In 1960, the Missouri Botanical Garden opened a groundbreaking new attraction: a domed conservatory seemingly defying gravity, packed edge to edge with orchids, palms, and other tropical plants. Because of its state-of-the-art climate-control system, the structure was coined the Climatron®, a combination of the Greek words for climate and machine.
Sixty years after it first opened to the public, we’re celebrating the Climatron’s anniversary through photos, videos, and stories of the iconic conservatory through the years. Follow along on social media using #Climatron60. You can also use #Climatron60 to share your own memories, which may be featured on our blog.
Explore Climatron Stories
Slideshow: Climatron Construction
Video: Archive Footage Shows Climatron’s Early Days
See our full playlist of Climatron videos on Youtube.
Learn more about the history of the Climatron, and explore the conservatory in 3-D with the book, Missouri Botanical Garden Climatron: A Celebration of 50 Years, published for the 50th anniversary in 2010.
Climatron 360 Virtual Tour
Cassidy Moody — Senior Digital Media Specialist