The Wonderful Belle Isle Conservatory

It's in a perfect position on Belle Isle and the conservatory has always been one of my favorite spots to go to. I like to come here at times when I may be a little stressed out or when things may be hectic or I may come just to enjoy the conservatory on a particular day.

You can almost always find a small time of solitude at the conservatory. I stay for no longer than 15 minutes to a half hour just enjoying the different plants that have been imported from all over the world such as South America and Japan. As far as I know, this is the only place in Detroit where you will see palm trees :)

The Belle Isle Conservatory has many sections, each filled with different plants. At the beginning, you will see mostly tropical plants such as ferns, palms, and orchids, many of which are found in South America.

Then you can head around to the cactus exhibit and I can't stress enough that although most of the path is clear from the various types of cacti, a few have decided to overgrow their boundaries and hang just a little into the path so watch where you are going as getting stuck by a cactus is really no fun at all.

There is also a wonderful fountain at the end of the path whic makes for a stunning photograph. If you happen to stop by on the isle during the warmer months, you should notice the large garden that sits in front of the conservatory.

It's a pretty wide area filled with flowers and walkways for you to walk around. The staff keeps it pretty well manicured so it is really beautiful. In terms of getting there, it's right to your left about 3 minutes after you get on Belle Isle...you can't miss it. It's just before you get to the Dossin Museum.

Another great thing about the conservatory is it's open every single day of the year from 10AM until 5PM so you should have ample time to fit it into your schedule. I really appreciate the Belle Isle Botanical Society for keeping the conservatory up and running all these years. I think the conservatory is one of Belle Isle's gems and one of it's most underrated places to visit on the isle. To see even more pictures of the conservatory, see my pictures of Detroit page.

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