The Barbey Family Welcome Center at Heritage Museums & Gardens
We are open!
On Tuesday, June 17, Heritage Museums & Gardens proudly celebrated the ribbon cutting of the new Barbey Family Welcome Center. This bright addition serves as a beautiful new front door to the Heritage campus.
Images by Alex Gordias Photography
A Transformative Milestone
Heritage Museums & Gardens proudly opened the Barbey Family Welcome Center on Saturday, May 10, 2025, marking a transformative moment for the organization and its visitors.
Leading up to the opening, the campus underwent a major renovation that significantly improved the entry experience for our guests. During construction, traffic patterns to our parking areas were temporarily altered, with our dedicated security team assisting at every entrance, directing guests to drop-off zones and ADA-accessible parking. A new landscaped pathway was added along the left shoulder of the Flume Fountain lawn, creating a graceful and accessible connection between the Welcome Center and the heart of the grounds.
A Drone’s Eye View of the Barbey Family Welcome Center – Then & Now
Prior to the opening, visitors followed the construction journey as steel framing rose, and landscaping took shape. Aerial drone images offered breathtaking views of the emerging Welcome Center, revealing the scope and design of this exciting addition to the Heritage campus.
A New Standard of Welcome
The new Barbey Family Welcome Center now offers a gracious and inspiring gateway to the Heritage experience. Visitors are welcomed by an open-air entry courtyard that sets the tone for their visit, with amenities and services conveniently accessible in a warm and spacious environment. The site includes:
- A retail building with expanded space and open-air plant sales
- A ticketing and administrative building with four accessible ticket windows and elevator access
- The Clarissa S. Nye Visitor Center, featuring orientation materials, a visitor services desk, and a lower-level Board Room overlooking the iconic Flume Fountain
- A dedicated restroom building with modern facilities
- The newly created Flume Plaza, a serene space to gather before continuing on to the JK Lilly III Auto Gallery
- A lushly landscaped walking path bordering the Flume Lawn, edged with creeping hydrangea
The Former Location for The Shop at Heritage Demolition.
We’ve made some great memories in this building! We hope you have as well.
See Images from the Barbey Family Welcome Center Groundbreaking Ceremony – 2.7.2024