One of Vancouver's oldest attractions will be closed temporarily this fall and winter to undergo repairs and upgrades.
The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation announced Friday (Sept. 27) that Bloedel Conservatory, located at the top of Queen Elizabeth Park, will be closed to the public starting October 28, with the closure lasting about two months.
Bloedel Conservatory is expected to re-open to visitors in early January 2025.
The repair work is being done to improve accessibility for guests and staff and includes "large scale work," according to the Parks Board. In particular, the current pathways that weave through the conservatory and aviary are "past their lifespan," and need to "undergo full reconstruction."
Other areas will receive adjustments to improve accessibility.
Repairs will be done "with minimal impact on wildlife." Staff will continue to care for Bloedel's plants and animals during the extensive closure.
The Parks Board said the repairs will take place during this time frame as it is the venue's slowest visitation period of the year.
In the past, Bloedel has hosted a holiday season event, called Festivale Tropicale, which was last held in 2019.
Bloedel Conservatory's history: Opened in 1969
The Bloedel Conservatory is the largest single-structure conservatory in Canada. The tropical paradise houses over 150 tropical birds and 500 kinds of exotic plants inside a triodetic dome (meaning it's not a full sphere).
The site was once a rock quarry, which became a water reservoir. It was constructed thanks to a $1,000,000 donation from Seattle's Prentice Bloedel, co-founder of Canadian timber giant MacMillan Bloedel, and opened in 1969.
The Park Board voted to close the site in 2009 after falling attendance and the need for costly repairs. It was eventually saved, thanks to a fundraising campaign and public outcry in 2014, when 1,400 new plexiglass panels were installed in the roof.
The heritage building is operated by the Vancouver Park Board and the Vancouver Botanical Garden Association. Over 50 years later, the Bloedel Conservatory welcomes over 150,000 visitors each year.
With files from Thor Diakow
