BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND BLOG
The Chicago Botanic Garden (CBG) in Glencoe, Illinois, is a popular destination in any season—but especially during the warmer months. If you love nature and hikes and strolls through flower-filled meadows, English and Japanese gardens, forests, and much more, you could easily spend an entire day touring its 27 gardens and four natural areas. If you love plants, this place will take you to nature nirvana. There are 2,587,596 plants representing 9,694 plant varieties of 232 plant families onsite, according to the CBG website.
The GardenGuide App 2.0 is a great way to learn more about the Chicago Botanic Garden and navigate its vast expanses. Its features will be especially useful in warmer weather, when you can use its Walking Tours, What’s in Bloom, and Plant Guide features. Maps and interpretive guides are also available at the garden.
BIRDING AT THE CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN
Although many people visit the CBG for its stunning plants, trees, and flowers, it’s also a popular birdwatching destination. Hundreds of bird species have been sighted at the garden. The CBG says that the following bird species are common sights:
Spring: Baltimore oriole, killdeer, red-winged blackbird, rose-breasted grosbeak
Summer: great blue heron, indigo bunting, orchard oriole, purple martin
Fall: American robin, cedar waxwing, golden-crowned kinglet, white-throated sparrow
Winter: American tree sparrow, Cooper’s hawk, dark-eyed junco, pine siskin
Year-round: American goldfinch, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, northern cardinal
Click here to view a complete list of birds that have been seen at the garden (as well as receive tips on the best places to spot them, choosing the right field binoculars, and finding the right field guide).
Don’t forget about visiting the CBG in the winter. Although the flowers are gone (except in the greenhouses), the trees are bare, and the lake and waterways may be frozen at times, there’s plenty to do at the CBG in winter, including:
- Checking out the garden’s popular Wonderland Express exhibit. It’s an annual holiday extravaganza that features model trains journeying around and above dozens of Chicagoland’s major landmarks—from Wrigley Field and the Baha’i Temple to Sears Tower and The Bean—all lovingly created with the use of leaves, wood, and other natural products. There are also water features, snowflakes occasionally falling from the indoor “sky,” and holiday music.
- Having a relaxing meal or cup of coffee at the Garden View Café and watching nature through the windows.
- Checking out the garden’s large gift shop filled with ideas for holiday presents, including books, live plants, kids’ toys, clothing, and holiday ornaments.
- Checking out The Orchid Show: India Blooms, an annual event that runs through March 23, 2025
- Braving the cold and hiking the grounds (including McDonald’s Woods) in solitude or near solitude.
- Walking the grounds to enjoy the holiday lights.
- Enjoying seasonal shows
- Visiting the garden’s three amazing greenhouses—two filled with exotic tropical plants (pruned in the summer so that they bloom in the winter to wow us sun-deprived, shivering Chicagoans) and another arrayed with an amazing medley of cacti and succulents—some more than 15-feet tall. Once you enter the greenhouses on a cold winter day, you’ll never want to leave.
- Listening to holiday music at the Christmas Brass Concert with the Chicago Brass Band or enjoying its Hanukkah Concert.
- Watching a holiday movie with the kids on select days in December.
- Seeing sculptors wield chainsaws and carving tools to create amazing ice art.
In any season, there are literally hundreds of events, classes, and other activities scheduled at the garden. According to its website, the CBG offers “1,500 classes, workshops, programs, and events on everything from the life cycle of plants to painting and photography, butterflies to bonsai, and wilderness survival to yoga workouts, in one of the largest blended indoor/outdoor learning environments in the area.” Click here for more info.
All About McDonald’s Woods
McDonald’s Woods, a100-acre oak woodland at the Chicago Botanic Garden, may be small, but it is home to an amazing range of plants and animals. In fact, garden staff and volunteers have tallied more than 350 species of native plants (including red trillium, short’s aster, purple spring cross, and tall thistle). At least seven state-listed threatened or endangered plant species live in the woods. They include northern cranesbill, forked aster, dwarf raspberry, bent-seeded hop sedge, brome hummock sedge, small sundrops, and dog violet. Nearly 120 species of birds (such as red-eyed vireo, downy woodpecker, and white-breasted nuthatch) have been sighted at McDonald’s Woods, which features red, swamp white, and white oaks. Twenty species of mammals live there. There are also 55 species of ground-dwelling spiders and 30 species of butterflies. Visit the woods on your next trip to the botanic garden for a peaceful and refreshing experience. There are two trails: a .38-mile North Trail Loop and a .22-mile South Trail Loop.
Finally, consider becoming a member of the Chicago Botanic Garden. Membership benefits include free parking, and discounts at the café and Garden Shop, as well, as discounts on events such as Butterflies & Blooms, Model Railroad Garden (a great summer option), and tram tour tickets. If you make several trips to the CBG, your membership will pay for itself.
Before You Go
Where: 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL 60022
Learn More: Forest Preserve District of Cook County, 847/835-6801, Web
What You Can Do There:
- Bicycling (in certain areas)
- Birdwatching
- Educational and Self-Enrichment Opportunities and Classes
- Hiking
- Nature Center
- Photography
- Picnicking
- Restaurant
- Shopping
- Tram
Hours: Open every day of the year; hours change seasonally
Visit Planning: Plan your visit here.
No-Nos: No pets, skateboards, or rollerblades are allowed.
Admission Fee: An admission fee is required, and there is a charge for parking. Several free days are available. Additional fees are required for some special events and exhibits. Members receive free admission.
Nearby Nature Destinations: Captain Daniel Wright Woods Forest Preserve, Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area, Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve, Harms Woods, Mellody Farm Nature Preserve, Middlefork Savanna Forest Preserve, Potawatomi Woods, River Trail Nature Center, Skokie Lagoons, Somme Woods
Copyright (text) Andrew Morkes
Copyright (photos) Andrew Morkes (as credited)
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Looking for some other great nature destinations in Chicagoland? If so, check out my book, Nature in Chicagoland: More Than 120 Fantastic Nature Destinations That You Must Visit. It features amazing destinations in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Click on the title to learn more. The book has 306 pages and 210+ photos and is only $19.99.
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ABOUT ANDREW MORKES
I have been a writer and editor for more than 30 years. I’m the founder of College & Career Press (2002); the author and publisher of “The Morkes Report: College and Career Planning Trends” blog; and the author and publisher of Hot Health Care Careers: 30 Occupations With Fast Growth and Many New Job Openings; Nontraditional Careers for Women and Men: More Than 30 Great Jobs for Women and Men With Apprenticeships Through PhDs; They Teach That in College!?: A Resource Guide to More Than 100 Interesting College Majors, which was selected as one of the best books of the year by the library journal Voice of Youth Advocates; and other titles. They Teach That in College!? provides more information on environmental- and sustainability-related majors such as Ecotourism, Range Management, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Built Environment, Sustainability Studies, and Sustainable Agriculture/Organic Farming. I also served as a member of the parent advisory board at my son’s school for five years.
In addition to these publications, I’ve written more than 70 books about careers for other publishing and media companies including Infobase (such as the venerable Encyclopedia of Careers & Vocational Guidance, the Vault Career Guide to Accounting, and many volumes in the Careers in Focus, Discovering Careers, What Can I Do Now?!, and Career Skills Library series) and Mason Crest (including those in the Careers in the Building Trades and Cool Careers in Science series).
Here’s a list of the environmental-focused titles that I’ve written:
- Nature in Chicagoland: More Than 120 Fantastic Nature Destinations That You Must Visit
- Wind Turbine Technicians (Great Careers Without a Bachelor’s Degree series)
- Environmental Scientists (Cool Careers in Science series)
- Renewable Energy Careers (Cool Careers in Science series)
- Environment (Getting Started series)
- Solar Power Technicians (Careers in Infrastructure series)
My happy place.
I love the wide variety of programs and outdoor opportunities in all seasons.