Albuquerque BioPark breaks ground on revamped Dreamland garden

The ABQ BioPark held a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday for a reimagined Children’s Fantasy Garden, a project expected to take roughly a year to complete. The new garden, called “Dreamland,” builds on the original rather than replacing it, according to Hilma Chynoweth, director of Albuquerque’s Arts & Culture Division.

Tuesday’s ceremony came one week after the old garden closed. Crews used colorful powder bursts instead of shovels to mark the start of construction.

“It was really time for a refresh, some new renovations and new ideas to really reinvigorate the space,” said BioPark Associate Director Matthew Peterson.

The redesigned garden will feature a rainbow pathway, a troll forest, and a giant pumpkin transformed into a giant geode. The garden’s Medieval theme will remain, and the dragon at the entrance will stay in place after community feedback.

“It may take on a new color and new elements to welcome people back to the garden,” Peterson said.

BioPark officials said they spent the last year brainstorming ideas and gathering public input.

“We got over 1,500 community responses about what they wanted to see in the new garden through those different design charrettes and other opportunities; we embraced those and fit them into the redesign,” Chynoweth said.

Some current features, including the giant ants, will be retired and repurposed across the Botanic Garden.

“We are not replacing the old experience; we are building on it and creating new opportunities for discovery and play. There’s something powerful about building something that can be passed from one generation to the next,” Chynoweth said.

The project is funded through a combination of public funds and private donors.

“We’re gonna have a lot of fun on the adult side and the kid side as we put together this special place really for the second time, for the next generation,” said Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller.