Chicago Botanic Garden

1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, IL 60022, USA

Address:	1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, IL 60022, USA
Phone:	+1 847-835-5440
Site:	chicagobotanic.org
Rating:	4.8
Working:	8AM–7PM 8AM–7PM 8AM–7PM 8AM–7PM 8AM–7PM 8AM–7PM 8AM–7PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 5

Pam Devendorf

One of the perks of living in the North suburbs of Chicago is enjoying the amazing gardens at the Chicago Botanic Gardens which are located in Glencoe, Il. The Botanic Gardens are comprised of 26 unique gardens along with 4 natural areas. The Gardens are situated on 385 acres and include nine islands, with six miles of lake shoreline. Yep, its a big place to visit! I recommend for 1st timers to take a tram ride around the gardens. This gives you a good overview of all the different garden areas filled with info from the helpful tram guide. There is no entry fee to the gardens however, there is a parking fee of $25 per car. If you share the fee it is very reasonable: 2 people, $12.50 per person, 4 people only $6.25 per person. The 2nd item I recommend is eat lunch at the Garden View Cafe. It is filled with seasonal, delicious, healthy food choices. Many of the dishes are prepared with items grown on site from their fruit and vegetable gardens. How cool is that? My 3rd fav thing to do is walk around the Rose Garden to the Japanese Gardens circling back to the English Gardens. Bring your camera, cause when the flowers are in bloom, they are full of color! My hubby and I recently visited the Gardens (October/Fall) and decided to walk the Dixon Prairie Trail. Heads up, wear sneakers cause this is the loooooong way around the gardens. But, it gives you a different perspective of the Gardens, you burn a few calories and its so quiet! If you have little ones, splurge and buy tickets to the Model Railroad Exhibit, it is fascinating. There are so many Chicago Landmarks included in the exhibit, its fun identifying the buildings. I can go on and on but, check out their website and if you have a chance: visit The Chicago Botanic Gardens!

Edgar Reihl

This is one of the most beautiful gardens in the world, and we are lucky enough to have it right here in Chicagoland. I have visited botanic gardens in cities from Sydney, Australia to Berlin, Germany and although they are all very nice and have collections that are unique to those areas, the Chicago Botanic Gardens are my favorite. Any time of the year is a good time to visit, but I love the summer months because of the amazing variety of color. As a digital photography enthusiast, this is one of my favorite places to practice my picture taking skills. As others have mentioned, you really cannot expect to see everything there is to see in just one visit. After you have been there a few times, youll probably develop an affinity for certain parts of the gardens that youll want to return to again and again. A few of mine include the English Walled Garden, the Waterfall Garden, the Water Lily Garden, and the Sensory Garden. They have a nice eating area that includes both indoor and outdoor seating. The offerings are mostly lighter fare, but dishes are nicely prepared and served. Its not an inexpensive place to eat, but keep in mind that youre helping to support the work of the garden. And speaking of work, it takes a small army of people to maintain the gardens in peak condition. Weekends are very busy especially during the peak season, so if you dont like crowds, avoid those days if you can. I find it well worth taking a vacation day to visit during midweek when there are fewer people present. I would like to mention that almost all areas of the gardens are equipped to handle the requirements of handicapped visitors.

Leidy Cachaplita

Perfect place if you are an outdoorsy person. Entrance is free. BUT if you go in driving they will charge $20 per car. Not a bad deal if you have a van with a big Family. Go in Sneakers (Tennis Shoes) and enjoy the fresh air! Although every single inch of this Botanic Garden is well taken care of and gorgeous my favorite spot is the Japanese Garden within the grounds. So much peace there. The Botanic Garden is open all year round. They also have some free activities for all ages happening as well. Make sure to check their website calendar before heading there. I also want to point out that if you or a family member wants to go but maybe doesnt like walking too much or cant walk for long periods of time. Right at the main entrance (after you pay the fee per car, if you came in driving) there is a Kiosk where you can purchase tickets for about $5 per person to go a little ride (like saffari car/biiiig golf car-sorry cant recall the name right now) and will drive you slowly around the area. Also if you decided to do that please double check the price before heading there. It is a wonderful place for all people. Also I want to say if you wonder how do you get inside if you dont want to pay the $20 per car. Well, you can park outside in the neighborhood and walk all the way to the entrance (which you might regret after all the walking inside) but if you do this I must WARN you that the closer streets have a parking permit requirement (to avoid all visitors parking outside bothering neighbours) so you will have to go several blocks down. And just normally walk in.

Wesley Kim

Tired of the cold steel gray towers of Chicago and want to breathe some fresh air? Air that is not tainted by honking cabs, cigarette smoke, and screaming of tourist children? Want to escape from the cold grip of Mr. Freeze? The Botanic gardens is not a bad place to get your zen on then. In summer time the place is a lush garden of fantasy filled with weeping willows, fruit trees, veggies, odd cactus, metal birds and a large lake to cover it all. In the winter time, the place is a frozen wonderland, not a whole lot of plants but the green houses are open and they do random events (last time it was Bonsai themed). In August they also have cooking classes and on random days they give you little saplings to take home. Mine died on the way home as it fell out of the bag I put it in. Must be fate. Overall, a good escape when wanting to breathe in some clean fresh air. For those of you who dont drive like me, be prepared to wait around a long time for PACE. The pedestrian walkway to the garden is quite nice though, sometimes I am jealous of the cars though. The good: a natural escape from the miserable cold. A good place to take your love interest or your grandma. The not so good: getting there is slightly annoying and you really only have a few options when you want to leave.

Nathan Kahue

Chicago Botanic Garden is a beautiful respite from the business of Chi town. This garden is beautiful year round because they try to incorporate indoor garden events such as the orchid festival in February (pictures below). Additionally, visiting the Japanese garden after or during a heavy snowfall will provide a totally different experience than during the warmer months. The lanterns catch the snow in an intentionally beautiful way. The Chicago botanic gardens are a must. If you live in the area I HIGHLY recommend getting a season pass. We have used ours at least 15 times already because we always take friends and family who come to visit. Being able to take an entire car full of people with only one season pass is awesome! The bistro inside serves excellent food and beverages (including Starbucks coffee) year round. During the summer they open a grill on the deck which serves organic and grass fed beef (fairly pricey but typical) and beer. Additionally, there is a walking/bike path around the gardens which is great for outdoor exercise. They have bikes that you can rent if you dont have or want to bring your own. All in all, this is a great place that may seem pricey at first glance. But if you can, get a season pass and it will be totally worth while.