Visiting the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago

One of my favorite places to visit in Chicago is the Garfield Park Conservatory. It is located at 300 N. Central Park Ave. It is free to enter (donations suggested) and parking is free as well. The conservatory is open year round. To check their current hours follow the link to Garfield Park Conservatory.

There are 8 indoor display gardens: The Palm House, The Fern Room, The Show House, The Aroid House, The Desert House, The Children’s Garden and the Sugar from the Sun Room. 

From the lobby you will enter into the Palm House. It is the largest garden in the conservatory.  It is 65 feet high and 90 feet wide. It features over 70 Palm trees and a variety of tropical plants. 

Some of the tropical plants are occasionally changed out.

They also add some holiday cheer for the winter season.

Upon entering the Palm House, if you go to the right, the next section you will come to is the Show House.

The Show House changes out the displays seasonally. Their spring and Christmas shows are my favorites.

My all time favorite was the year they suspended Christmas trees from the ceiling. 

A remarkably creative and magical display!

Each year the display is completely different.

Always different and always beautiful!

The Show Room leads to the Aroid House.

 

The Aroid House is full of plants that are commonly found in people’s home, albeit not quite as large. 

The Aroid House also houses a permanent Chihuly exhibit. I love Chihuly’s glass artwork. I visited Chihuly Garden and Glass in Seattle and highly recommend it if you are a fan of his work. 

The Aroid House leads to the Desert House.

Here you will find a collection of cacti and succulents from around the world.

I always love seeing what’s in bloom.

The Desert House leads to the Children’s Garden. This room has a slide and some objects for climbing. The decorations in this room are created by children as part of children’s programs run by the conservatory.

The Children’s Garden leads to the Sugar from the Sun Room.

This room has placards which explain the process of photosynthesis.

It also houses a variety of fruit trees.

The Sugar from the Sun Room leads back to the Palm House. The Fern Room is located at the back, center of the Palm House. 

You will find the waterfall at the back of the room.

The water streams to a large pond filled with koi and turtles.

The building is located on ten acres and includes outdoor gardens as well. The outdoor gardens include: The Play and Grow Garden for Kids, The Artist’s Garden, The City Garden and the Sensory Garden, and will be the subject of my next post.

Things to Know:

• There are bathrooms and a gift shop, which sells snacks and drinks. You can bring food as well and eat at one of the tables set up out back or in Horticulture Hall.
• It is very warm in the conservatory, dress in layers. Coat racks are sometimes available but are not secured. I have left my coat unattended on several occasions and had no issue.
• If you drive, the conservatory is under 10 minutes from the expressway. You will need to drive through some less than desirable areas. Obviously, keep your doors locked. I have driven here on many occasions alone and have never had any problems, but being aware of your surroundings would be prudent.

 As always, wishing you happy travels and fantastic adventures in this thing called life.

(Pictures are available as Fine Art Prints or Digital Downloads for purchase at full resolution, unwatermarked, through Alamy. If you see something you like, click on the link. If you are unable to find it, use the Contact Me page and I will make sure the image is available. 

More Botanical Gardens

Olbrich Botanical Gardens

Lincoln Park Conservatory in Chicago

Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix

The Botanical Building in Balboa Park

Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden

The Rotary Botanical Gardens in Janesville

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