::Museum Details::

The entrance area

Monet Salon

This is a circular room on the first floor with a small sitting area in the center. The walls of this room are lined with replicas of the famous water lily murals by Claude Monet, the French oil painter. Because the lotus is the city flower of Chiba, the Floral Museum decided to make two replicas of Monet’s murals with the permission of the Orangerie Museum in France. These murals were commissioned to be created true to the original process. The replica artists took molds of the original paintings, then carefully copied the paintings stroke by stroke, using the originals for reference by actually traveling to France.

Greenhouse

The greenhouse area is 110 feet in diameter and 76 feet high. In order to reproduce an environment similar to that of a rainforest, the temperature and humidity are carefully monitored by a computer. In addition, the spherical roof is created using a unique construction technique which allows for the maximum amount of sunlight to pass through. The greenhouse is home to over 500 varieties of plants, including many fruit trees and plants originating in Okinawa.

This is definitely a great place to escape the cold outside during the winter. The waterfall and the palm leaf hut in the center of the area add to the atmosphere, and gives the illusion that you are on a tropical island.

The greenhouse ceiling

Other Plant Displays

There are over 1000 plant varieties in the museum. Other areas to see include the central garden with a fountain and a lake, a rooftop garden with potted plant displays for the veranda, a conifer garden, a small Japanese-style garden area, and a vegetable garden.

Some plants in the garden

The fountain in the central garden goes off every 15 minutes. Its outside location makes it popular on clear sunny days for people to relax and enjoy the weather. I was told that the large Cookspur coral-tree is especially beautiful when it blooms in the summer, with bright red flowers.

The central garden fountain

The rooftop garden is a good place to get inspiration to create your own plant decorations for the balcony. Such displays are very popular in Japan, since many people live in apartment buildings without actual outdoor garden areas to grow plants. The vegetable garden in the same area is very interesting as well. It shows vegetables grown not only for food, but for their beauty.

Finally, there is a small Japanese-style garden area nearby as well.

Green Salon

1F: Shop and Consulting Desk
The first floor of the Green Salon at the entrance of the museum has a museum shop and a consultation desk. The shop now sells live plants for a discounted price, which is very popular among visitors. Plant-related gift items such as postcards, letter sets, and more are also available.

The consultation desk has a professional plant consultant, who answers questions and concerns by visitors regarding the care of flowers and plants. 

2F: Library
The library on the second floor of the Green Salon has a solid collection of garden and plant related books. It also carries the newest issues of gardening magazines, which are very popular amongst visitors. Please keep in mind however, that the books and magazines are for in-house use only and are not available for renting.

Restaurant

The museum restaurant provides a relaxing atmosphere for enjoying a meal while looking at the beautiful plants in the central garden, or the roses surrounding the restaurant. It has 20 tables for a capacity of 80 people.

Workshops and Lectures

The Floral Museum offers various workshops and lectures on topics including plant care, flower arrangement, seasonal crafts, and nature photography. There are classes offered through the "Flower College" which require applications in advance, as well as the more casual craft classes that are on a walk-in basis. All courses are free, but participants will pay for the materials charges. Please call the museum, or look in the city residential newsletter for more information about the flower college, and to sign up for workshops.

Computer Corner

The computers on the first floor of the museum allow visitors to enter their birthdays and look up the flower for that date, or to plant virtual gardens on the screen. The birthday flowers come with a personality description and fortune.  This area is very popular with children, and there are long waiting lines on the weekend. The computers on the 2nd floor have plant information and quizzes for the entertainment (and education) of visitors.

The computer corner

Artwork

What sets the Chiba City Floral Museum apart from other similar attractions, is that it combines an art museum and a botanical garden into one location. While botanical gardens try to display the plants in ways close to their natural environment, the floral museum does not hesitate to add decorations to the exhibits. In addition, the museum features a variety of artwork based on or made from plants. Especially memorable were two pieces of artwork created using rose thorns. One was a large couch entirely covered in thorns, titled the "chair that you cannot sit on." The other were a pair of high-heeled shoes, lined with thorns covered in gold pollen on the inside: "shoes that cannot be worn." Because of the city’s proximity to the ocean, there is also an area that displays artwork related to the beach.

Rose thorn art

Another fun area is the "scent cafe." The room looks like a cute little kitchen with a table to sit in, and each seat has a teacup in front of it. Instead of drinking tea however, you can go around smelling and comparing the scents of different types of flowers.

The scent cafe

Special Events

Several events, including musical concerts by volunteer groups, are held throughout the year. Please contact the museum for more details!