Belle Isle Conservatory Back Open After Renovation

DETROIT, MI — The Belle Isle Conservatory is opening back up again, just in time for summer.

The Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory is reopening to the public after a $2.5 million renovation project.

The first phase of structural repairs has been completed and it’s officially reopening Wednesday, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

Water damage had compromised the original 1904 steel trusses in the lower dome that supported the conservatory’s 85-foot (26-meter) upper Palm House dome, Channel 4 reported. Those have been replaced with galvanized steel.

The work was funded by $1.5 million from DNR Parks and Recreation funds and a $1 million grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Grant, the report said.

Construction finished ahead of schedule, according to organizers, as it wasn't supposed to be finished until July.