Garfield Park Conservatory offers a wide range of engaging and fun programs for all ages. Click on the links above to get specific information on upcoming programs and events. Still have questions?
Call us at 317-327-7183 or Call Customer Service at 317-327-PARK
Like us on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter to get more updates on Programs and Events.
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Garfield Park Master Gardener - Guided Conservatory Tours
2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month @ 11 AM - Included in that days admissions fee
​Fair-trade Fun
Saturday, November 1, 2025 | 2:00-3:00 pm
Ages: 14 and up | Fee: $20 per person
Supporting fair-trade artisans and businesses may be fun, but it’s also serious business! It is a trading partnership based on dialogue, transparency, and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. It aims to ensure better prices, decent working conditions, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in developing countries, while also promoting environmental sustainability. It's a way of shopping and doing business that prioritizes people and the planet alongside profit.
During this program we are going to spend a brief time discussing the importance of fair-trade, while sipping on fair-trade coffee with snacks. Then we are going to finish up by making a piece of jewelry out of plant seed beads, much like fair-trade artisans do in many countries (similar to pieces you might find at Global Gifts). The beads will be fair-trade, too!
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Central Indiana Herb Society: Herbal Gifts
Saturday, November 8th | 10-11:30 am
Fee: $6 | Ages: 16 and up
Join the Herb Society of Central Indiana for a holiday craft workshop. Attendees to this popular program will receive recipes and handouts in addition to the opportunity to make gifts for family and friends. Registration required.
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Conservatory Crossing
Friday, November 28th – Sunday, December 28th
Times: Tues-Saturday 10 am – 5 pm | Sundays 1-8 pm
Fee: $6 per person | $14 per family
(2 and under free, family two adults max)
Come enjoy our winter wonderland! See the Conservatory decked out in its holiday best with a brilliant display of poinsettias, model trains and village, and thousands of twinkling lights.
Visitor Appreciation Day - S&P Fest - Plant Parenthood
Sunday, November 9th | 11 am - 5 pm
FREE Admission to the Conservatory
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We know that visiting the Conservatory doesn't always fit everyone's budget, although we try to maintain an affordable fee. We are also thankful to everyone who can come and pay and on that note to say thanks, we are having a Visitor Appreciation Day. Along with free admission, we will also be having a live concert as part of the Spirit and Place Festival. Plant Parenthood, as it's called, is the creation of music using plant data and is brainchild of our dear Garfield Park Friend Clockwork Janz.
Fermentation Station: Preserved Lemons
Saturday, November 15th |11 am - 12 pm
Fee: $15 | Ages: older children and adults
Fortify yourself against winter’s dark with this sunny staple of Mediterranean cuisine! Preserved lemons add a unique, citrus-sour-salt lift to all kinds of dishes—as well as making excellent holiday gifts for the foodies you love. Fee includes jar and citrus. Registration required, 15 people max.
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Fermentation Station: Kombucha
Saturday, November 22nd | 11 am - 12 pm
Fee: $15 | Ages: older children and adults
For the price of a few bottles of kombucha, why not learn how to brew your own? We’ll meet the enigmatic SCOBY, cover both parts of the fermentation process, and share winning holiday-themed flavor tips and combinations! (Apple cider booch, anyone?) SCOBY, brewing jar, and small carafe included. Limit 15 people; pre-registration required.
Conservatory Crossing
Friday, November 28th – Sunday, December 28th
Times: Tues-Saturday 10 am – 5 pm | Sundays 1-8 pm
Fee: $6 per person | $14 per family
(2 and under free, family two adults max)
Come enjoy our winter wonderland! See the Conservatory decked out in its holiday best with a brilliant display of poinsettias, model trains and village, and thousands of twinkling lights.
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Holiday Gourd-aments
Saturday, December 6, 2025
Time: 11 am – 12 pm
Ages: 6 and up | $10 per ornament
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Join us as we craft tiny, dried gourds, once living plants, into lovely holiday ornaments, that will last for years to come. We will have paint, hot glue, natural objects and a few trinkets/craft items to glue on them. You are welcome to bring anything of your own that you might want to add to your ornament. The cost is $10 per ornament being made. A family can do one together or each member can do one separately. Please sign up the same number of people for the number of crafts you are wanting to make. The gourds range in size from 3-8” tall and some are slender and long and some are short and round, so keep that in mind, when coming up with ideas for your ornament. When we are finished, if they are dry we can spray them with clear fixative.
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Train Tales
Tues or Wed, December 9 & 10, 2025
Time: 10-11 am
Ages: 2-5 | $7 per child
Join us for a holiday train-themed program. Little ones will listen to a story, do a craft and enjoy Conservatory Crossing with a scavenger hunt. Registration is required, as capacity is limited.
Santa Day
Saturday, December 13th, 2025 | 10-1 pm
Fee: Free | Ages: All (geared towards kids)
Come to the Conservatory on Saturday, December 13th between 10 am and 1 pm to meet Santa Claus and tell him what you'd like for Christmas. This is a free event and a chance to visit during Conservatory Crossing.
Any admissions after 1 pm will be $6 per person or $14 per family (2 adults max, 2 and under are free). Make sure to get here in time for Santa or free admission.
This event is recommended for families with children. It is not advised for groups looking to see the show, but not Santa, to come. We will not have a scavenger hunt or self-guided tour out. There will be a long line to see Santa and it may be hard to navigate through the Conservatory otherwise. If you do wish to come see the show itself, come during regular admission after 1 pm.
This event is not pre-registered. No registrations can be made online. It's drop-in.
Evening Holiday Storytime
Sunday, December 21, 2025 | 7 pm
Ages: All (Geared towards ages 2-8)
Fee: Free with Conservatory Admission| Drop-in
Come to the Conservatory on Sunday, December 22nd at 7pm to listen to a Christmas story, in the Conservatory. This is event is free with admission to Conservatory Crossing. The Conservatory will be open until 8 PM on the 22nd. Admissions: $6 per person or $14 per family (2 adults max, 2 and under are free). Make sure to be here by 7 so you won't miss the story.
This event is open to all ages.
Houseplants Gone Wild!
Date: Saturday, January 10, 2026 | 1pm
Ages: Adult | Fee: $15 per person
From pothos to monsteras, our beloved houseplants come to us from all corners of the globe. Join us for a conservatory tour showcasing massive specimens of favorite houseplants, and then share a pot of tea as we explore the Victorian origins of the houseplant craze and catch a glimpse of household greenery in their native habitats. We’ll finish by planting cuttings from our wild-sized plants for you to take home! Limit 20 people.
Jungle Tales
Tuesday, January 13, 2026 | 10-11 am
Ages: 2-5 | Fee: $6 per child
Bring your preschooler to a program with a focus on the natural world. There will be a story, activities, crafts and so much more. Registration required; space is limited.
A Walk Through Time
Saturday, January 17, 2026 | 11 am
Ages: 10 and up | Fee: $10 per person
Details will be added soon.
Critter Chat
Saturday, January 24, 2026 | 12 pm
Ages: All | Fee: Free | Drop-in
Drop by Blake’s Garden to meet one of our resident critters. No registration needed. Program will be held in classroom if weather is inclement.
Visitor Appreciation Day
Sunday, January 25, 2026 | 1-5 pm
Free | All Ages
In appreciation of all our wonderful visitors and supporters, admission to the Conservatory is FREE on this day. Enjoy our unique tropical experience, including waterfalls, orchids, animals and more - all for free!
Moss Terrariums
Saturday, January 31, 2026 | 11 am
Ages: 10 and up | Fee: $10 per person
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Details will be added soon.
