Ball State's Rinard Orchid Greenhouse to raise $1.2 million for expansion

Bright, green leaves decorate the sunlit windows of the Rinard Orchid Greenhouse. Over 4,000 people a year visit the plants and programs the building holds, said greenhouse curator Cheryl LeBlanc.

“It’s crowded,” LeBlanc said. “[The greenhouse] is not really designed for that.”

Because of that, fundraising started this year to raise $1.2 million to expand the greenhouse, LeBlanc said. The expansion would add a multipurpose room and double the size of the conservatory. 

The current greenhouse started construction six years ago, according to a Daily News report from 2012. Attendance at the greenhouse has more than tripled since then, and currently lacks adequate space to host that many people, she said. People visit the greenhouse for more than plants, LeBlanc said. Educational programs, school groups and monthly events can draw in hundreds of visitors.

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