Chiluly glass exhibition shatters Adelaide Botanic Garden record

A new outdoor exhibition at Adelaide Botanic Garden is breaking all its visitor records.

Dale Chihuly’s glass installation The Sun, at Adelaide Botanic Garden. Picture: Nathaniel Willson

The Chihuly glass exhibition has smashed attendance records at Adelaide Botanic Garden, with more than 180,000 visitors in its first three weeks.

Dale Chihuly’s glass work Sapphire Star outside the Palm House at Adelaide Botanic Garden, © 2010 Chihuly Studio. Photograph by Nathaniel Willson

Its outdoor display of 15 large-scale installations by leading US glass artist Dale Chihuly broke the garden’s previous daily visitation record on its opening day, September 27, with 10,529 attendances across the different events.

A new daily record of 15,576 visitors was later set on October 7.

Botanic Gardens director Michael Harvey said the event had surpassed previous visitor records for when its rare Corpse Flower came into bloom.

“The buzz surrounding the unveiling of the Chihuly works, combined with school holidays and a welcome warm start to spring, has us tracking over double our attendance against the same period last year,” Mr Harvey said.

Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison MP said ticket purchases by interstate visitors were also strong, and the event was having flow-on benefits for traders in the city’s East End.

“The timing … will cross over three school holiday periods as well as several other major events that our city is well known for, giving visitors a reason to stay in Adelaide a little longer and immerse themselves in art and nature,” Ms Bettison said.

Chihuly in the Botanic Garden runs until April 29 and is free to visit during the day.

Advertiser readers can purchase discount $20 tickets for the special Chihuly Nights event in October-November using the code advertiser@chihulynights

Book at events.humanitix.com/chihuly-nights