A. E. Finley Foundation Rooftop Terrace

Enjoy the spectacular view and an outstanding selection of plants, high above the Ruby C. McSwain Education Center on the A. E. Finley Foundation Rooftop Terrace. It's a prime location for holding your next event or function.

This dramatic green roof is an integral part of the building and environment and provides an insulating factor for the geothermally heated and cooled McSwain Center. Designed and constructed to support vegetation, this rooftop garden has planting beds as shallow as eight inches in some places. Layers of growing media, drainage elements, and protective roof membranes are hidden beneath the surface. Planting beds contain a mixture of sand, a heat-expanded slate material (PermaTill), and organic material appropriate for use on green roofs. Growing here is an unusual selection of plants, resistant to heat and drought conditions.

Also on the rooftop are sunny trough gardens, traditionally used for growing alpine plants and creating miniature gardens. These troughs are planted with dwarf conifers, sun ferns, tiny daphne, small bulbs, and cascading perennials. Displays also include a crevice garden and an alpine rock garden.

A. E. Finley Foundation Rooftop Terrace