ST. LOUIS – Cherry blossoms are blooming at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, offering a stunning display for visitors this spring.

The Missouri Botanical Garden is experiencing a busy season as people flock to see the cherry blossoms, a rare sight in St. Louis.

“It’s beautiful; you don’t have to go all the way to Washington, D.C., and you don’t have to go all the way to Japan to see the beautiful cherry blossoms,” said Jessika Eidson, public information officer of Missouri Botanical Garden. “They’re right in your backyard.”

One visitor who came out to see the cherry blossoms was Ellen Grusczynski.

“The cherry blossoms—to have them here and be able to see them—because not everyone goes to Washington, D.C.

Garden officials are encouraging visitors to make their trip sooner rather than later, as the cherry blossom show is a short-lived event.

To accommodate the influx of visitors, the garden will be open late this Thursday, closing at 7:30 p.m. for a special evening of flower viewing.

“We saw that the cherry blossoms are blooming, so we’ve got to give people a little extra time to come out and see them,” Eidson said. “If you can’t go to Japan, come here at the Botanical Garden.”