I Heart Edmonton

Muttart Conservatory By Emil Tiedemann Every major metro across the globe has those glossy postcards featuring familiar monuments and landscapes for tourists to pick up in gift shops before they head back home. A common landmark you’ll likely notice on our postcards is the glass pyramids situated in Edmonton’s scenic river valley, the Muttart Conservatory .  These city-operated botanical gardens are a defining edifice of our sprouting skyline, a tangible representation of our city’s sustainability and ecological preservation. The Muttart is made up of three distinctive biomes displaying year-round Temperate, Arid, and Tropical plant-life from all corners of the world, as well as a fourth biome featuring seasonal displays.    The Muttart at night. Photo by Jeff Wallace. Designed by award-winning UK-born architect Peter Hemingway , the Muttart is also an accredited museum and features fine art showcases, music and dance performances, and handcrafting programs f...

Taking the 'Journey to Middle Earth' at Edmonton's iconic Muttart Conservatory by emil tiedemann O NE of Edmonton's most defining structures is the collective of the Muttart Conservatory , those five glass pyramids that highlight the city's pristine river valley. They've become a part of our local culture, an identifier for Canadians who aren't from here.  The Muttart underwent a $6.3 million renovation that was completed in 2009 And that's why I'm all the more embarrassed that it took me this long to actually see inside this local landmark, situated along the North Saskatchewan since 1976. But let's just keep that between us, shall we! The Muttart is a botanical garden operated by the City of Edmonton, and includes three greenhouses, public gardens, and those four famous pyramids, three of which are permanent biomes (tropical, temperate, and arid regions), while the other is a rotating display of plant species.  ...

O NE of the most distinguishable landmarks in the city of Edmonton is our beloved Muttart Conservatory , a cluster of transparent pyramids that sit in the North Saskatchewan river valley and encase a diverse botanical garden. Four glass structures, with a combined 2,140 square meters of area, make up the most photogenic portion of the recently renovated city attraction, which was designed by Massey medal-winning architect Peter Hemingway (1929-1995). The Muttart was completed in 1976, after a generous donation from the Gladys & Merrill Muttart Foundation got the ball rolling. It's since become one of our city's most recognizable destinations, serving as an oasis of plantlife even in the dead of winter. Also a popular choice spot to host special events such as weddings, the Muttart showcases a wide range of tropical, temperate and arid plantlife from around the world, including palm trees, banana orchids, red woods, parrot's feather, pampas grass, cedars, and eucalyptu...