Ameriflora
 AmeriFlora centerpiece The sculpture is intended to recall the sails on the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria. |
In 1992, the city of Columbus, Ohio was the site of Ameriflora. This event commemorated the quincentenary anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas. In 1989, the United States Christopher Columbus Quincentenary Jubilee Commission decided to commemorate Columbus's arrival with a horticulture exhibit. The commission selected Columbus, Ohio, for the show's site, primarily because Columbus is the largest city in the world named for the explorer.
Ameriflora lasted from April 3, 1992, to October 12, 1992. It cost approximately 100 million dollars and occurred at the Franklin Park Conservatory in downtown Columbus. The exhibits covered over eighty acres of land and included plants from all over the world. Originally, Ameriflora was only to contain plant life. Fearful that attendance might not be high enough to cover the show's costs, Ameriflora organizers did permit animal exhibits as well, hoping to attract more tourists. President George Bush attended the official opening of the international horticulture show, and First Lady Barbara Bush served as an honorary patron.