Project Details
Project Type
Location
Petersburg, KY
Structure(s)
Traditional glasshouse A-frame conservatory
Technology/Services:
- ¼” laminated glass roofs
- 1/8” tempered glass sidewalls
- Curtain systems
- Paddle fans
- HAF fans
- Hot water radiant heating
- High-pressure fog system
- Wadsworth environmental controllers
- Weather station
About the Creation Museum—A Museum Like No Other
The Creation Museum immerses visitors in biblical history spanning from the Creation to Christ’s return to earth.
Founder and CEO Ken Ham, an Australian preacher, designed the museum with his organization, Answers in Genesis. It opened in 2007.
More than 250,000 people visit the museum every year to enjoy the educational displays, animatronic dinosaurs, and petting zoo. With a 75,000 square foot facility housing 150 exhibits, visitors have no shortage of things to do.
See, Smell, and Experience Biblical History
Those craving a multisensory adventure can watch shows on a massive screen in the 200-seat special effects theater or travel the universe to experience the cosmos up close at the Stargazer Planetarium.
Nature trails on the grounds circle a three-acre pond and wind through the beautiful botanic gardens, leading visitors across scenic bridges and past cascading waterfalls. The adventurous can take the zip line for a bird’s eye view of the museum and grounds.
In 2021, the Creation Museum announced plans to upgrade its Legacy Hall auditorium and create the Eden Teaching Center. Plans included an interactive dig site, redesigned petting zoo with outdoor stage for live animal shows, and a glass conservatory to display plants of the Bible.
How We Built This One-of-a-Kind-Conservatory
The Conservatory is made up of four connected greenhouses. Each one offers visitors a unique experience.
Visitors step into the largest greenhouse first—a lush space filled with towering palms, Australian flora, and vibrant floral displays that change with the seasons. A small stage sits within, ready for parties, special events, and gatherings.
From there, a self-guided tour winds through three smaller greenhouses, each designed to showcase a distinct climate.
Beds overflow with plants carefully chosen to thrive in their environments—many with roots in biblical history. Visitors travel through subtropical warmth, Mediterranean charm, and the stark beauty of arid landscapes.
Designed for Plants, Engineered* for People
Prospiant designed the Creation Museum Conservatory and contracted with the owner to furnish and install the greenhouses.
Construction started in April of 2023. The Prospiant team, along with a general contractor and in-house construction crews, put in loads of hours to finish the project by early winter of 2024, just in time to open for the holidays.
The four greenhouses cover a total of 10,500 square feet. They connect to form a square that surrounds an outdoor courtyard with a fountain in the center.
A separate building nearby has dedicated classroom space for visitor education.
A laminated glass covering, ¼-inch thick, covers the conservatory roof. Sidewall coverings are 1/8-inch-thick tempered glass.
Prospiant uses tempered and laminated glass coverings to ensure maximum light transmission and to prevent serious injuries should breakage occur.
Tempered glass shatters into small, blunt pieces less likely to cause severe injuries than large shards. Laminated glass might crack after an impact, but it stays in place because its strong interlayer keeps the pieces from breaking loose.
The greenhouses come with multiple features to keep the environment comfortable for plants and people.
Multiple rows of operable vents in the sidewalls and roof vents provide natural ventilation. They draw fresh air in from outside and exhaust hot air to keep the greenhouses from overheating.
Climate Control So Good, Even the Plants Are Impressed
Big paddle fans in the large greenhouse and horizontal airflow fans (HAF) in the smaller houses keep air circulating throughout the Conservatory.
Shade curtain systems block the sun to provide cooling when needed. A high-pressure fog system also helps maintain temperature and humidity at ideal levels.
The fog system forces water through specialized high-pressure nozzles to create an ultra-fine mist. When the mist collides with the warm greenhouse air, it evaporates immediately, cooling the space and raising humidity.
Rows of thin aluminum tubes run along the greenhouse perimeter, circulating hot water for radiant heating. This efficient system spreads warmth evenly, eliminating cold spots and creating a comfortable environment.
A Wadsworth environmental controller automatically manages the greenhouse systems—except for irrigation, which is done by hand—to maintain the ideal conditions in each space. This is especially useful since every greenhouse in the Conservatory has a unique climate.
The controller has an alarm system that alerts the staff with a phone call or text when something goes wrong such as power loss or vent failures.
Integration with a weather station allows the controller to make precise adjustments inside the greenhouse based on real-time conditions outdoors.
*We work with partners to ensure proper, compliant performance of engineering and design services.
Why It’s Worth a Visit—See, Smell, Experience Biblical Plants and History
The Creation Museum Conservatory offers visitors a new way to explore and appreciate nature’s beauty.
With its stunning plant displays and deep biblical connections, it’s a seamless extension of the museum’s immersive experience—and well worth a visit.
Your venue deserves a showstopping conservatory. Trust the team with years of experience building world-class greenhouse structures to make it happen. Let’s create something extraordinary! Give us a call.
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