Last updated on January 13th, 2025
With 27 gardens and four natural areas, the Chicago Botanic Garden provides a lush oasis of calm and beauty just north of the Windy City.
Flowers and more at the Chicago Botanic Garden
Whatever the season, the Chicago Botanic Garden offers visitors a chance to enjoy something green and beautiful.
Surrounded by color on a beautiful day
We visited the garden on a beautiful early fall day last September.
Despite the season, there were still plenty of colorful summer plants blooming in the formal gardens behind the visitor center and along the water.
Waterlilies in the Heritage Garden
In a garden filled with stunning gardens, the Heritage Garden stands out for both its beauty and the range of plants on display.
The center of the garden features a flower-filled garden planted in a fountain.
This garden-in-a-fountain is in a plaza encircled by walkways and a ring of waterlily ponds.
Technically, the Chicago Botanic Garden only has one aquatic garden. This is not it. However, with a mix of tropical and hardy waterlilies, Victoria lilies, lotuses, and a variety of other water-loving plants like cana lilies, the Heritage Garden’s formal water garden is one of the most beautiful I have seen.
And that’s not all. The ring of water gardens is enclosed by another ring with a walkway and yet another exuberant garden.
It’s a wonderful space.
Apparently the garden is laid out to reflect the layout of gardens from the past. The plants themselves are grouped by geographic origin and scientific classification.
That organizational structure was more-or-less lost on me. However, it did explain the giant sculpture of a very young-looking Carl Linnaeus pouncing on a flower!
(The Swedish botanist developed the system used to name plants and animals.)
The English walled garden
There are other formal gardens at the Chicago Botanic Garden, including a rose garden that wraps around a lawn with a large fountain.
(You can see a few roses if you look closely.}
I don’t have anything against rose gardens, but I prefer the six peaceful “rooms” of the English Walled Garden.
While it was an inviting space on a fall day, I think these English gardens would be particularly lovely in spring. Not quite as good as England in the spring, but still a lovely place to linger.
The Japanese Garden
The Japanese Garden is another area of the Chicago Botanic Garden that would be particularly stunning in spring when the trees and shrubs are in bloom. But fall is also a great time to visit, as many of the leaves turn brilliant colors.
The garden is built on three islands (two of which you can visit) and has an enticing mix of plantings, dry gardens, bridges, and buildings.
Step into a warmer climate at any time of year
The Chicago Botanic Garden has three greenhouses filled with plants more commonly found in tropical rain forests, hot deserts, and semitropical regions.
The tropical greenhouse
The tropical greenhouse is where I’d want to be on a cold winter day, as daytime temperatures inside are in the 80s – 90s with 90% humidity. It’s a bit like being in a plant-filled sauna!
The desert greenhouse
Of course, the arid desert greenhouse wouldn’t be a bad place to hide out on a cold winter day either.
There’s a nice mix of cacti, succulents, and other odd things. A few were even in bloom when we visited.
The semitropical greenhouse
The third greenhouse is for plants that thrive in warm, but not tropical, areas. A lot of the plants here are familiar houseplants, but there are also more unusual plants and an amazing bog garden with carnivorous plants.
Bonsai
The Chicago Botanic Garden has a bonsai collection that includes almost 200 plants, a selection of which can be viewed in a sheltered courtyard from spring through fall.
All of the bonsai have labels that indicate the age of the plant and how long it has been trained. One white pine in the collection has been trained for at least 100 years! I find that rather amazing.
Art Exhibits
Besides gardens, the Chicago Botanical Garden also has exhibition space that features a variety of plant shows and art exhibits throughout the year. The largest of these spaces is in the Regenstein Center, which is also where the greenhouses are located.
Exhibits change regularly and often include the work of fine art photographers and painters.
When we visited in September 2017, the featured exhibit included paintings, sketches, and textiles by Brazilian designer Roberto Burle Marx. I wasn’t familiar with Marx’s work, but having seen a few of his bold graphics and swirling colors I would love to see some of the landscapes he created. They must be an amazing mix of color!
Plan your visit to the Chicago Botanic Garden
The Chicago Botanic Garden is open daily throughout the year, although not all gardens within it have much to see all year. (Chicago has winters, after all.)There is also special programming throughout the year, including what looks to be a lovely Christmas display in December and a spectacular orchid show in February and March.
There is no charge to visit the garden, but there is a rather considerable fee for parking.
The botanic garden is a popular location for weddings and other events. During those events, the general public may not have access to all parts of the garden. If there is a particular part of the garden you really want to see during peak wedding season, call ahead and make sure it will be open to the public while you are there.
Getting there
The Chicago Botanic Garden is located about 20 miles northwest of Chicago in Glencoe, Illinois.
The garden’s website provides detailed information and links, so the following is just a brief summary.
Via automobile
The Chicago Botanic Garden is easily accessible by car, as the gardens are just off Interstate highway 94.
Parking is available at the garden and can be purchased in advance through the garden’s website.
While the parking fee is rather high (currently $25 per car), there are discounts available for seniors from Cook County and low-income Illinois residents. There is no charge for US military personnel and their families.
Via transit
Public transit to the garden is available via Metra Rail. The Braeside station is less than a mile from the garden. On Sundays the Garden Trolley connects that station to the garden. The rest of the week, visitors can take the Pace bus to the garden, but apparently they need to let the driver know.
The bus can be used to reach the garden from a variety of locations in the area, but it doesn’t run on Sundays.
Via bike
A new bike path links the garden to the Green Bay and North Branch trails. There is a bike path along the edge of the garden, with bike racks located to allow pedestrian access inside the garden.
There is also a bike rental station at the botanic garden where visitors may pick up or drop off a bike to use for the day.
Dining at the garden
The Chicago Botanic Garden has several dining options during the summer.
The Garden View Café offers several options for breakfast, lunch, and Sunday brunch between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. throughout the year. Seating is available in the sunny dining room or outside on an expansive patio with wonderful views over the river to the garden.
(That’s the patio at the Café. Looks pleasant, doesn’t it.)
During the summer, there are additional dining options. The Garden Grille offers burgers, brats, and daily specials. Along the rose garden, the Rose Terrace Beer Garden serves craft beers, salads, and sandwiches. Both of these seem to have limited operating hours that vary with the day of the week.
Resources for planning your visit
If you are interested in a particular part of the garden or just want a better idea of what to expect when you get there, the Chicago Botanic Garden has resources to help you.
Take a virtual tour
The garden’s virtual tour lets you see much of the garden using Google’s street view technology. It’s a little clunky to navigate, but it provides a good idea of how the gardens are laid out.
Follow the map
A map of the garden is available once you arrive, but you can also view and download the map before you leave home.
Consult the app
Visitors with a smartphone should try the Chicago Botanic Garden’s app. It’s designed to meet the needs of both casual visitors and serious gardeners and is available for both IOS and Android phones.
The app’s interactive map will be of use to everyone. Besides showing the layout of the garden, it aids navigation by showing exactly where you are in the garden. It also lets you mark favorite places – including the location of your car!
The app also offers several narrated walking tours and a guide to what’s in bloom at the time of your visit.
Serious gardeners will appreciate the app’s plant finder feature, which can be used to locate specific plants in the garden. Just type in a plant’s common or Latin name and the app will show you where to find it. There is also a plant guide that lets you search by plant characteristics to find examples of plants that might be right for your own yard.
What’s in bloom?
If you are interested in seeing a particular plant in bloom, check the garden’s What’s in Bloom page.
This will tell you both what is in bloom at the moment (or thereabouts), as well as what is coming up in the next couple of months. You can also download a detailed list of plants in bloom.
What a wonderful variety of plants and garden styles at the Chicago Botanic Garden! I particularly liked the look of the Japanese garden.
Yes, Karen, the Japanese garden is very lovely – it’s also among the largest I’ve visited, and not very busy – all of which adds to the beauty and serenity!
During all of my years living in Chicago and years since then visiting the WIndy City, I’ve never been to the Chicago Botanic Garden. Love your gorgeous photos which have inspired me to make a visit next time. However, now that I live in the Sonoran Desert, I might look at the desert greenhouse with a very critical eye. :)
The botanic garden seems to be a bit of a hidden gem. And yes, Cathy, I would guess you won’t be as impressed by the desert garden now that you live near one of the best desert gardens in the nation or maybe even the world! Hope you are enjoying the cacti in bloom.
Yes, hope springs eternal! What a comprehensive and inspiring post. I hope to visit the Chicago Botanic Garden after seeing this. Love the sculpture of Carl Linnaeus; we just came from Sweden where he is also frequently recognized.
Thank you for your kind comments, Kristin. I have yet to post my photos from Linnaeus’ garden in Uppsala, but with this late spring, I may start working through my backlog of garden posts to write!
Thank you for such an extensive post on Chicago’s Botanic Garden! You really covered it all. I love visiting them and will make it a point to incorporate it into my next Chicago trip. Your photos are fantastic!
Wow. Thanks, Debbra. That’s very kind. The Chicago Botanic Garden is a lovely place and I really had fun photographing there.
I absolutely adore visiting Botanical Gardens when I travel. The Chicago Botanic Garden looks like a marvellous place to explore. Thx so much for introducing me to it.
Hope you get there – I’m sure you’ll enjoy it!
I’ve been to Chicago so many times, but never to the Botanical Gardens. Next time.
Yeah, I can’t believe how long it took me to get there. We went with friends from Chicago and it was a revelation to the too!
I love visiting Botanical Gardens and Chicago Botanical Gardens looks beautiful. I like that entrance is free, but that is a pretty stiff parking fee.
Yes, Donna, I also liked that cars have to pay, but people are free. Chicago actually has some lovely bike paths and it’s pretty flat, so it seems like a reasonable place to bike to!
Wow, what a huge botanical garden and what a great time to visit. Burle Max is huge here in Latin America, especially where I’m visiting now in Brazil and what a treat to see his paintings and graphic designs there.
Noel, I was completely unaware of his work, but seeing the paintings has pushed Brazil higher up on my travel list. I’d love to see some of his landscapes! Have fun in Brazil!
Thanks for this informative article on the Chicago Botanic Gardens. Our son just moved to Chicago this past weekend, so we will have plenty of chances to experience this place for ourselves.
It will be gorgeous later this spring and summer – so enjoy it whenever you get there!
I love botanic gardens. I expected the big city of Chicago to have a great one and I wasn’t disappointed. But wait, it might even be be more alluring in spring!
That’s my thought – it might be better in spring!