Mitchell Park Domes

A rainy evening didn’t keep dozens of people from gathering inside the Mitchell Park Domes to talk about their future — a future that seemed more promising by the meeting’s end. The Friends of the Domes unveiled a proposal it believes is comprehensive and financially sustainable.

What would it cost to tend to the Mitchell Park Domes, Milwaukee County’s long-debated beehive-shaped horticultural conservatory? A county committee learned Tuesday it could cost tens of millions of dollars.

For years the future of the Mitchell Park Domes, three iconic glass structures filled with exotic and seasonal displays, have been up in the air. Tuesday a Milwaukee County committee will discuss the Domes’ future.

Learn how Milwaukee's historic Mitchell Park Domes put on their shows and maintain plants behind the scenes.

For Juanita Ramos, who endured years of abuse, the iconic Mitchell Park Domes are a sanctuary.

In front of the Domes in Milwaukee, there's a set of numbers curving around a center plaque that lists each month of the year. Bubbler Talk explores what it is and how to use it.

A 16-1 Milwaukee County supervisors' vote Thursday directs the parks department and county administration to draft a comprehensive report on options for the Domes' future.

In a meeting Tuesday in which the topic of historic preservation again was center stage, the Milwaukee County Committee on Parks and Culture passed a resolution calling for a complete analysis of all options for the future of the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory, better known as the Domes. Their restoration will be one of the options.

Despite years of debate, Milwaukee County leaders still haven’t decided the fate of the Mitchell Park Domes. The unique bee-hive shaped glass structures, which house collections of plants and trees, are in jeopardy due to lack of funding for maintenance and repairs. Thursday, the county board abstained from voting to apply for National Register of Historic Places status for the Domes.

The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors voted 15-3 Thursday, September 22 to apply for National Register of Historic Places status for The Domes, a promising step for advocates hoping to restore the conservatory. But much work remains.