Mitchell Park Domes Make Milwaukee Great

Warm weather environments in Milwaukee do exist, even when those extremely cold temps come our way in the winter months when the snow falls. There is a great place to explore when the mood strikes, and it just takes a short journey to Mitchell Park.

Milwaukee County Parks marketing and communications director Jeff Baudry told CBS 58, \"The Domes are an icon in the City of Milwaukee.\"

For more than a half century, the Mitchell Park Horticultural Center -- better known as the Domes -- has served as a portal to warmer locales far away. The Domes give us a reason to shake that snow off our boots when the weather turns cold. Inside, awaits three distinctly different destinations.

\"We have plant life from all over the world, [including] Madagascar, the Canary Islands, South America Africa [and] plants from North America,\" Baudry proudly shared.

The Domes are open all year long, but this is the time of year when the foot traffic picks up. And the current theme for the display in the 'Show Dome' is a Hawaiian Christmas -- or 'Mele Kalikimaka.' The decorations captivate those young and old. We spoke with a woman, who said the park has brought her back for years. She says that first enchanted visit came quite some time ago.

\"When I was a little girl,\" Domes visitor Karen Zachow shared. \"So it's probably been over 50 years.\"

All those visits over the decades provide further proof of the unique draw the Milwaukee destination holds for so many in the area.

\"It's a phenomenal place to come, take a break, get away from fast-paced life, get away from those cold winters and enjoy your family,\" said Baudry.

Domes visitor Jenny Blocks was quick to point out how much she enjoys coming to the Domes with her children.

\"I could stay in here all day,\" Block confessed. \"But the kids like exploring all the different things. And every time you come, there's something new.\"

In recent years the Iconic structures underwent a facelift that added new LED light displays that now serve as a focal point in the Milwaukee skyline. Those additional lights helped inspire the popular \"Music Under Glass\" series of concerts. However, even without the lights, it remains an amazing experience to take in.

\"It's a getaway when it's really nasty outside,\" said Block. \"You can come in here and feel like you're in a tropical place.\"

While the arid 'Desert Dome' checks in at 60 degrees, the 'Tropical Dome's mercury reaches all the way up to 80 degrees Fahrenheit -- which feels, well tropical.

\"It's nice to come somewhere warm,\" said Zachow. \"It makes me just more cheerful.\"

Baudry is quick to make note of the impact of a visit to the Domes in the form of happiness. He told us that effect is hardly lost on the local medical community.

Baudry said, \"There's a lot of psychologists, psychiatrists, medical doctors that will tell people, 'get to the Domes. Go and relax. Become one with nature.

\"Feel that harmony.' So it's very soothing for the soul [and] soothing for the mind.\"

The Mitchell Park Domes make Milwaukee great.