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Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL

Photo: Kaosfere, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorFamily FavoriteDate NightOutdoor Adventure

Chicago Botanic Garden

1000 Lake Cook Rd · Glencoe, IL

Why you should go…

The Chicago Botanic Garden covers 385 acres on nine islands in Glencoe, north of the city. You can wander 27 display gardens and five natural habitats that include woodlands, prairie and shoreline. The Japanese Garden, designed by Koichi Kawana, dates to 1982. Seasonal draws include the Model Railroad Garden and the Butterflies & Blooms exhibition, tram tours run through the grounds, and children have a Nature Play Garden of their own.

  • #botanical garden
  • #japanese garden
  • #walking paths
  • #model railroad

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Chicago Botanic Garden, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Free

    Baháʼí House of Worship

    Free

    You walk the terraced gardens and sit in the white domed auditorium of the oldest Baháʼí House of Worship still standing.

    7.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Nightlife
    Date Night

    Green Mill

    Under $25

    Catch live jazz in a 1930s Uptown lounge with a curved booth tied to Al Capone lore and a long-running Sunday poetry slam.

    14 mi awaySwitch it up: Nightlife

  • Tours
    Iconic

    Wrigley Field Tours

    $25–$50

    Go behind the ivy at the Cubs' 1914 ballpark, dugout, press box, bleachers, and a walk on the field itself.

    15 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Family Favorite

    Lincoln Park Zoo

    Free

    One of America's last free zoos, lions, gorillas, and gardens minutes from downtown.

    18 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Local Gem

    Garfield Park Conservatory

    Under $25

    "Landscape art under glass", two acres of palms, ferns, and desert plants inside one of the nation's largest conservatories.

    18 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Iconic

    Millennium Park & Cloud Gate (The Bean)

    Free

    Snap your reflection in The Bean, splash at Crown Fountain, and catch free concerts downtown.

    20 mi awayMore like this