Metro Parks Tacoma officials would like your input as it embarks on improvements to the W.W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory.

After more than a century of use, the Victorian-style structure, located at 316 S. G St., at the east side of Wright Park, is short of space and needs a renovation and expansion in order to better serve Tacoma’s citizens and deliver needed serves and programs now and into the future, according to Metro Parks Tacoma officials.

The building is one of three public, Victorian-style conservatories on the West Coast and is listed on city, state, and national historic registers. In all, 3,000 glass panes cover its 12-sided dome and two wings. The conservatory houses more than 250 species of plants, including more than 200 orchids, and its mission is to connect people with nature. The conservatory is named for its original benefactor, W.W. Seymour, a prominent Tacoma banker and businessman who served briefly as Tacoma’s mayor and was president of the Metropolitan Park District Board of Commissioners from 1909 until 1911.

During a public meeting earlier this month, SHKS Architects presented possible additions and plans for the restoration of historic facades that once surrounded the conservatory’s entrances. Metro Parks Tacoma officials are inviting the public to review four schematic designs online and provide feedback as part of an online survey.

More information is available online here.