The Conservatory has two specimens of titan arum--better known as corpse flower, a plant that blooms once every 7-10 years. They're about 6-8 feet tall at their peak and smell like a rotting corpse. I'm not a plant person, but THAT'S AWESOME! In the week before one of their plants--Wee Stinky--was blooming, they set up a web-cam so you could check its progress, and I was checking that thing multiple times a day, waiting for it to flower, so I could rush over to the Conservatory and see it in-person.The bloom only lasts for around a day, so you have to time it perfectly. Finally, the big day came. My in-laws were in town, so we brought the whole family. We waited in line 20 minutes to see a plant--again, I don't like plants--and it was TOTALLY WORTH IT. The whole room smelled like like death. They had people there you could ask questions about the flower; they had smaller version of the plant you could see; and, most importantly, they let you take selfies with a gigantic smelly corpse flower called Wee Stinky. Best day ever. tl;dr Come when one of the corpse flowers is blooming; it's awesome. The other plants are cool too.

I've visited the Cornell Plantations before, but missed the L.H. Bailey Greenhouse until today. Very happy to have visited. It's simply an excellent way to spend an hour or more viewing and learning about the over 600 plant species from around the world that are located in the Conservatory. The greenhouses are next to the Plant Sciences Building. Parking can be arranged at the Campus Info booth nearby. I think it cost us $4 for four hours--more than enough time to visit the greenhouses with sides trips to the plantations, arboretum and college town for a late lunch. What's unique about the Conservatory is that plant information and history is accessible via your smart phone's QR scanner app (e.g., Red Laser, etc.). Just scan the bar code next to the plant and you'll get an earful. Very informative and interesting! The Conservatory is open from 10am to 3pm during the week. No admission charge. Bring your camera! This is a plant lover's delight. If you are not into it, your visit will probably be somewhat shorter. But, there are many unusual specimens that will interest everyone--even the kids!