The last thing I expected to find in Oklahoma City, the capital of Oklahoma, was a huge expanse of green space in the middle of the city devoted to the botanical world, but the idea of protecting a natural place in the heart of Oklahoma City’s downtown area has been with the city since the 1960s. The 17-acre Myriad Botanical Gardens was named in 1970, and a trust was created to oversee the growth of this public space. In 1981, the centerpiece of the botanical gardens — the Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory — was conceived, and in 1988, it opened to the pubic.

This massive cylindrical structure has served as a focal point in the community, a place where education mixes with color mixes with wonder. More than 1,000 plants representing three ecological tropic zones — the rainforest, islands and the desert/savanna — are housed within the Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory. Though its not teeming with animals (I was expecting free-roaming lizards, butterflies and ground birds), the conservatory is a fun place to wander around for a bit and snap some photos before heading out to explore the rest of the grounds. Here are a few of my favorite shots:

My visit to the Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory was paid for by Oklahoma City Tourism, but all opinions are my own.

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