Top U.S. Indoor Conservatory Gardens for a Warm, Inexpensive Winter Retreat

Step into lush indoor gardens that offer tropical vibes, vibrant greenery and twinkling winter light shows — no passport required

the interior of a conservatory indoor garden with a pond surronded by plants

America’s conservatory indoor gardens, including those at Longwood Gardens near Philadelphia, help get winter travelers in high spirits for a low cost.

Holden Barnes for Longwood Gardens

Berit Thorkelson,

AARP

Published December 17, 2025

Indoor garden conservatories are perfect low-cost, warm-weather vacation dupes, and there are great ones to visit across America. That strategic hit of green boosts moods and energy levels, both of which tend to suffer in winter, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

“Conservatories … [are] packed with therapeutic benefits for your body and mind,” says Amy Fee Bruzzichesi, extension therapeutic horticulture program manager at North Carolina State University’s Department of Horticultural Science.

“Studies show that just viewing plants can lower blood pressure and reduce levels of the stress hormone, cortisol,” she says.

Conservatories typically feature smooth and level snow-free paths that are safe for visitors of all activity levels, Fee Bruzzichesi says, as well as enough humidity to give respiratory systems a break from the cold winter air.

The following five standout conservatories offer special winter programming, over-50 discounts and thousands of acres of indoor gardens to brighten moods and chilly winter days.

an indoor garden illuminated by multicolored lights

Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania has nearly 3 acres under glass, including the West Conservatory, part of an illuminated indoor-outdoor nighttime exhibit.

Harold A. Davis/Volunteer for Longwood Gardens

Longwood Gardens Conservatories

Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

This collection of conservatories is among the largest in the world, featuring connected and stand-alone rooms covering nearly three acres under glass. This includes the West Conservatory, with its Mediterranean-style landscape, added to the collection in 2024, as well as the 104-year-old Main and East conservatories, known for their rotating seasonal displays.

Both feature prominently in “Garden Glow: An Illuminated Journey by Night,” which spans garden grounds both inside and out. The Main Conservatory uses black lights to highlight bonsai that are up to 1,000 years old.

In the West Conservatory, award-winning floral designer Jennifer Reed suspends fabrics and dried botanicals like clouds overhead, with lighting shifting from peaceful neutrals to verdant greens. For the hardy, there’s “SPARK,” an outdoor art installation with thousands of shimmering sparks. “Garden Glow” runs from 5 to 10 p.m. (“SPARK” begins at 7 p.m., weather permitting) Feb. 13 through March 8. Cost: General admission is $32 for adults 19 to 64; $28 for adults 65 and older; $23 for active military members and veterans. Events, including “Garden Glow” ($45 for adults 19 and older), are ticketed separately.

A three-story waterfall wows in the Tropical House, one of three garden rooms at the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Courtesy Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory

Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Three distinct rooms make up this conservatory in downtown Fort Wayne: the succulent-filled Desert House; the multilevel Tropical House, featuring a three-story waterfall; and the Showcase Garden, which features a rotating lineup of interactive exhibits. From now through April 12, the conservatory is hosting “Fern’s Fairylight Express,” based on a conservatory-commissioned book by local author and illustrator Talitha Shipman.

Visitors browse a 3-foot version of the train-themed book, then explore its pages as it comes to life, including a cavern leading to a functional mining sluice and a G (a.k.a. garden) scale model train.

“We’re seeing folks from zero to 90 love it. So it’s been a really cool exhibit to watch,” says conservatory General Manager Nate Cardelli. The conservatory’s Café Flora recently opened, serving sandwiches and hot drinks, many locally sourced. Cost: $7 for adults. $1 Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m.

people reading a sign inside a botanic garden

Visitors to the U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory in Washington, D.C., get a sense of the landscape 150 million years ago in the Primeval Garden, featuring plants of the Jurassic Era.

Courtesy United States Botanic Garden

U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory

Washington, D.C.

This glass-enclosed beauty is approaching 100 years old and is part of the oldest continuously operating public garden in America. Some of the plants inside the 10-room structure date back to 1842.

The Tropics room, with its 93-foot-tall dome, is especially appealing in winter. It features a canopy walk, accessible by stairs or elevator, that welcomes visitors to the treetops, along with benches scattered throughout. “When it is cold and dry outside, you can escape into some warmth and humidity and maybe bring a book or just enjoy being immersed in some lush greenery in the middle of winter,” says Devin Dotson, U.S. Botanic Garden spokesperson.

The conservatory loans wheelchairs and colorblind glasses on a first-come, first-served basis. Cost: Free

The Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory stands as the centerpiece of the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Courtesy Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory

Grand Rapids, Michigan

The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is named after Michigan’s grocery store magnate, while the conservatory that serves as its centerpiece bears the name of his garden-loving wife. It’s a lively space filled with cascading waterfalls and over 500 species of tropical plants. Also indoors is the country’s only publicly displayed collection dedicated solely to carnivorous plants.

March 1 marks the opening of the annual “Fred & Dorothy Fichter Butterflies Are Blooming” exhibition, where thousands of tropical butterflies flutter among the palms and bromeliads through April 30. Special events include “Winter Nights,” with after-hours access featuring music and seasonal cocktails among the plants and sculptures, Tuesday evenings from Jan. 20 to Feb. 24. Cost: $22 for adults, $17 for adults 65 and older. “Winter Nights” is included with admission.

a statue in the middle of a pond inside a conservatory

The annual Winter Flower Show fills the wheelchair-accessible Sunken Garden at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Courtesy Marjorie McNeely Conservatory

Marjorie McNeely Conservatory

St. Paul, Minnesota

Part of the larger Como Park Zoo campus, this conservatory is one of the few remaining Victorian-style glasshouses in the country, providing a welcome escape from frigid Minnesota winters. Its Sunken Garden features a scenic, wheelchair-accessible loop around its central reflecting pool and hosts seasonal flower shows throughout the year.

The Winter Flower Show runs from Jan. 9 to March 15, filling the garden with lavender azaleas, pink and white camellias, tropical hibiscus and fragrant jasmine. Be sure to stop by the Tropical Encounters garden to see the conservatory’s popular resident sloth, Chloe.

The Sunken Garden also plays a starring role during the free “Music Under Glass” series, where a live band plays and drinks are available for purchase as the sun sets, on select Sundays and Wednesdays, Jan. 4 through Feb. 4. Monthly Senior Strolls offer visitors 55 and older a crowd-free experience before or after regular hours. Cost: Free, with a suggested donation of $4 for adults and $2 for kids.

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Berit Thorkelson is a travel writer and editor for aarp.org. She has also written for publications such as National Geographic Traveler, Better Homes & Gardens and The Minnesota Star Tribune’s travel section.

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