Chicago Botanic Garden
1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, IL 60022 * 847-835-5440
Located in a suburb 25 miles from the city, these gardens are well worth the drive. See recreated prairies, Japanese gardens, and giant topiaries, along with more than 20 other gardens. An added attraction is the Bee Line, a glass case that features over 10,000 pollinating bees. Managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society, this 400-acre preserve is also home to lagoons, waterways, and various botanical environments.
Cuneo Museum and Gardens
1350 N Milwaukee Ave, Vernon Hills, IL 60061 * 847-362-3042
Most recently home to printing magnate John F. Cuneo's family, this regal structure boasts a wealth of elaborate details, including a skylit ceiling (over 25 feet high) and a central courtyard. Eighteen rooms of the Italianate home are open to the public and feature ironwork accents, painted frescoes, a gilt-wood piano, and 17th century tapestries. The gardens occupy 75 acres and are home to peacocks, fountains, and formal plantings. A conservatory and woodlands also provide a glimpse of the estate's riches.
Garfield Park Conservatory
300 N Central Park Ave, Chicago, IL 60624-1945 * 312-746-5100
A serene and tranquil setting is the trademark of one of the world's largest indoor gardens. The conservatory was built in 1908 and prefers to display its plants in natural settings. You'll find its five permanent collections in plant houses that recreate different climates from around the world. The conservatory recently opened an interactive organic playground.
Lincoln Park Conservatory
2400 N Stockton Dr, Chicago, IL 60614 * 312-742-7736
Located northeast of the Lincoln Zoo, the conservatory is a haven of flora and fauna. The plant life ranges from seasonal flowers to a fifty-foot rubber tree that dates back one hundred years. Don't forget to visit the French gardens and lush lawn outside the conservatory's glass dome.
Located just a short distance from Chicago, this fabulous "Tree Museum" features 3,000 varieties of trees, shrubs, and vines. Its 1,700 acres include Illinois Tree Trails, sugar maples, a Crabtree orchard, a delightful prairie that blooms in summer and fall, 13 miles of trails, and 11 miles of road viewing. Founded by Joy Morton (of Morton Salt fame) in 1922, the Arboretum continues to delight guests with seasonal events, the Sterling Morton Library, and the Ginkgo gift and coffee shop.
