Creative Non-Fiction
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Check out creative non-fiction events happening today here. These are in-person gatherings where you can meet fellow enthusiasts and participate in activities right now.
Discover all the creative non-fiction events taking place this week here. Plan ahead and join exciting meetups throughout the week.
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Creative Non-Fiction Events Today
Join in-person Creative Non-Fiction events happening right now
đŹ The Club â Summer Movie Festival (Private Garden)
Small curated movie nights in a hidden garden in Ixelles, next to Place Flagey.
A mix of:
* **cult classics**
* **recent movies**
* **international cinema**
* **comedy nights**
* **karaoke & dubbing chaos nights**
* **comfort food and summer vibes**
**This is not a giant public Meetup** where 40 strangers stand awkwardly around overpriced drinks pretending networking is fun. Humanity already suffered enough.
Our idea is simple:
we gather in a private home and transform the courtyard into a small outdoor cinema.
Sometimes we cook together before the movie:
Italian, Thai, Lebanese, Japanese, Balkan, Greek, Latin American street food etc.
Sometimes people simply grab pizza from the excellent pizzeria next door and join the screening.
Food is intentionally relaxed:
bowls, finger food, street food, popcorn, snacks, comfort food.
**Some nights are more gourmet.**
Some are glorified pizza-and-movie nights.
Both are valid forms of civilization **;-)**
## **What makes this different**
The group is i**ntentionally small**:
usually 6 to 8 people maximum.
**People are introduced properly.**
Nobody gets abandoned in a corner.
The atmosphere stays human, social and safe.
**No heavy drinking.**
**No creepy behavior.**
No random people showing up uninvited.
Smoking is allowed because is outside in the courtyard and occasionally we may have **hookah nights** depending on the movie/theme.
## **Typical evenings**
* Wong Kar-wai + Asian comfort food
* Spaghetti western + Italian street food
* Anime + sushi night
* Greek cinema + mezze
* Balkan chaos cinema + burek
* Cult movie dubbing nights where people voice scenes live karaoke-style
Yes, this is a real thing now apparently.
## **Important**
Because Meetups and public internet are full of bots, spam accounts and socially radioactive individuals, **we do NOT post the exact address publicly.**
To join:
scan the QR code on the image and request access to the private WhatsApp group or send me a DM.
From there:
* we announce movies
* vote on menus
* organize cooking nights
* coordinate places
**If you are new in Brussels, introverted, traveling, recently arrived, or simply tired of giant impersonal events, this may be your thing.**
Improv for all
Please take a moment to read the information and rules for the sessions.
**Overview:** Improv sessions in English accepting all levels. We play short and long-form improv comedy, which includes theater-style scenes, guessing, and group games.
**Topics:**
* Timing
* Location
* Participation (Attendees list)
* RSVP rules
* Improv session format
* Who is it for? (Participation requirement)
***
* **Timing**
Being on time will help you and everyone.
**18h15** \- Doors open
*Please take this time to order your drinks/food and settle in.*
**18h30** \- Start of the session
**Are you late?**
Please inform the event host, or comment on the event page. If you arrive late and the session is already in progress, please wait on the side till the game/scene is finished. Wait for the session moderator to indicate when you can start participating.
* **Location**
The session takes place on the first floor of The Sister Cafe. Stairs next to the bar. It's the room with a curtain at the door.
* **Participation (Attendee list)**
The session is limited to **12 attendees**. This is to ensure that the session is manageable and everybody gets enough chances to participate.
Therefore, only the people on the "attendee list" are allowed to be present at the session and participate.
**Waiting list**: People on the waiting list should keep an eye on the updates, in case someone from the attendees' list drops and you get their spot.
**Just want to observe?** Usually, we don't allow any extra audience during these sessions. We invite you to come to any of our shows.
But if for some reason you are only interested in observing and not participating, please contact the event host on meetup, or talk with them personally at the session and explain your reasons. Admission for this is not guaranteed.
*People on the attendee list are expected to take part.*
* **RSVP Rules**
* Please update your RSVP status in a timely manner, if you can't make it to the session. This applies to people on the **attendee list AND waiting list.**
* If you are on the waiting list, and already know that you won't be able to join in case someone from the main list drops, please update your RSVP to "not going". This will give the chance to the next person on the waiting list.
* Emergencies aside, please update your rsvp status on time. Canceling last minute or just 1 hour before isn't helpful.
* If we see a pattern from someone not showing up after confirming, or last-minute cancellations, we reserve the right to prohibit access to the sessions.
* Please write a comment if you cancel and your spot becomes available. With this others will get an extra notification.
**Improv Session Format**
The session is held in English.
The session is divided into three sections: Warm up, Scene games, and Cool down.
**Warmup:** Quick group games are played to break the ice and get the creative juices flowing.
**Scenes:** Then we move on to scene games. These are mostly from short-form improv, which can include different games with various gimmicks, like story building, character work, guessing, etc
**Cool down:** One or two short group games to end the session. The rules are explained by the moderator before each game.
There is no obligation to take part in games that you are not comfortable with.
There can be feedback after a game is played. This is so that we learn from each other and gain skills and insights.
**Tip**: If you are new, pay attention to the regular players when they are performing and notice small details, like how a stage is cleared before a scene, how to enter a scene, and how to collaborate with each other.
* **Who is it for?**
Anyone who is interested in improv! We accept all levels, beginners, and advanced participants
This is a great place to start if you are new to improv. The basics will be explained. We only require the "Yes, and...!" spirit!
If you are an advanced player and have ideas and games to share and work on, please do let us know.
We look forward to welcoming you and doing improv!
đĽâ¨FREE Drum Meditation: Quiet the Noise & Come Back to Inner Peace. (Brussels)â¨
**đď¸ Cost:** First session is FREE!
If you are repeating, the cost is 15 EUR
**Reserve your free spot (max 15 participants).** Please register officially to get the exact address:
[https://innersparklife.com/drum-meditation-bru/](https://innersparklife.com/drum-meditation-bru/)
Are you looking for a safe space to press pause on the busy world? đ
Come join *Inner Spark* for a deeply relaxing evening designed to help you release tension and return to your center. Hosted by Pablo and Monika in a beautiful meditative ashram space â¨
You don't need to be a meditator to join. The steady beat of the drum does the work for you, helping your mind quiet down and your body soften.
This 75-minute session uses the ancient power of the drum to help you enter a state of deep relaxation and mental clarity. It is perfect for anyone feeling anxious, overthinking, or simply in need of a mental reset. đ§ â¨
**The Journey:**
1. **Arrival:** Land softly with a cup of hot tea â
2. **Intention:** Focus your energy with a Tarot card guidance đŽ
3. **The Drum:** Lie down and let the rhythm wash over you đĽ
4. **Integration:** Wake up slowly and share if you feel called to đŤ
**đ
Date:** 1 June 2026
**đ¤ Start:** 19:30h (Please arrive a few minutes early to settle in)
**đ Location:** Brussels (Woluwe-Saint-Pierre)
**đď¸ Cost:** First session is FREE!
If you are repeating, the cost is 15 EUR
**â
Good to know:**
* Mats, blankets, and cushions are provided.
* Wear comfortable clothes.
**Reserve your free spot (max 15 participants).** Please register officially to get the exact address: [https://innersparklife.com/drum-meditation-bru/](https://innersparklife.com/drum-meditation-bru/)
**Want more?**
Join our private Skool community here:
đ **[https://www.skool.com/inner-spark-tribe-6042/about](https://www.skool.com/inner-spark-tribe-6042/about)**
Monday Afterwork Socializing
Drinking & Networking in Brussels. For newcomers, temporary in town - couch surfers and regulars to meet & socialize. What a better day to start the week than drinking & socializing starting on Monday evening?
Welcome to The Club.
**Welcome to The Club.**
A **curated** social community in Brussels for people who want real connections, memorable experiences, and **better energy than the usual random meetup chaos**.
Most of our events happen in **private homes**, gardens, hidden places around Brussels, or unusual locations outside the city. The goal is simple: create the kind of atmosphere where people actually talk, laugh, connect, and want to come back.
We organize things like:
⢠gourmet lunches & dinners
⢠picnics & roadtrips
⢠cooking nights
⢠walks around Brussels
⢠karaoke & movie nights
⢠debates & discussions
⢠card and social games
⢠occasional âchaperonedâ social evenings where people can meet naturally in a safe environment
The difference is that we personally curate and vet new members.
The host actively introduces newcomers, helps people integrate into the group, and keeps the atmosphere respectful and relaxed. We have zero tolerance for creepy behavior, unwanted pressure, spam, random uninvited people, or drama.
*Unfortunately, posting too many details publicly on Meetup or on the internet in general quickly attracts bots, scammers, fake profiles, crypto weirdos, and people who completely ruin the vibe for everyone else.*
Thatâs why most of our real coordination happens privately through our ***vetted WhatsApp community***.
To join, simply scan the QR code in the image.
If you are on your phone and cannot scan it directly:
⢠take a screenshot of the image
⢠open the screenshot in your photo gallery
⢠most phones can automatically detect QR codes from photos by long pressing or using Google Lens / iPhone scan feature
Then request access to the group and introduce yourself briefly.
See you soon
Public Speaking and Leadership Training (FREE)
Do you want to become a confident public speaker? To connect and communicate better with others? And have fun? Come and join Atomic Toastmasters!
You'll find a supportive learn-by-doing environment.
It doesn't matter if you are an experienced speaker or if you are a beginner. We are there to support you, to make you feel good about yourself and to help you learn in a way that's fun.
Every event we have lovely Table Topic sessions (impromptu speeches) and 3 to 4 prepared speeches.
Through practice, peer evaluation and educational tools, we learn how to present our messages effectively, concisely and professionally.
After the meeting, we usually sit together and socialise at the bar âLe Petit Parisâ.
We are excited to welcome you every Monday if you became a member of the club.
Atomic Team
Salsa, Bachata, Lindy Hop, ForrĂł, African Dance Classes/Cours
EN (FR en bas):
We're still accepting people in our classes. Join us!â
-step 1: Book here! -> [https://www.danceproject.be/reservations.html](https://www.danceproject.be/reservations.html)
-step 2: Show up!
[Schedule](https://www.danceproject.be/classes.html#schedule)
Fees :
[All info on trials, packs, subscriptions here](https://www.danceproject.be/classes.html#fees)
Locations:
-Parc du Cinquantenaire, Brussels
Metro/Tram: MĂŠrode
Salsa, Bachata, Lindy Hop, ForrĂł Intro - 1:
From base to the dancefloor!
When you come for the first time we go over the base & rhythm with you. Then you are included in the group and everybody learns the same new steps for which you just need the base.
Practice makes perfect: just relax and enjoy Salsa, Bachata, Lindy Hop and/or ForrĂł!
Our group is very welcoming and looking forward to meet new dancers!
Salsa, Bachata, Lindy Hop, ForrĂł Roots I - 2:
Ready to go deeper on Salsa, Bachata, Lindy Hop &/or ForrĂł? Let's go!
[https://www.danceproject.be/classes.html#improvers](https://www.danceproject.be/classes.html#improvers)
Salsa, ForrĂł Roots II - 3:
Looking for #SalsaChallenge? Already familiar with ForrĂł Root? We've got your back!
[https://www.danceproject.be/classes.html#intermediates](https://www.danceproject.be/classes.html#intermediates)
More info:
-Web: [https://www.danceproject.be](https://www.danceproject.be)
-Whatsapp: +32 493 16 41 10
-Mail: brussels.salsa.project@gmail.com
-[Facebook](https://facebook.com/brussels.salsa.project)
-[Instagram](https://instagram.com/brussels.salsa.project)
\-\-\-\-\-
FR:
Nous acceptons encore de nouvelles personnes dans nos cours. Rejoins-nous !
-1ère pas : Fait ta rÊservation ! -> [https://www.danceproject.be/reservation.html](https://www.danceproject.be/reservation.html)
-2ème pas : Vient danser !
[Horaire](https://www.danceproject.be/cours.html#horaire)
Les prix :
[Toutes les infos sur les essais, packs, abonnements ici](https://www.danceproject.be/cours.html#prix)
Endroits :
-Parc du Cinquantenaire, Brussels
Metro/Tram: MĂŠrode
Salsa, Bachata, Lindy Hop, ForrĂł Intro - 1 :
De la base Ă la piste de danse !
Lorsque tu nous rejoins on voit la base et le rythme avec toi. Ensuite, tu es inclus dans le groupe et tout le monde apprend les mĂŞmes pas pour lesquelles tu as juste besoin de la base.
C'est en forgeant qu'on devient forgeron : dĂŠtend-toi et profite la Salsa, de la Bachata, du Lindy Hop et/ou du ForrĂł !
Notre groupe est très accueillant et a hâte de rencontrer de nouveaux danseurs !
Salsa, Bachata, Lindy Hop, ForrĂł Roots I - 2 :
PrĂŞt Ă approfondir la Salsa, la Bachata, le Lindy Hop &/ou le ForrĂł ? Allons-y!
[https://www.danceproject.be/cours.html#inities](https://www.danceproject.be/cours.html#inities)
Salsa, ForrĂł Roots II - 3 :
Tu cherches #DefiSalsa ? Tu connais dĂŠjĂ ForrĂł Roots ? Nous sommes lĂ pour toi !
[https://www.danceproject.be/cours.html#intermediaires](https://www.danceproject.be/cours.html#intermediaires)
Plus dâinfo:
-Web: [https://www.danceproject.be/fr.html](https://www.danceproject.be/fr.html)
-Whatsapp: +32 493 16 41 10
-Mail: brussels.salsa.project@gmail.com
-[Facebook](https://facebook.com/brussels.salsa.project)
-[Instagram](https://instagram.com/brussels.salsa.project)
Creative Non-Fiction Events This Week
Discover what is happening in the next few days
Shut Up & Write!ÂŽ *Marathon* LEUVEN
â ď¸ **The Meetup group will disappear soon. Registration will have to happen on the website: [https://www.shutupwrite.com](https://www.shutupwrite.com)**
Make sure you have an account there!
**Marathon edition (2h30) - please check out the schedule below**
**Join us for 2h30 of writing!** Weâve discovered that itâs strikingly helpful to write with other writers.
Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done.
*SCHEDULE* \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-
14:00 - Quick introductions
14:15 - Timer starts: write for 1 hour
15:15 - Break: let's rest our hands for a minute with a quick chat
15:30 - Timer starts again: write for 1 hour
16:30 - The End: chat, take off, or keep writing
**You can come for just one hour (at 14:00 or 15:30) or do the whole session.**
OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING happens at 16:30. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing.
BEING LATE IS OKAY: just show up and get settled. If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer.
Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you at the WereldcafĂŠ !
*What Should I Bring?* \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-
Whatever you need to be able to write!
Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block the cafeâs overhead music or the occasional conversation by other patrons.
There are plugs in the cafe but we may not be seated right next to them, so please charge any device before coming !
*Other Important Details* \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-
WIFI : the cafe has wifi, the password is written on the menu
TRAVEL / PARKING: The cafe is in the center of the city. An uncovered bike rack is available. For more information on parking, please visit https://leuven.be/parkeren
SEATING INFORMATION: Please RSVP so I know how many seats to book!
GUIDELINES: The WereldcafĂŠ (https://www.wereldcafe.be) is run by volunteers, with the profit given to charities around the world, which is why they require anyone gathering in the cafe to at least purchase one thing. They offer hot and cold drinks, snacks and meals.
Read Together!
Need some quiet time for reading? Want to share the experience with others? Join us at the charming venue of The Sister CafĂŠ to read in the company of others. Itâs alone, but also together, get it? We read for an hour and a half, then chat over a drink.
This is a free activity except for the price of the drinks you're consuming.
Let's Write!
Let's meet to write !
Schedule :
11:00 - 11:30 am : Presentation tour. Share briefly with the group about your project and your "goal of the day".
11:30 - 13:30 : Let's write !
13:30 : Conclusion tour. Did you achieve your goal of the day ?
See you soon !
Letâs write in CafĂŠ Merlo!
Let's meet to write!
Schedule :
18:30 - 18:45: Arrival & introduction tour. Share briefly with the group your project and the "goal of the day".
18:45 - 20:00 : Let's write!
20:00 : Closing tour. Did you achieve the "goal of the day" ?
See you soon !
Cinema Palace : Broken View
**Palace : Broken View**
04/06 @ 19h00
This article was part of FORUM+ vol. 30 no. 1 | 2, pp. 68-79
Broken View.
Congo and the magic lantern.
**As an early projection device, the magic lantern was often used for colonial propaganda. For instance, to showcase and legitimize the âgood worksâ of the church in the colony. But lanterns were also used by missionaries in Africa to evangelize the local people and create a colonized mindset. This text is a reflection on the work process of Broken View, an essay film on colonial images from the Belgian Congo and the magic lantern. Through montage, collage, and assemblage the film examines and recontextualizes these images of the Belgian colonial past.**
Als vroeg projectiemedium werd de toverlantaarn vaak gebruikt voor koloniale propaganda. Bijvoorbeeld om de 'goede werken' van de kerk in de kolonie te presenteren en te legitimeren. Maar lantaarns werden ook door missionarissen in Afrika gebruikt om de plaatselijke bevolking te evangeliseren en een gekoloniseerde mentaliteit te creĂŤren. Deze tekst is een reflectie op het werkproces van Broken View, een essayfilm over de toverlantaarn en koloniale beelden uit Belgisch-Congo. Door montage, collage en assemblage onderzoekt en hercontextualiseert de film deze beelden uit het Belgische koloniale verleden.
[...]
**"I see montage not as a final stage of the filmmaking process, but rather as a way of beginning, montage as a way of writing."**
In trying to find a way to present still images in a medium which relies on movement, I quite intuitively turned towards collage. This way, movement lies in the act of cutting out, in the tension between two arrested movements: the captured ça a ÊtÊ of the photograph and the completed collage-gesture that brings two or more images in the same space. The form gives rhythm to the discourse and engenders it. The cutting out of figures becomes a formal translation of what I try to do in the film discursively, to decontextualize and recontextualize fragments from the past. It performs the question of how to see these colonial images today, if we even should see them?
Perhaps the only way to be able to show these images is when they are set in motion within a poetic space that aims to do justice to the realities of oppression from which they were taken. I am aware that some of the images in the film are hurtful to see. I am aware that some will see the reuse of these images as a continuation of the violence their taking involved, and that my position as a white European man will enforce this view. Though I have seen instances of this reiteration of colonial violence in cultural products that purport to denounce the colonial past, I do not believe that to show these images, even violent ones, even from my side of the colonial heritage, automatically implies continuing the violence they both document and materialize. I think this happens when not only the images themselves but also the spectacle-form and ideological framework in which they were presented are reproduced, in other words, when the effects of their reproduction are either ignored or anticipated and exploited in the service of this or that agenda. I have not treated this lightly. Broken View does not seek out a shock effect, it does not try to sell a product or resort to cynically rousing controversy to gain attention in an increasingly saturated audio-visual market. Nor do I claim a sort of neutral ground or moral high ground. It is the spectacle-form, the milieu in which these images were made and shown, that I hope the film interrogates and deconstructs. I do this knowing that any deconstruction is also a construction, that my film is also a form, and that there is no inherently unproblematic form.
Both the essayistic montage and the collage, the poetics I turned to in this film, bring together elements that often have little to do with one another. They do this, as the writer Brian Dillon wrote about the essay form, âin such a way that the scandal or shock of their proximity arrives alongside a conviction that they have always belonged togetherâ.11 So, these images must be accompanied by other images, brought into relation with other, maybe even seemingly unconnected images. These relationships are not comparisons or equations, but the threads of an unfinished fabric, a continuous work of de- and reassembly, a broader, perhaps speculative contextualization. Assemblages are formed in which the figures are brought into each otherâs orbit, within a wider frame and into another timeline than those of the photographs they were taken out of, inserting them into new constellations, trying to find new rhythms. In doing so, I hope to make visible some of the brushstrokes with which they were originally made, the power relations these images texturized and helped (helplessly) to fabulate, the purposes they were to serve. The film is an essay, an atlas of sorts, or an album where fragments of images and language exchange their shortcomings, what words can show and what images can say.
But what to say? Who is speaking and to whom? The spoken text is not only a feature of the essay film. Magic lantern projections were almost always accompanied by live narration. In the case of mission photography almost always in the explanatory mode, an authoritative register, a man, a priest, who spoke with full authority on what was being projected. There was no doubt in his voice. There is but one truth, and that is the Christian truth. At this stage in the editing process, I am trying to find a balance between different registers of the voice-over. The challenge is to subvert the authority of the colonial voice, to replace it not with silence, but to find another way of speaking, of giving information, to introduce an element of doubt. This can reside in subtle formal gestures, a tone of voice, an emphasis turning into a question mark, repetition, or wordplay. I am not quite sure yet how, but I want to let this informative, authoritative mode disintegrate into a poetic mode. I mean poetry in the sense that it is the opposite of the direct speech of the colonizer. That it is a tentative way of speaking. An essayistic way of speaking if you will. The text becomes a collage of registers, of sources and tones but spoken by a single voice.
[Cinema Palace](https://www.cinema-palace.be/nl/film/broken-view)
[This article was part of FORUM+ vol. 30 no. 1 | 2, pp. 68-79](https://forum-online.be/en/issues/februari-mei-2023/broken-view-congo-and-the-magic-lantern)
**For Dreamers, Coffee shots, Orezza, eau de Saint-Georges !**
Evening Walk Neerpede (Brussels surroundings)
Join us for a laid-back **2-hour evening walk** in the green surrouindings of Brussels.
Expect a **social, easy-paced stroll** with good company, relaxed vibes, and plenty of time to chat. We'll follow the canal paths and trace the River Zenne, discovering how these waterways shaped the heart of the city.
đ **When:** Evening
đś **Duration:** About 2 hours
𼤠**Bring your own drink** â something refreshing to enjoy as we walk
đŹ **Open to all** â solo walkers, locals, and newcomers alike
Letâs walk, relax, and connectâBrussels-style.
Creative Non-Fiction Events Near You
Connect with your local Creative Non-Fiction community
Pop-up Book Club 4: Going to Meet The Man, stories by James Baldwin
Letâs meet and share discussion of the James Baldwin short story collection, Going to Meet The Man.
Columbus Art Festival
Let's stroll the artists' booths and enjoy some of the festival's opening day!
The Columbus Art Festival features a wide and vibrant range of visual art from local and national exhibitors, plus, live music, and all kinds of food and refreshments, along the waterfront downtown.
(The featured painting is by Columbus Arts Festival exhibitor, Joe Engel - joe-engelart.com)
Franklin Park Conservatory / Columbus Brewing Company
**History**
The [Franklin Park Conservatory](https://www.fpconservatory.org/)âs roots trace back to 1852 when the Franklin County Agricultural Society purchased 88 acres of land to host the Ohio State Fair. After the fair moved to its permanent home, the city of Columbus transformed the grounds into Franklin Park in 1884. This transition shifted the space from a temporary event site to a dedicated public green space for the growing community. The park became a central hub for outdoor recreation and early civic gatherings in the neighborhood.
In 1895, the landmark Victorian-style Palm House opened its doors, drawing heavy inspiration from the Glass Palace of the 1893 Worldâs Columbian Exposition in Chicago. This iron and glass structure became an immediate icon, housing exotic plants that residents would otherwise never see in the Midwest. It remains the oldest part of the facility and serves as a primary link to the conservatoryâs 19th-century origins. For decades, it stood as a singular testament to grand horticultural architecture in Central Ohio.
A major turning point arrived in 1992 when Columbus hosted AmeriFlora '92, an international horticultural exhibition. This massive event prompted a $16 million renovation and expansion, adding significantly more greenhouse space and the Dorothy M. Davis Showhouse. The festival put the conservatory on the international map and fundamentally changed its scale and ambition. Following the event, the facility transitioned from a city-run park to a private, non-profit organization.
In 2003, the conservatoryâs identity was further defined through a long-term partnership with world-renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly. After a successful exhibition, the Friends of the Conservatory purchased most of the glass installations, creating the largest permanent collection of Chihulyâs work in a botanical setting. These vibrant glass sculptures are now woven throughout the biomes, blending art with nature. This addition helped cement the conservatory as a premier cultural destination rather than just a botanical garden.
Recent years have seen the site expand beyond the glass walls to emphasize community engagement and outdoor education. The 2018 opening of the Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Childrenâs Garden added two acres of interactive landscape designed for hands-on learning. The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company Community Garden Campus also provides local residents with space to grow their own food and learn sustainable practices. Today, the conservatory balances its historic Victorian charm with modern commitments to local ecology and the Columbus community.
**Maps of the Conservatory**
Here is the [main map](https://www.fpconservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/franklin-park-zones-scaled.jpg) of the Conservatory grounds. Here's a [map of the areas](https://www.fpconservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/ConstructionMap-2026.jpg) in which the Conservatory has ongoing construction (see below).
**Summary**
For this event, we'll explore Columbus's highly-rated and very popular Conservatory. As mentioned above, the Conservatory is doing renovations on parts of the facility. These renovations are scheduled to be ongoing until the Fall of next year.
Basically, no matter when you go to the Conservatory over the next 18 months, you're going to see some metaphorical orange barrels. So let's just go now.
**Tickets and pricing**
On the first Sunday of every month, the Conservatory is free for residents of Franklin County and the city of Columbus. You must bring an ID to receive this discount. (Yes, they do check.) Otherwise, tickets are $25.20.
Members of the Columbus Zoo (of which I am one) do get a discount on tickets, though I have never actually bought a ticket to the Conservatory (I've always gone on free days). I believe the discount is $4.
Parking is always free.
If you have additional questions about pricing or whether and for what you qualify, you can reach the Conservatory at 614-715-8000.
**Where we'll meet**
We will meet just outside the main entrance. I guarantee there's going to be a line. The Conservatory is always popular on free days, and especially in nice weather.
**Your GPS is stupid!**
Be careful simply typing "Franklin Park Conservatory" in your GPS and going where it tells you.
The only way to access the parking lot to the Conservatory is off of Broad Street. Unfortunately, since Google Maps is unable to find its way out of a wet paper bag, it has a tendency to want to take people to a mythical, non-existent Conservatory entrance on Nelson Road.
If your GPS does this, just drive to the north side of the Conservatory along Broad Street. Your GPS should then redirect you to the main Conservatory entrance. If your GPS doesn't, then throw your phone away\* and look for the big Conservatory sign on the south side of Broad Street between Nelson Road and Franklin Park West.
You also should be able to use the map pin I've provided, below, and it should properly direct you to where you need to drive.
\* Don't really do this.
**After the event**
After stopping to smell the roses, for those that are interested, we'll head to the nearby [Columbus Brewing Company Beer Hall](https://columbusbrewing.com/location/beer-hall/) for [drinks](https://columbusbrewing.com/location/beer-hall/#draft-list) and [lunch](https://columbusbrewing.com/location/beer-hall/#food-menu).
The Beer Hall's actual address is [200 Kelton Ave, Columbus, OH 43205](https://www.google.com/maps/place/200+Kelton+Ave,+Columbus,+OH+43205/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x883889a94ac4acad:0xadb2e60240dbc38b?sa=X&ved=1t:242&ictx=111) (it's literally just on the south side of the Conservatory). Be sure this is where your GPS is taking you when you use it, as the Brewing Company has a taproom on Harrison Avenue that is *not* what you want for this event.
We should be at the Beer Hall by 1 if you can't make the Conservatory and just want to join us for drinks.


















