Volunteer Park Conservatory

An awe inspiring walk through lush spaces brimming with every color imaginable. The orchids were stunning and the seasonal display was the definition of spring!

If you’re interested in plants or architecture everybody should visit the Volunteer Park Conservatory at least once. Owned by the Seattle Parks Department, the greenhouse was built in 1912 by the City of Seattle. Under the direction of the Olmsted brothers who also designed Central Park in NY, the conservatory was modeled after the Victorian style Crystal Palace conservatory in London which was built in 1852. The conservatory’s also been used as a backdrop in several movies filmed in Seattle including The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and Disclosure.
There are 5 different areas in the greenhouse. The Bromeliad House, the Fern House, the Seasonal House, the Palm House, and the Cactus House. The orchid collection in the Palm House includes some very rare orchid species that have been very carefully preserved and cultivated going back for several decades. Many of the specimens have been donated from private orchid collectors and are lovingly tended to by the City gardeners who maintain the Conservatory. It’s a $ 4 admission fee but consider donating more if you can. This is a Seattle landmark that should be supported as a part of Seattle history.

they have all kinds of cactus here big cactus small cactus long cactus short cactus round cactus soft cactus spiky cactus tiny cactus cheeto puff cactus weenie shaped cactus and eggplant cactus

It isn’t large so don’t expect this to take more than an hour unless you are there to take pictures of the flowers or study them in great detail. In fact, even a leisurely and relaxing look around the place still took us only 30 minutes or so. We stretched it out to 45 minutes because It was warm, peaceful and so beautiful, until our kids begged us to go.
It’s only 4 $/​person and kids under 12 are free. I think the price is totally worth it. It’s great to go in there on a cold day and enjoy the warmth plus look at some really beautiful and amazing plants. They have quite a collection of carnivorous ones as well.
The place is pretty small and narrow and even with only a few groups inside it can get a bit congested. Also, it is a favorite with photographers including one who was taking pictures of the happy couple. Something to keep in mind when visiting especially if you have rambunctious children.

quite possibly my favorite place in seattle bc i love plants, succulents and flowers.
i went on a free first thursday in the summertime and it was quite steamy but nice. there is a cute quasi-​rue de whatever like a frenchy bench/​lightposts section.
other days i think it’s suggested you pay the kiosk $ 4.
the cacti room is sweltering, i loved it. the sunlight gives the glass room a beautiful, natural light (instagram yes)
this conservatory kept me occupied for 30 mins maybe an hour but i wish it was huge, i would live here.
the dahlia garden right between this and the museum is amazing A++!
snapchatted the whole way through everything. i was probably the only one enjoying/​replaying my own 200s story.

If I had to pay to get in I’m sure this review would be less stunning, but as I went during their Lunar New Year celebrations it was gloriously FREE! My favorite price!
Walking inside on a grey and cold day after just taking tons of ridiculously trite pictures in the water tower felt amazing. It is warm and balmy, just the temperature you imagine summer to be. The walkways go around the outside of each section, so it is really easy to do a big loop, and hopefully there are likeminded individuals so there isn’t a ton of wrong way-​traffic to deal with.
I loved hanging out in here– the tower combined with this place made for a perfect lazy Saturday post-​brunch activity.

Whenever I find myself in Seattle I feel the draw. Especially on cold wet days. I usually give in to temptation.
The conservatory has five different rooms. Each has its own temperature and humidity. Each also has different kinds of plants. I think the fern room (with the waterfall) is my favorite. Though they are all great. There are always lots of flowers.
If you are especially lucky the cactuses will be in bloom. I’ve seen it a few times and I am always happy!
The first room, called the Palm room is a great starting point, I can spend a lot of time looking at the orchid collection. Note: pay your admission at the little credit card machine at the entrance, it is self serve. I also like the little gift shop when it is open.
really all the rooms are nice, there are several places to sit, The bonus is I get a chance to forget the outside weather and look at plants. It may not be the biggest conservatory I have seen, but sitting in Volunteer Park, it is pretty great.

I love going here on a dreary day! Admission is $ 4 but they have a couple of free days each month. It’s totally worth the $ 4 though. Cactus room is my favorite also. Here’s a video of my latest visit there:

Volunteer Park Conservatory is a must-​see in Seattle. They have enforced a $ 4 entry fee, but trust me it’s well worth it, and it’s also great to make a donation to such a beautiful conservatory. There are five separate sections of plants, each with a sort of theme. I’m no gardener, but I really enjoyed the plethora of exotic plants that seemed to take you to another place. The carnivorous plant room is really cool because you don’t see those on a regular basis. They keep really good care of their plants and have just enough information to teach you about things without having information cards blocking the view of the plants.
I also really enjoyed the succulent room because I love succulents. They even have a lot of succulents for sale for cheap that come in cute mini pots.

A great place on a rainy day. The cacti room is obviously the best section.
$ 4 for adults, machine only takes $ 1 bills.

Best place in seattle, love this park and the green house, it is always changing. Beautiful place for photo ops. Great for all ages and since it is indoors it is fun all year round.

The Volunteer Park Conservatory is a great little place to escape the rain and cold. It was raining very hard the other day and it was nice to be able to spend some time in nature and not have to worry about getting drenched from the rain.
This is not the biggest conservatory I have been to but it is a very good representation of old style Victorian conservatories that are seen all over the UK, the USA and Europe.
The conservatory has five rooms or «houses» that give a nice representation of plants from all over the world. As you walk in to the conservatory make sure you pay your entrance fee at the small machine on your left. It takes credit cards so don’t worry! Once you have paid your admission you can then begin to look around the Palm House. the Palm House. There were plants from Central America, Asia and even the Hawaiian Islands. I loved how the high palms reach up and give a sense of being in a tropical paradise right here in Seattle.
If you go to your left, you will enter the next room which is the Fern House. The Fern House contains both ferns and tropical plants. There is a pond in this room that really adds to the whole experience. There is also a small rock walkway that is a great place for pictures. There was even a breadfruit plant from Mexico and I liked the papyrus by the pond. It was very tall and reminded me of traveling down the Nile.
The Bromeliad House is next and I did not know that Pineapples were a part of the bromeliad family. There were some great plants that I have seen that grow on trees out in the wild but to see them so healthy and happy was good because it showed me how much larger they can grow if they are taken care of.
After you have made your way back through the Fern House and then back into the Palm House you will see there is an office and even a gift shop. The next room is the Seasonal Display House. The plants in this room change based in when you are visiting and what season it is. If you come around the holiday season in the winter you will see a decorated tree and a model train!
The last room is the Cactus House. There is a wide variety of cacti and other succulents. In the center bed is the endangered Saguaro cactus along with a Jade tree.
You should come and check this place out and spend some time walking through different environments and enjoy many plants that you just don’t get to see in our Seattle climate.
This is a good place to take anyone visiting from out of time because you can spend as little as 20 minutes to over an hour depending on your interest.

[06/​04/​15]
The conservatory is a beautiful greenhouse with a variety of exotic flowers. Rare and beautiful orchids bloom amidst lush tropical plants. Nice little gift shop with very helpful employees who are not intrusive. It’s a great park with Watertower, greenhouse, Asian Art Museum and access to beautiful cemetery grounds where Bruce Lee was buried.
The usual fee is $ 4, but it is free on the first Thursday and first Saturday of every month. Parking is free in the park. I would highly recommend spending an afternoon here in this beautiful place. A perfect quiet escape from the city.
Adult (Age 18 and up)…$ 4.00
Youth (Age 13 – 17)…$ 2.00
Child (Under Age 12)…Free
Tip: Free admission for all first Thursday and Saturday of each month.
Free Parking — Wheelchair Accessible
Regular Hours
Tuesday — Sunday 10:00 am — 4:00 pm
Open year-​round including all non-​Monday holidays

What a beautiful way to spend an hour or two! The $ 4 admission is now required (complete with a ticketing machine just confusing enough to require someone to stand by and give direction). The seasonal and cactus rooms are currently closed — note that the conservatory won’t be fully open again until late 2014. Still, it was well worth the 4 bones to walk around and gape at the beautiful variety of plants, including a nice selection of carnivorous beauties. I particularly loved the exotic colors and formations of the bromeliad room — and any conservatory with a bat flower is good by me.
Keep it glassy, Seattle.

Volunteer Park Conservatory is a stunning conservatory made from glass panes and wood/​iron frames. It is a Victorian greenhouse that is modeled after London’s Crystal Palace. It offers a five room extensive collection, including bromeliad, fern, palm, seasonal, and cactus. They even offer a gift shop where you can purchase plants to see how good your green thumb is.
There is a suggested $ 4 donation fee which is easily paid at the pay box right when you walk in, but they do offer free entry on the first Thursday and first Saturday of each month. This conservatory is definitely worth the $ 4 donation. I would definitely suggest anyone who wants a relaxing time and have an hour to spare to go check this place out. This is one of Seattle’s hidden gem that no one really mentions, but you won’t regret the hike up here.

This is a gorgeous Conservatory modeled after the Crystal Palace in London. A must-​see if you are wondering what to do on a rainy day. There are a number of rooms, or houses to explore, all with different climate (humidity and temperature).
The plants of course are the main highlight, but there is music installation called «Over Lyre» in the bromeliad house. It is something you should not miss. Take the time and enjoy.
Entrance to the conservatory is 4 $ and through a machine. It’s honor system (pay as you get it, no collection by an individual).

I had a fantastic time at the Volunteer Park Conservatory last weekend. My husband had never visited before. The conservatory is worth the $ 4 ticket. The pay machines are very convenient. My husband had a great time looking at the plants, relaxing, and sketching. I loved photographing all of the plants. I didn’t realize how many carnivorous plants were in the conservatory.
We were very fortunate to visit while the glass botanical sculptures (as part of Botanical Exotica) were on display. The sculptures will eventually be installed in each house. So far they are only installed in two houses. The volunteer on duty said the sculptures will be in all of the houses by August and will be up through September.
We will definitely be back with our kids!

I’m not a frequent visitor to Capitol Hill so living in Seattle for 15 years it isn’t surprising that it was my first time here. This place is soooo pretty.
The variety of flowers & plants is so cool!
It’s a $ 4 pass to get in.
Each plant & flower had a mini-​summary next to it telling you what the plant was & where it was from. Pretty informing.
There are 4 sections in the «greenhouse.» My favorite section was the room containing multiple bushes of bleeding hearts (My FAVE) So BEAUTIFUL. Another section I liked was the cactus room, I didn’t know there was that many different kinds of cactus.
I say it’s worth the $ 4 :)

I’m really glad that I stopped by this place on my trip to Seattle.
There were some negatives: it was a little weird that we had to pay for our tickets at one of the self-​service machines, and then we had to go to the gift shop to exchange the receipts for stickers /​passes anyways; the conservatory is pretty small; and I was a little bummed out that the Botanical Exotica special glass exhibit (4.11.13 — 9.12.13) was so limited.
On the other hand, considering the size of the building, the entry fee of $ 4/​adult was totally reasonable. The collection of plants was really neat to look through, and it was an awesome place to hone those amateur photography skills. My fiancé and I spent somewhere between 30 – 60 minutes admiring the plants.
I definitely don’t regret my visit, but just be prepared that it isn’t a place where you can spend an entire afternoon.

Stopped by for a walk with a friend and what a positive surprise to find how lush/​temperate the atmostphere inside this conservatory was! :)
The self-​serviced admission is just $ 4/​person and there are around 4 – 5 sections (orchids, plants, cacti, flowers, etc) for you to wander around. My favorite was, by far, the cacti section! I have never seen so many interesting looking cacti in my life! :) Really happy to see how beautiful the cacti display was inside this conservatory.
The place is a bit small and probably takes at most 30 – 45 min to browse through… but it’s a great place to just browse and admire the beauty of the nature if you are already hanging out at Volunteer park!