Rawlings Conservatory: ‘full of sunshine and flowers even in the rain’ | GUEST COMMENTARY

What in Baltimore is made of glass and cast iron, opened in 1888, and has two palm trees growing through its roof? Where in Baltimore can you immerse yourself in the South Pacific, the Sonoran Desert, the African savannah or the Mediterranean without virtual reality or catching a flight? The answer — the Howard P. Rawlings Conservatory, named in honor of longtime legislator Howard “Pete” Rawlings. Conveniently located in Druid Hill Park, near the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, the conservatory serves up one wonder after another.