Current Exhibitions and Seasonal Events at Franklin Park Conservatory

Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens currently features Harvest Blooms as its returning fall exhibition, included in general admission, plus the separately ticketed evening event Pumpkins Aglow. Harvest Blooms transforms the Botanical Garden landscapes and containers with thousands of pumpkins, chrysanthemums, and ornamental cabbages, opening September 26. Pumpkins Aglow runs on fall evenings in October, with family-friendly scenes and surprises. The sections below cover what each offering includes, when it runs, and how to confirm details before you go.

Current Exhibition: Harvest Blooms

Harvest Blooms is the Conservatory's fall exhibition, and the site states it is included in admission. That matters if you are deciding between a daytime visit and a special event: you do not need a separate exhibition ticket for this one.

What the exhibition changes:

• The Botanical Garden landscapes are reworked for the season.
• Containers throughout the gardens are replanted and restyled.
• The plant palette leans on pumpkins, chrysanthemums, and ornamental cabbages.

Because the display is built into the garden landscapes and containers rather than staged in a separate gallery, your experience of it is tied to walking the gardens and collections. If your main interest is exotic plant collections, the same visit still covers them — Harvest Blooms is layered onto the existing garden rather than replacing it.

Opening date: September 26.

Seasonal Evening Event: Pumpkins Aglow

Pumpkins Aglow is a ticketed evening event, distinct from daytime general admission. The site describes it as offering "bewitching scenes and spooky surprises" and positions it as family-friendly.

Dates and times as listed:

October date blocks: October 7–11, 14–18, 21–25, and continuing beyond the portion shown in the listing.

Two practical notes from the same page:

• On the day of a major local event, Broad Street can be closed in the morning (the example given is 7–11 am for the Columbus Marathon), with a recommendation to use the Franklin Park South entrance near the Community Garden Campus, open until noon. If you are driving to an evening event, check for road closures that day rather than assuming your usual route.
• Same-day hours are posted at the top of the site: general admission hours and Pumpkins Aglow hours are listed separately, which confirms they are treated as two different visit types.

Tickets for Pumpkins Aglow are described as available now, so this is the event to book ahead if your trip depends on it.

Where to Find Exhibitions and the Calendar

The site organizes this information in a few predictable places:

• Exhibitions — for current and upcoming exhibitions, including whether each is included in admission.
• Calendar — for dated programming and events.
• Tickets — for purchasing, including special engagements like Pumpkins Aglow.
• Plan a Visit → Hours & Admission — for the day's general admission hours.
• Plan a Visit → Know Before You Go — for practical conditions before arrival.
• Plan a Visit → Directions & Parking — for routes and entrances, useful when closures are posted.
• Plan a Visit → Upcoming Events — for a visit-planning view of what is on.

The homepage's "Today at the Conservatory" block also surfaces same-day programming, such as classes with times and prices (for example, a class listed at $20, or $15 for a discounted category). That block is the fastest way to see whether something is happening on the day you plan to attend.

How Exhibitions Relate to the Gardens and Collections

The Conservatory describes itself as a horticultural and educational institution showcasing exotic plant collections, special exhibitions, and Dale Chihuly artworks. Those three strands explain how a visit fits together:

• Special exhibitions like Harvest Blooms are seasonal overlays on the garden experience.
• Gardens and collections are the permanent backdrop, including the Botanical Garden landscapes that Harvest Blooms re-plants.
• Chihuly artworks are a standing reason to look up as well as down while walking the glasshouses.

There are also named destinations within the grounds that shape a visit: the Hot Shop & Glassblowing area, the Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children's Garden, the Botanica Gift Shop & Greenhouse, and the Garden Café. If you are visiting with children, the Children's Garden is the obvious pairing with a family-friendly evening event.

A Longer-Term Note: North Star Master Plan

The site also references a North Star Master Plan, described as following 24 months of community research and visioning with architecture and design experts, and framed as a vision for becoming a premier botanical garden. This is planning context rather than a current exhibition, so treat it as background on where the institution is heading, not as something to see on a visit today.

Before You Go

• Confirm the day's hours on the homepage or Hours & Admission page — general admission and event hours are listed separately.
• Check whether your target exhibition is included in admission or requires a separate ticket; Harvest Blooms is included, Pumpkins Aglow is ticketed.
• For October evening visits, buy tickets in advance where available.
• Check Directions & Parking for same-day closures and the recommended alternate entrance.
• Use the Calendar and Upcoming Events pages to match your visit date to what is actually running.