Monk Botanical Gardens sign. Image courtesy: WAOW TV
CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – I remember a visit many years ago to the Corning Glass Works in Upstate New York.
You could take a tour. You would learn about the history of Corning glassware. You would visit their blast furnace. And you would watch the artisans blowing and shaping the glass into intricate, beautiful creations. The tour would end at the gift shop, where you could buy whatever you wish.
There was a nominal admission fee – $5. For people who were interested in Corning glassware, that was nothing. For people who weren’t interested, well, they wouldn’t take the tour anyway.
I still remember the lesson: even a small fee sorts out who is genuinely interested and who isn’t.
I wonder how this will work out for the Monk Botanical Gardens. This spring they will begin chagring admission. $10 for adults, $5 for children.
I like flowers as much as the next person. But my interest doesn’t rise to the $10 level,
Time will tell is this is a mistake or not.
There should be absolutely nothing controversial about the garden. Yet in 2024 the Board of Directors attempted to rename the garden, removing Robert Monk III’s name from the entrance. There have been other proposals: a formal beer garden and a larger welcome center. Those ideas, to turn the garden into a picturesque event center, were not popular. The name change went over like a lead balloon, and was eventually dropped.
The negative publicity certainly isn’t forgotten. I suspect charging admission will be unpopular.
I’m not a flower person. I have no idea what it costs to operate a public garden. I suspect most people like the Monk Botanical Garden just the way it is. Perhaps the best choice is to leave well enough alone.
Chris Conley
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