High Places, Hidden Spaces at the Botanical Conservatory

The Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory is a familiar favorite, familiar enough that we usually save our trips there until a $1 Night comes around.  I'd heard good things about the special exhibit they have going there right now, though, and it's ending in just a few weeks.  So when the snow started falling again last week we decided that an afternoon of spring was worth paying full priced admission.

No visit to the Botanical is complete without hearing the "Trees" song 15 times.

After playing in the preschool area just past the entrance (the activities and books there change monthly, and April will focus on "Eyes") the gardens greeted us with trunks full of dress-up clothes.  Toby isn't much for dressing up, but other preschoolers there put a lot of effort into their outfits.  And a family of teenagers picked through the costumes and treated us all to some Monty Python reenactments.

Max's favorite Hidden Space -- the corner of infinite babies.

The centerpiece of the exhibit is a climbing structure, with hidden windows for peaking and a bridge that looks out over the gardens.  But, as the title suggests, what really captivated Toby was searching out nearly a dozen other little spaces, each with their own simple activities.  I started snapping pictures of the fun we found in each--but I thought better of posting all the spoilers here.  This trip was all about exploring, and wondering what was in a tunnel or under a canopy or up some stairs.

Part of the fun was searching for the tools and props, and figuring out how to put them to work.

The Botanical Conservatory is always pretty kid-friendly--there's lots of space to toddle or dart around, and a handful of permanent children's exhibits.  After an initial scan of the exhibit ("Mom, look at this over here!") we took a quick jog through the Rainforest and Desert garden rooms.  There's a waterfall to sneak under, fish to count, stairs to run up and down, hidden animal sculptures to find, and an earthworm's tunnel to crawl through & slide down (always good for a few dozen laps).

But then we settled back in the High Places Hidden Spaces exhibit for some deeper, imaginative play.  Max enjoyed some sensory play in the fountain, the sand, and the mirrors, while Toby immersed himself in some scenario with a few other kids.  We stayed for an hour and a half, and Toby would have happily played longer if Max's nap time wasn't approaching.

Can you find where the sandbox is hiding?

Dollar Nights are the 1st Thursday of each month (spring schedule here) -- so if the weather keeps you away from the Tincaps this Thursday (April 3) you can have some indoor fun here.  Admission is just $1 for everyone over 2, from 5-8pm.  But if you're anxious for some more spring over this break, this is an exhibit worth the Botanical's regular rates - $5 for adults, $3 for kids, and babies 2 and under are free.  Open Sundays noon-4pm and Tues-Saturday from 10am-5pm, with extended hours until 8pm every Thursday.  High Places, Hidden Spaces runs through April 20.