Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest
All images © ESI Design
A learning experience that blends nature with interactive technology and self-guided discovery.
When the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in Clermont, Kentucky wanted to create a unique experience to increase visitorship and highlight its research program at the 14,000-acre site, it reached out to ESI to design an innovative master plan and exhibit program.
The portal to the experience and cornerstone of the design, the Bernheim Visitor Center, intentionally blurs the visual distinction between the indoor and outdoor environments, and highlights Bernheim’s programs through a range of interactive and graphic exhibits. Mobile labs, interpretive nodes and PDA-generated self-guided tours extend the experience beyond the Visitor Center into the arboretum itself.
One of the most unique experiences to become available to visitors of Bernheim is the site’s “Canopy Walk” – a large pier extending into the tree canopy from a knob top that enables visitors to experience the forest like never before. Graphic panels along their path highlight information about the ecosystem around them.
Today, as when it opened in 2005, Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest continues to be a place where visitors of all backgrounds can enjoy an enriching and interactive educational experience.
Visit the client's website at bernheim.org