Q&A with Myriad Botanical Gardens' Maureen Heffernan: making conservation contemporary

The Myriad Botanical Gardens have long been a staple in Oklahoma City. First dreamt as a part of the city's Pei Plan in the late 60s, the 17-acre urban renewal project broke ground in 1977. The Crystal Bridge Conservatory opened to the public in 1988, bringing a new distinction to the downtown gardens. Now, more than 30 years later, the Crystal Bridge Conservatory will reopen after receiving a complete renovation, once again providing the public with new experiences. 

Maureen Heffernan, President and CEO of Park Management Company, the organization that oversees the botanical gardens spoke with VeloCityOKC on her time with the organization, and how a replenished Myriad Botanical Gardens will add to the excitement building around Oklahoma City's downtown.

President and CEO of Park Management Company, Maureen Heffernan

VeloCityOKC: You've worked with the Myriad Botanical Gardens for more than a few years now, what would you say are some of the highlights?

Maureen Heffernan: "Yes, it’s going to be 11 years in October! I guess the highlights are the people. We have a really great board group that works with the Gardens, and Scissortail Park, and that has been wonderful. And, then all of the staff, too. We’ve got a terrific staff that works so hard to make sure things look as good as possible, and wonderful programs are set up all year round. They’ve been very successful. All of our generous donors, supporters, and foundations; businesses, and individuals that support us, that help keep things going in the right direction to help the city have a beautiful place that everybody enjoys. Those are definitely the highlights; the people.

Also, I think just the way the Gardens have grown since the big TIF incentives 10 years ago. We always try to improve them, and do different events. To see the public react to that has been really, really, wonderful. It’s just a place to relax, to enjoy, de-stress a bit, but also the programs that we’ve done."

"Everything from bike rides to family festivals to concerts, and everything in between, it’s been great. Everything that we do, it seems like the public really embraces it."

VeloCityOKC: You not only work with the Myriad Botanical Gardens, but with Scissortail Park, as well - is that correct?

Photo by Justin Coleman

Maureen Heffernan: "Yes, my official title is CEO of Park Management Company. We oversee, both Myriad Gardens and Scissortail Park. I am the director, essentially, for both of those entities; but each entity has its own staff and their own different programs. So, they’re separate non-profit organizations, but our park management is going to be umbrellaed over that."

VeloCityOKC: Have you noticed a difference, since the addition of Scissortail Park, in the number of people visiting the botanical gardens? 

Maureen Heffernan: "I would say that since Scissortail opened back in late-September of 2019, I think it’s just brought a massive amount of people downtown on a regular basis to enjoy the park. It’s hard to count, because we don’t have a gate at Myriad Gardens but I think that there’s clearly been a spill-over of people who are coming downtown on a regular basis and probably a lot of them have been to the Gardens, for sure, but I’m sure there’s a portion that haven’t been. So, now that they’re downtown, they spill over."

"We have some things at the Gardens that Scissortail doesn’t have, and vice versa. I think that people get used to going to both, and splitting their time between the two places."

"Scissortail Park has been a massive transformation. It’s been unbelievably popular and successful, I’m happy to say; in terms of the design, the usage, the community’s embrace of it. It’s not only our foundation but the MAPS programs have been great managers. Working with the design team to design it and getting it constructed and all of that process; it’s been incredibly successful."

VeloCityOKC: For those who have spilled, or will spill over into the Myriad Gardens, what types of changes can they expect to see with the new renovation of the Crystal Bridge Conservatory?

Maureen Heffernan: "Well, they're going to experience a beautiful new interior of Crystal Bridge. It was completely gutted, in fact. Last year in June we started that process. We'll be opening it to the public in mid-November of this year, so it's completely new. Everything from flooring and lighting and displays and new planting, new interpretation, new features, there's a water fall feature, there's a reflecting pool, there's an elevator to help make it more accessible, there are new terraces, there's new seating areas, there's a sculpture in there. It's just completely updated, modernized, and it's really coming together. We just started planting trees a few weeks ago, and it's greened up in there, and we're really getting excited about how the designs that we've been working on for years now are really coming together. We're really pleased to have all these things.

 

I think that the new Crystal Bridge is going to attract more people, and will hopefully attract more repeat visitors. We're going to really work hard to keep the interest high so there's always new blooms, and new colors, and events happening. And just overall, I think a better experience for people."

"I think it's going to be another quality draw for the downtown."

"It takes advantage of having the big convention center really right on our doorstep to bring more visitors in. We really look forward to having some groups come back again. We used to have lots of them coming for field trips. We're really anxious to get it reopened, and I hope the public will see it and really embrace it to how it's been redone."

VeloCityOKC: Speaking of field trips, there was a school at the Gardens, previously. How did that come about?

Maureen Heffernan: "Yes, John Rex was here for a few years because their original location maxed out, I think, at fifth grade. But parents loved the school, and so they wanted to continue sixth, seventh, and eighth grade. But they didn't have space there. As sort of a temporary bridge to finding an even larger space, we rented out our lower level, built to have large groups; and a kitchen, restrooms, all these things, that worked really well for them. So, they were here for a couple of years. Then, the McAlpine Center became available. Now, they're able to fit all three groups of students there - sixth through eighth grade."

The renovated Inasmuch Foundation Crystal Bridge Conservatory will now educate the public through interpretive signage and interactive exhibits, as well as a classroom and Discovery Room for children and families. The bridge will also incorporate new pathways and views from the third floor skywalk, a waterfall, a reflecting pool, new terraces, and more in addition to the thousands of new plants that are to be installed. ADA accessibility has been improved, as well. 

VeloCityOKC: What other new things can the public expect to see at the Gardens?

Maureen Heffernan: "Another big project that we're doing is at our south entrance, which faces Reno Avenue. We got a large gift from Tinker Federal Credit Union. We are going to redo that to make it more attractive; a more noticeable entrance. That south entrance, now, is really important as a lot of people are going to the [Scissortail] park, the convention center, the hotels. We want our front entrance to make it more obvious that it's the entrance to a wonderful garden and conservatory experience. We're getting a new gift shop, too; a really beautiful museum quality gift shop that will open in November, as well. As you go into or leave the Crystal Bridge, you'll go by this new gift shop in the visitor lobby area. That's something we're looking forward to. We're going to have really quality goods in there, really unique things from around the country. We'll certainly want to support a lot of local producers to sell their goods there."

 

VeloCityOKC: Will that be by consignment, or how will that work with local producers?

Maureen Heffernan: "We will have some consignment, but we're already working with a number of local folks who produce different types of things. Be it a product, or pottery, or glass, or things like that; artwork. And we'll be buying from national vendors, but we just want to curate it really well; things that are beautiful and useful, and hopefully things you don't see at a lot of other gift shops in the city."

VeloCityOKC: In closing, what do you feel separates the Myriad Botanical Gardens from similar destinations?

Maureen Heffernan: "I mean, we are open. That is rare with botanical gardens. Many of them have admission fees and they're dated. They're expensive really for a family to visit or buy a membership."

"Here, the city is really fortunate; the community. We've got this beautiful green space that everybody can enjoy at any time. There's no admission fee, there's no gate."

"People just crave beautiful spaces. They love beautiful, green spaces that are safe and clean, vibrant, with programming, and it just adds such a huge amount of quality of life to a city. I think that just underscores how every day we see people enjoying sites, whether it's the children's playground or carousel, or an office worker having lunch under the trees for a break, or summer concerts, it's just such a dynamic, beautiful oasis for people to enjoy. And you just can't underestimate how important that is for the city to offer people."

You can learn more about the Myriad Botanical Gardens by visiting their website, or by stopping by and experiencing it for yourself, any day of the week.