Visitors will be admitted free to the Missouri Botanical Garden from Jan. 3 through Jan. 27, 2006 while enhancements are made to the Ridgway Center main entrance building. Renovations will cause some temporary rerouting during this time.
The Ridgway Center will be closed to visitors on weekdays only from Tuesday, Jan. 3 though Friday, Jan. 27 for renovation. Admission will be free to all visitors during this time period.
The Garden grounds and conservatories will remain open.
When the Ridgway Center is closed, visitors must enter and exit the Garden through the Emerson Conservation Center, located immediately to the west of the Ridgway Center.
Free parking is available in the Garden’s main lot in front of the building. A Visitor Services attendant will be on duty in the lobby of the Emerson Conservation Center to give directions and answer questions.
Sassafras, the Garden’s café on the second floor of the Ridgway Center, will also close Jan. 3 to 27 for mechanical work. On weekends during this time, guests may purchase take-away food and beverages from a cart outside the café.
The Garden Gate Shop will be closed for renovation Jan. 1 through 27. The shop will reopen to the public on Jan. 28.
From Tuesday, Jan. 10 to Thursday, Jan. 12, a glass sculpture by artist Dale Chihuly will be hung from the barrel vault ceiling inside the Ridgway Center entrance as a preview to the “Glass in the Garden” exhibition, to open April 30. During these three days, curious visitors will be allowed to enter the Ridgway Center from the south end only (at Spoehrer Plaza) to watch the installation in progress. The main stairs to the lower level will be closed, however.