DES MOINES, Iowa — As the pandemic drags on, many of us are looking for a place to escape.
The staff and volunteers at Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden hope you'll make theirs a destination to go.
The conservatory opened back up in October of 2020, after remaining closed due to the pandemic. Since then, they've been at about 35% normal admission.
In order to keep programming going, they had to move much of it online, make financial cuts where they could, and furlough some staff. At the beginning of the pandemic, they lost about 75% of earned revenue "right off the bat," according to their chief advancement officer, Azure Christensen.
"That's not just admissions," said Christensen. "You think about all of the rentals, the weddings...we have rescheduled and transformed how we do weddings and event rentals."
Trellis, the restaurant they partner with, has also struggled.
However, things have been looking up. Donors were generous in December, and the funding from the CARES act is really helping.
"The bottom line is that the community has embraced us, and ensured that we stay elevated through all this," said Christensen.
Christensen said the cultural funding that came through the CARES Act helped greatly.
"For Governor Reynolds to recognize the importance of arts and culture and to invest in what we're doing here has helped us to maintain what we're doing, adjust those programs, and make sure we're meeting the needs of our community."
For now, patrons have several things to look forward to:
-A hidden gnome exhibit where children can find gnomes throughout the garden, which runs through January
-Virtual learning every Saturday, for which you can purchase passes online
-"Botanical Blues" which features live music in the garden with limited seating and accommodations for social distancing
