A beloved Milwaukee institution for generations, a unique engineering marvel, and a nationally significant example of Midcentury Modern architecture, the Milwaukee Domes have been a center of community life and a tourism destination for more than 50 years. In 1958, Milwaukee architect Donald Grieb won a national design competition for the Domes, which were constructed between 1959 and 1967. His design featured three domes (The Show Dome, the Tropical Dome, and the Arid Dome) which contain a vast array of flora that one observer called “a zoo for plants.” First Lady Lady Bird Johnson officially dedicated the Show Dome at its opening ceremony in 1965. In addition to their stunning architectural features, the structures are marvels of modern engineering, featuring the world’s first “conoidal”—or cone-shaped—domes. They remain the only glass conoidal domes in the world in use as conservatories. (Adapted from the National Trust for Historic Preservation website)