Springtime at the Garfield Park Observatory in Chicago
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Despite living in Chicago for over 25 years, I somehow never made my way over to the top rated Garfield Park Conservatory. On a recent spring trip to the city, I decided to escape the chilly, rainy spring temps in exchange for a few hours exploring the warm tropical and comfortably dry and warm desert gardens. I love visiting botanical gardens all over the country, but this beauty is definitely up there with the best I’ve seen yet.
Really, I can’t believe it took me so long to check this wonderful city gem out. I would definitely say that this is a great activity on a rainy or cold day. It’s always warm and green inside the conservatory (it felt about 80 degrees in the Palm House to me), so it’s a great pick during the long dreary winter season and the rainy spring months when you can’t do much outside.
While strolling the gardens is a definite city must-do for any plant lovers, I also think history buffs will appreciate a visit. It’s one of the country’s oldest conservatories, having opened way back in 1908. With a 2 acre greenhouse and 10 acres of outdoor gardens, it’s also one of the largest. I feel like our $10 admission fee was nothing in comparison to what we got to see. I’ve been to much smaller gardens which charge a lot more, so I would say this is a wonderful value. And city residents get in free which is a nice perk! I recommend reading up more on the history before visiting.
“Showers of Flowers”
The spring flower show, housed in the Show House, which started on February 14 and ends on May 10th, is a wonderful time to plan a visit. In addition to seeing the regular gardens, you will get to enjoy a colorful exhibit which the conservatory has named “Showers of Flowers.”
You will get to see a range of colorful seasonal flowers including: tulips, daffodils, cymbidium, lupines, snapdragons, orchids, astilbe, and ranunculus, plus azaleas, hydrangea, and camellias. I also love the hanging baskets which featuring vines like sweet potato and ivy and pansies, petunia, and calibrachoa.
The entire display is just so colorful and fresh. I love all the purple and pink hues – it really screams that spring is just around the corner no matter how much the weather seems to change from 80 degrees to 40 from day to day! I loved the mini umbrellas hanging from the ceiling – it really gave the display an extra eye popping touch. We even looked in the gift shop to see if we could buy one, but unfortunately, they didn’t have any on sale.
The Gardens
In addition to the Show House which features the seasonal floral display, you will be able to stroll the regular gardens anytime of year. Really, the Show House alone is enough to justify a visit in my opinion.
The permanent gardens include:
- Palm House
- Desert House
- Aroid House
- Fern Room
- Sugar from the Sun
- Horticulture House
- E.M.G. Children’s Garden
- Outdoor Gardens
Note: The Children’s Garden is currently closed (as of spring 2026) for renovation. It is expected to open on May 1st.
I’ll provide a brief intro about each garden and show you some pictures. Note: It was way too cold during our visit to spend any time in the outdoor gardens, plus nothing was blooming. We did enjoy the beautiful colorful red and orange tulips planted out front through.
I would love to come back in the summer sometime and explore more. Did I feel that the admission fee was still worth it? Definitely, especially considering how massive the interior space is (we easily spent a few hours exploring).
Palm House
This is my favorite garden because it is so lush and green. On a cold day, it’s a treat to pretend like you are somewhere tropical like Florida. It can get really humid and stuffy in here, which is why I recommend escaping to the Desert House afterwards to get a break from that humidity.
I lived in Tampa a few years back and although I am glad to have escaped that stifling year-round heat and humidity, it’s fun to take a stroll around a tropical environment when the skies are gloomy and the temps super cold for months on end!
You will find more than 70 palm species here plus beautiful tropical plants from around the world. Here are a few pictures I took around the grounds. Fortunately, we got here right at 10:00, so we were able to walk around peacefully and take any pictures we wanted minus heavy crowds. It got super busy around 11.
According to the conservatory, it’s the largest room with a 65 foot ceiling and a 90 foot width.
You will also find a beautiful historic marble sculpture by Lorado Taft called Pastoral and Idyl. It dates back to 1908 when the garden first opened.
Desert House
I really loved seeing all the different varieties of cacti in this beautiful garden. I lived in Tucson for several years, and thus, I have a fondness for these incredible plants. On a side note, they are so easy to maintain and I travel a lot so they work for me. My house is decked out with tons of cacti everywhere.
You will find exotic species from around the world of all different sizes. From succulents to Saguaro, you will see a bit of everything. It’s a smaller room but packed to the brim with cacti. If you are a desert lover, you will really love this display. If you don’t like cacti, I recommend skipping this section because I took a lot of pictures! I can’t get enough looking at all these exotic varieties from around the world located in one room.
Enjoy a few pics I took around this garden.
You will also find a monocarpic Century Plant, which is basically a plant that blooms only once and then dies. There are no agave century plants current blooming as of spring 2026. In 2019, a 50 year old 34 footer actually grew through the roof according to this news source.
On a side note, outside on the Bluestone Terrace, you will find a prickly pear species native to Illinois. According to the conservatory, this plant has adapted to survive the cold and rainy seasons.
Aroid House
You may find a plant from home here as most aroids are household plants. These plants can grow well in low light enivorments which is why many of us have them displayed around our house. The lowest growing plants are typically found in the rainforest, a place that receives little light.
These plants develop large leaves to attract as much sun as possible. I also read on a sign that they attract a lot of fruit flies because the plants give off sweet fruit-like scents to attract pollinators.
My favorite display is the Persian Lilies art sculpture which surrounds a gorgeous tranquil koi pond. You will also find some cool glass art sculptures from artist Dale Chihuly. There was a poplar exhibit here a while back and the museum purchased some pieces to add to their permanent collection. Too bad I missed out on this event! I really love his work (there is an awesome museum called The Chihuly Collection in St. Petersburg, FL if you are interested).
On a side note, there is a plant here called the Garfield anthurium. According to the conservatory, this plant was created by the former Director Augustus Koch by hybridizing 2 plants. He named it in honor of this place which was his inspiration.
Fern House
Jens Jensen, who designed the space in the early 1900’s, wanted to give us all a glimpse of what the state might have looked like 300 millions of years ago. This room is so green and fresh. After a long winter of barren trees (I was visiting from Cleveland which also sees a very long winter), it was nice to finally enjoy some greenery! It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve seen leaves on the trees.
This is a picture of a Giant Fern. According to the sign I read while strolling, they can grow leaves up to 15 feet! Also, the young leaves and interior of the plant are edible and indigenous cultures often used the plant to treat asthma.
In addition to ferns, you will find ancient cycads which can be over 300 years old. According to the museum, these ancient plants have few modern day descendents and can live over 500 years. You will find some of the oldest species here which is pretty cool. I really loved this room – I felt like I was in the Jurassic Park movies only with toy dinosaurs instead of real ones!
Here is a fern that would have been seen during the time of the dinosaurs.
This room has a really big, beautiful koi pond. I love seeing these colorful fish swim around and the greenery surrounding the water creates such a picture-perfect setting. This was the busiest spot in the entire conservatory, so you may have to wait a bit to enjoy the view.
I also love the small waterfall surrounded by gorgeous greenery. I recommend reading the exhibit about it. Basically, the designer recreated it many times until the falling water sounded like Mendelssohn’s “Spring Song.”
We saw some free roaming turtles here. While we were here, someone asked the staff if they should be walking around, but they said they were free to roam wherever. You can also find them relaxing by the koi pond.
Sugar from the Sun
In this garden, you will find four themed areas: water, air, sunlight, & sugar. You’ll find many edible plants including vanilla orchid which is the only orchid which produces fruit that can be eaten.
Horticulture Room
This was named one of the city’s top event venues according to the museum. It’s a popular place to host weddings and other celebratory events. There are also a few tables set up so you can enjoy a snack (there are pastries on-site) while you gaze at the greenery.
I really love this colorful Mosaic Fountain. Fortunately, we got here super early and got to enjoy a picture before the afternoon crowds hit. Later in the afternoon, this would have been impossible (I can see why you need to sign up for a reserved slot!). According to the museum, this fountain was a gift from Casablanca, Chicago’s sister city.
Outdoor Gardens
Unfortunately, it was cold and rainy on our visit, so we had to skip the outdoor gardens. Nothing was blooming anyways, so we would like to come back sometimes this summer (we are planning another trip around August). The 10 acre space includes the following gardens:
- Demonstration Garden – You can learn more about composting and community gardening. Everything here is donated to farmers markets and local food banks.
- Bluestone Terrace – This garden is connected to the Desert House. You will find the prickly pear native to Illinois. It’s called the Eastern Prickly Pear and it grows along the Illinois and Mississippi River.
- Seasonal Children’s Garden – This garden usually opens in the beginning of May.
- Artist’s Garden – You can enjoy a tulip display in spring and a summer flower show. For 2026, you can enjoy a special exhibit by Alfredo Ramos Martinez (opens july 2nd) featuring art and Mexican sunflowers and petunias.
- Sensory Garden – You can stroll a peaceful labyrinth path.
- City Garden – Features lilly pools and a strand of aspens.
A hidden suprise
On a fun side note (the kids will love this!), we found some toy dinosaurs hidden in various locations throughout the Fern room. Mike first noticed a tiny dinosaur by one of the little waterfalls in the Fern House and then another one hidden in the ferns. I couldn’t find any info on their website or anywhere online so I am not sure if this is something they do purposely or if guests over the years have brought their own and hidden them.
Tips for a great visit
Book your time slot at least a day in advance to guarantee availability.
I recommend the earliest time slot possible. This guarantees that you can find free parking before the afternoon crowds hit. Plus, this place gets really busy after 11am! It was nice walking around in peace for an hour or so.
Check the lineup of special events. There is almost always something going on. I wouldn’t mind planning a visit to their Winter Flower Show which includes a poinsettia display. Check out their calendar of events for details on upcoming exhibits and flower shows.
Stop for breakfast or coffee in Wicker Park before your visit. It’s an easy 10 minute drive and easy to find street parking early in the morning. For a great cup of joe in a funky space, I recommend The Wormhole. I’ve wanted to visit this place for a long time and finally decided to stop by since it was on my route. This 80’s themed shop is so cool – they even have a DeLorean from Back to the Future on display!
If you are looking for more budget friendly fun in the city, I recommend checking out my Windy City freebie guide. Some of these activities like the lakefront path depend on the weather, but you can always plan for your next visit.
Additional details
Location: 300 N Central Park Ave
Hours: 10am-8pm (Wed), 10am-5pm (Thursday-Sunday). Closed on Monday & Tuesday.
Admission: $10 per adult, $5 seniors and kids ages 7-17. (Reservations are required – you can come within 30 min of your time slot)
Parking: A small fee lot (limited space available). I recommend arriving right at opening to guarantee a spot.
Discounts: It’s free for Chicago residents with proof of address (a suburban address does not count).
Accessibility: Every room is wheelchair accessible except for the Ferm Room due to the stairs.
More info: To book your visit and learn more, please visit the Garfield website.
