300px|thumb|AmeriFlora '92 logo
AmeriFlora '92 was an international horticultural exhibition held in Columbus, Ohio, United States from April 20 to October 12, 1992. Taking place on 88 acres (356,123 m<sup>2</sup>) of landscaped grounds at Franklin Park, the exhibition cost $95 million to produce and attracted 5.5 million visitors. The exhibition was billed as the first international flower show in the United States.
Origins
thumb|left|AmeriFlora centerpiece. The sculpture is intended to recall the sails on the [[Niña (ship)|Niña, Pinta, and Santa María.]]
AmeriFlora was formed and incorporated on November 14, 1986, and sanctioned as an official 1992 commemorative event by the United States Christopher Columbus Quincentenary Jubilee Commission in 1989. The organizers wanted to create national attention and put the otherwise quiet city "on the map".
Financial performance
thumb|Typical outdoor floral display, in this case, a map of the world
Despite an extensive multi-year publicity and marketing campaign, AmeriFlora did not attract enough visitors to meet the bills, especially as the costs escalated before the gates even opened. Also cited as reasons for low attendance were: torrential rain (14 inches in July that often flooded the lagoons), a lack of interest from the surrounding black community, a boycott by Native Americans due to its celebration of Christopher Columbus, the exhibition's unclear image (as a flower show vs. as a theme park), a lack of enthusiasm for it by professional horticulturalists, and its $20 admission ($ in ).