Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and Palm Dome Reopen

Please note: Access to the Haupt Conservatory is very limited and available only to Members, Patrons, Corporate Members, and Bronx Community Partners with Holiday Train Show^®tickets from November 12–January 31, 2021.

Rediscover the Haupt Conservatory and Plants from Around the World

Restoration of the iconic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory palm dome is now complete and, in accordance with New York Forward safety guidelines, this New York City Landmark’s indoor galleries have reopened with very limited capacity. Rediscover our magnificent glasshouse with galleries featuring aquatic plants and vines, lush tropical rain forests, cactus-filled deserts, and many other natural habitats—and its palm dome, an architectural gem newly replanted with majestic soaring species from around the world.

Learn about the Restoration

Constructed by Lord & Burnham Company and completed in 1902, the Haupt Conservatory is considered one of the most superb glasshouses of its time. Conservatory restoration projects occur approximately every 20 years, and this most recent restoration helps ensure that the collections of displays of palms from around the world beneath it continue to thrive.

The project upgraded the infrastructure of the dome, including the mechanical operation of the dome windows, misting system, heating, and lighting. The painted wood cladding around the drum and the wood cornice was also replaced with aluminum, which requires less maintenance. The newly designed and replanted palm collection highlights the history of tropical plant research at NYBG and the economic and ecological importance of the palm family—presenting new plants that help us better tell the stories of palm diversity, conservation, and evolution.

Leadership Support for the 2020 Palm Dome Restoration:

LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust
Larry E. Condon
John J. Hoffee
Jay Beckner

The City of New York
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
New York City Council Member Ritchie J. Torres

The State of New York
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the
Empire State Development Corporation

The Palm Dome Interactive Mobile Guide is made possible by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Follow Along the Restoration Process

Take a look at the aluminum fabrication that facilitated the palm dome restoration and future maintenance.

Todd Forrest, Arthur Ross Vice President for Horticulture and Living Collections, details the upgrades to the Conservatory's complex heating system.

Todd Forrest, Arthur Ross Vice President for Horticulture and Living Collections, explains the restoration process.

Learn about the restoration’s progress during summer 2019.

Learn about the restoration work that took place during fall 2019.

Experience the Palm Dome from New Heights

Palm Dome Interactive Mobile Guide

See inside the palm dome like never before with our interactive mobile guide. Special features include 360-degree augmented views, never-before-seen views of the tops of the towering palms, and more.

Learn more

Meet the Plants of the Palm Dome

Join Marc Hachadourian, Director of Glasshouse Horticulture & Senior Curator of Orchids, as he shares some of his favorite plants from the historic palm dome.

Palm Dome Tour:
Verschaffeltia splendida

Find out about the roots and spines of Verschaffeltia splendida.

Palm Dome Tour:
Coccothrinax crinita

Find out why Coccothrinax crinita is called the “old man palm.”

Palm Dome Tour:
Attalea oleifera

Learn more about the huge leaves of Attalea oleifera.

Palm Dome Tour:
Tacca chantrieri

Learn more about Tacca chantrieri, also known as the bat flower.

Palm Dome Tour:
Calytronoma rivalis

Learn more about our Calytronoma rivalis, which was grown from a seed here at NYBG.