development of the plan along with outstanding partners, AECOM, Phyto and Thinkwell.

Will Franklin Park remain the same size and remain open to the public?

Yes, the plans for the Conservatory will benefit visitors to the park by providing amenities for their use and improving safety by relocating the entrance to the traffic light at E. Broad St. And Woodland Ave. Franklin Park will remain public and walkable.