Inside Iowa State: Iowa State University

INSIDE IOWA STATE
March 30, 2001

No Reiman fee for at least a year

Here's good news for all those looking forward to an early spring stroll through the Reiman Gardens: You'll be able to do so without paying an admission fee.

ISU alumni Roy and Bobbi Reiman will make an additional contribution that will keep the gardens admission-free until the opening of a new conservatory and butterfly house, said Murray Blackwelder, vice president for external affairs.

Blackwelder declined to state the size of the Reimans' gift.

"The Reimans fully understood our need for funds to cover what soon will be a sizeable operating budget," Blackwelder said.

However, the Reimans were reluctant to limit access to the gardens, Blackwelder said.

The gift will allow at least a full year for Reiman Gardens' officials to study the admission fee issue further.

"When the new conservatory and butterfly wing opens next year, this could become one of the biggest tourist sites in Iowa," Blackwelder added. "It will require a large staff and a lot of maintenance."