Garfield Park Conservatory

After lunch, I went online and made (same day) reservations. Suggested donation is $10 per adult. After we got inside the greenhouse, there is a coat rack for visitors.

There are two acres of greenhouse space with several houses/ rooms. I enjoyed the show house most because of the beautiful flowers. I also liked the fern room, where turtles were lounging in the lagoon. The aroid house has yellow lily pads, which were created by the glass artist Chihuly. We didn't go to the outdoor gardens since there wasn't much (start of spring). All in all, I'm glad we visited!

People who visit here should shower and wear clean clothes because in this enclosed environment with humidity, the smells are much more apparent.

Other than that rant, this immense and incredible eco-system is a veritable haven. As indicated in their page info, the site is free, I love that you can also donate online, so I can retain my cash :) Reservation is required. You can do so online to reserve a time of arrival or if not when you arrive you can scan a QR code by the entrance to sign up. You can leave your coat on the racks by the lobby. It is warm and humid inside the greenhouse. There are several rooms mimicking different tropical environments displaying various species of plants. There's a pond, tiny man-made waterfalls and streams along the sites. You will be inspired to adopt house plants if you haven't already and if you are inclined, you can find a few plants to buy at the gift shop. There is a coffee cart in one of the rooms but no cafe. Parking is free. Or commute via the Green line.

Perfect day to spend a few hours on blustery cold winter day in Chicago.

My 6 year old was hesitant, but even had a blast. Was very disappointed the children's garden was closed, but enjoyed seeing the Koi fish, turtles, and fresh fruit.

It had been about 20 years since I had been to the conservatory and kept wanting to go back to visit and I'm glad I finally went back.

Great place to spend time with grandkids.
Awesome opportunity to enjoy all that grows on earth and experience the variety of climates the Lord has created for us to enjoy.

The Garfield Park Conservatory is so beautiful. So many different plants are displays through the different rooms. My family and I went to see the poinsettias. Wow, that room was gorgeous with all the poinsettias it's def a must see during holidays/winter time.

The Garfield Park Conservatory is kid and ADA friendly. They were really accommodating with my mom and we were able to rent a wheel chair.

The kids playground was closed when we went but it's definitely a great spot to take the kiddos once it's spring/summer.

Reservations are required but I did notice they also have a walk-in option in case you did not reserve time.

Parking tip: parking lot!

This place is outstanding! We have a Conservatory in Cincinnati, which we've always loved. It pales in comparison to Garfield Park Conservatory. The outdoor areas are a beautiful bonus.

Aside from sometimes feeling lost because the place is so big, there are no negatives in this review.

When we arrived, the woman at the desk was so kind and helpful. Having her greet us and send us off on our explorations was the absolute best way to start our visit.

Oh... for some reason when I made reservations online, I thought I read it was important to arrive on time (not late, not early). That's not really the case, but think it was gave us time to sit out front by the fountain. The flowers in front of the Conservatory were beautiful and there were a couple comfy benches to sit on while we waited.

Our favorite room was the Fern Room (I'm sure that's not the official name), but there was beauty at every turn. We took a LOT of photos.

The gift shop was also nice. The woman that greeted us when we walked in happened to be hanging out in the gift shop. Once again she greet us with a smile and very polite conversation. I bought two candles and a bar of soap.

I should have mentioned sooner that the trains stop right at the Conservatory. It couldn't be more convenient to get to from downtown.

I'm actually very surprised I haven't written a review of this beautiful and magical place yet.

It took me almost 3 years of living in Chicago to finally speak up about this amazing conservatory on Yelp!

I remember first coming here during early 2021 when COVID restrictions were in place and they were very strict about it. Definitely a good thing to say the least, but there was very strict with the appointment/reservation times, and basically if you were like a minute late, they'd deny you.

Fast forward to today, they are not like that at all, however make sure to make a simple reservation for you or your party prior to arriving so that you have that taken care of already! I always suggest making a little donation when you come here as well, because we need green spaces like these to exist! The staff work very hard to keep places like this running and the way this place is kept up so well deserves appreciation.

This is is a very historical place in the city that I hope continues to stay here forever.

I always find that coming around the February/March time frame is the best because some of their rooms have much more colorful and beautiful flowers as opposed to August or September (our last visit) for example.

It's also great to come here in colder months anyways since it is a greenhouse that stays very warm even when it's freezing outside. A great way to be indoors and still see beautiful greenery and nature.

They have plants here from all around the world. My only suggestion is to include the country "Cambodia" somewhere along the descriptions of these plants because my partner is Cambodian and was disappointed to see it was never mentioned in any of them, but other countries like Vietnam or the term "Southeast Asia" were.

Anyways, love love love this place, and will always return here!

PS- this place is easily accessible to get to via downtown since the Green Line L station is legit steps away from here. There is also a parking lot in the south side of the premises.

Amazing experience at the conservatory. We went in November when it was really cold outside, but the cool thing about this place is that it's warm inside so that the plants can grow safely, so you get a break from the cold, which is great. They have coat hangers inside where you can hang your big jackets while you explore the gardens. They have different sections with different types of plants in each one of them. Had a blast with the family, great spot for tourists.

Gorgeous! Free! Easily accessible! Fantastic! If you go earlier, you should be able to get free parking. And there seems to be plentiful options for public transport, including a stop on the Green Line. The highlights for us, were the flower showroom and the desert section. The flower showroom was awash with vibrant blooms and floral scents. We truly enjoyed how the desert section has such a great variety of cacti at waist-level or above for easy viewing. The other sections have soaring palms, lush jungle-like atmosphere, and very pleasing water features.

The Conservatory seems to be perfect for visiting any time of the year. I went while it was still quite cold out and felt like my visit was a mini vacation.

Plan ahead. You will need to make reservations online. It is all free, but I am sure the appreciate donations. It is well-worth the donation, as you have free parking and admission, such a rarity nowadays.

The Garfield Conservatory is Free to visit, but a donation of $10+ per person is recommended to help the costs of running the conservatory.

I'm personally not that into nature, but my friends love it, so this was one of our spots to explore in between meals. Also, there were many nature enthusiasts who seemed to be having a great time here.

The property consists of the Palm House, Fern Room, Sugar from the Sun, Desert House, Aroid House, Show House, Horticultural Hall, Children's Garden (closed at the time of our visit), and their Outdoors Gardens.

Since I have a lot of nature-related allergies, I took a few allergy pills to protect myself upon this visit. There was one room that was extremely floral that I skipped all together cause I could feel my allergies reacting.

My favorite rooms seem to be the scenes related to water... like the one with the waterfall or the one with a pond.

I would recommend it if you are into plants.