The Garden of Tomorrow
NOW OPEN!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 16, 2026
NORFOLK, Virginia – Norfolk Botanical Garden (NBG) today opens The Garden of Tomorrow to the public, unveiling a new $50 million destination that brings together world-renowned art by Dale Chihuly, rare plant conservation and immersive design. The 26,000-square-foot experience invites visitors to explore nature in new ways through a living conservatory, outdoor pathways and elevated views, creating a distinctive botanical experience unlike anything else in the region.
CHIHULY: The Perry Collection is one of the nation’s most significant permanent collections of Chihuly work. It includes the Chiffon and Sangria Azalea Chandelier (2024), created for the Garden to honor the 220 African American Works Progress Administration workers who shaped NBG by transforming the land and planting its iconic azaleas. The Garden recognizes these individuals as its original gardeners. The Tidewater Teal Chandelier (2024), also created specifically for NBG, draws inspiration from the Garden’s waterways and coastal Virginia landscape, reflecting the Garden’s focus on water ecology and conservation.
– renowned artist Dale Chihuly.
– NBG President & CEO Peter Schmidt
At the heart of the project is the 26,000-square-foot conservatory, a unique two-story structure designed as a living sanctuary. Within its Tropical and Arid Houses, the Garden is protecting some of the world’s most threatened and endangered plant species, many of which hold important ecological, scientific and potential medicinal value. Through partnerships with botanical institutions worldwide, NBG will share knowledge and resources to help preserve plant diversity and advance conservation efforts for generations to come.
The project also includes an elevated canopy skywalk with sweeping outdoor views of the Garden’s nationally recognized rose garden, a new entry pavilion with a rooftop sky meadow, and THE REEDS BISTRO featuring a Garden-inspired menu. The project is complemented by a new environmental education center designed for immersive, hands-on learning, as well as an expanded boardwalk providing access to the Garden’s waterways.
Nearly 3,000 donors and corporate partners have made this project a reality. One of the Garden’s environmental partners, Trex Company, the world’s leading brand of wood-alternative decking, railing and outdoor living products based in Winchester, Virginia, provided 24,000 sq. ft. of decking made with 95% recycled and reclaimed materials for the entry walkway, skywalk and boardwalk.
– Clay Dills, Lead Architect for Garden of Tomorrow
The Garden of Tomorrow reflects Norfolk Botanical Garden’s continued focus on conservation, education and accessibility, while positioning the institution among a select group of public gardens globally that are redefining how visitors engage with nature. As part of the project and to support these initiatives, the Garden has launched a Conservation & Education Fund
About Dills Architects
Dills Architects is a Virginia Beach, Virginia-based architecture and urban design practice founded in 1983. As stewards of the possible, Dills Architects discovers and activates the best of people and places, uncovering what communities, landscapes, and institutions can become, then guiding that potential into reality. The firm’s work is concentrated in the public arena, with clients that include municipalities, federal agencies, education institutions, and cultural organizations.
About Norfolk Botanical Garden
Norfolk Botanical Garden is a 175-acre oasis and one of America’s leading public gardens, home to more than 65 themed landscapes, nationally accredited plant collections, an award-winning butterfly garden and immersive horticultural experiences. The Garden is evolving as a new kind of botanical destination. Anchored by the 26,000-square-foot Perry Conservatory, featuring tropical and arid biomes, and by a significant permanent Dale Chihuly glass art collection, the Garden offers visitors a distinctive experience. Here, art begins with nature, bringing together living collections, world-renowned glass art and global plant conservation. The Garden is also known for its nationally accredited collections of camellias, hydrangeas and crape myrtles, as well as one of the region’s most celebrated rose displays. Guests can explore by tram, boat or walking paths, including WOW: World of Wonders, a Children’s Adventure Garden. Norfolk Botanical Garden is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, is a member of Botanic Gardens Conservation International, and is recognized as a Virginia Historic Landmark, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Virginia Green attraction.
Contact Dills Architects
Meagan Huth
Director of Marketing + Communications
757.496.4926 x713
mhuth@dillsarchitects.com
www.dillsarchitects.com
Contact Norfolk Botanical Garden
Bella DePaulo
Marketing + Communications Manager
757.441.5830 x469
Isabella.depaulo@nbgs.org
www.norfolkbotanicalgarden.org
FAQ
1 | Who is Dale Chihuly?
Dale Chihuly is an American artist who transforms spaces with experiments in color, light, transparency, and form. He is known for his exhibitions and large-scale architectural installations around the world and for revolutionizing the studio glass movement. Chihuly works with a variety of media including glass, paint, charcoal, neon, ice, and Polyvitro, and his work is included in more than 200 museum collections worldwide, including Metropolitan Museum of Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and Corning Museum of Glass. Major exhibitions include Chihuly Over Venice (1995–96); Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem (1999); de Young Museum in San Francisco (2008); Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2011); Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond (2012); Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (2013); Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto (2016); Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas (2017); Groninger Museum, Groningen, the Netherlands (2018); Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London (2019); Gardens by the Bay, Singapore (2021); and Adelaide Botanic Garden, Australia (2024). Chihuly Garden and Glass, a major long-term exhibition, opened in Seattle in 2012.
2 | What was Dills Architects’ role in the Garden of Tomorrow?
Dills Architects served as Designer of Record and leader of the multidisciplinary team for the Garden of Tomorrow. The firm helped steward the project from an initial boathouse concept into a broader vision for how visitors arrive, learn, gather, and experience Norfolk Botanical Garden’s living collections.
3 | What major spaces are included in the Garden of Tomorrow?
The Garden of Tomorrow includes the Brock Entry Pavilion, Perry Conservatory, Brock Parking Garden, Brock Environmental Education Center, Kay & Al Abiouness Skywalk, and Batten Sky Meadow. Together, these spaces support visitor arrival, dining, conservation, education, ecological infrastructure, and elevated views across the Garden.
4 | What is the Perry Conservatory at Norfolk Botanical Garden?
The Perry Conservatory is a 26,000-square-foot, two-story living sanctuary within the Garden of Tomorrow. Its tropical and arid houses will protect some of the world’s most threatened and endangered plant species, while also housing CHIHULY: The Perry Collection, one of the nation’s significant permanent collections of Dale Chihuly’s work.
5 | How does the Garden of Tomorrow support conservation and education?
The Garden of Tomorrow supports conservation and education through rare and endangered plant protection, immersive learning environments, hands-on science-based study, ecological infrastructure, and expanded ways for visitors to engage with the living landscape. Features such as the Brock Environmental Education Center, Perry Conservatory, Brock Parking Garden, and Batten Sky Meadow help connect public access with environmental learning and stewardship.