Garfield Park Conservatory

A great place to visit when the weather is cold. It’s free — to enter and to park. Love to come here in the winter! You feel like you have just stepped into the jungle. Huge greenhouse structures provide the home for flora not seen anywhere else in the area. You can definitely fill your day looking at all there is to see.

A much needed escape from the city!
I read all of the 5-​star reviews before I went and I was expecting to like it, but it still managed to surpass my expectations!
Free parking, free entrance (donations welcome if you want to, though I didn’t feel any pressure to give), peaceful and lovely setting what more could you ask for? There was even a small playground where kids could go run around while their parents sat and relaxed.

One of my favorite occasional weekend/​daytime spots. Good to go with a friend or alone. All good. Ferns room is my favorite :)

One of the city’s absolute gems. This is the kind of place that you should absolutely take advantage of if you live in the city; this kind of gorgeous, affordable, accessible oasis of beautiful nature in the midst of urban chaos is one of the benefits of living in the city. Immaculately kept up and with a breathtaking selection of flora, it’s like visiting another world. Even if all the exhibits aren’t open, there’s plenty more to hold your attention. I went here with my partner on one of the loveliest dates we ever had, and I can’t wait to go back; it’s also a perfect activity for kids. And it’s free! No excuses, folks: put this on your calendar right away.

This was a perfect respite from the cold on New Year’s Day. The conservatory is beautiful and well maintained. It’s hard to believe that this beautiful greenhouse is free, so close to the city and easily accessible by public transit. I loved everything about this place, but my favorite were the fern room and the room with cacti. Highly recommended.

This was my first visit here, but certainly not the last. Looking to do something active and fun that didn’t include shopping, I decided to try the Garfield Park Conservatory with my boys, nephews and niece. We all loved it.
For starters, the place is so conveniently located, just minutes off the Eisenhower. There’s plenty of free parking immediately next to the building. We were pleasantly surprised – there is no entrance fee. Makes me feel much better about all those City of Chicago parking tickets I’ve paid over the years.
While the building is old, it is maintained well. I was impressed at the number of ecosystems all under one roof. As you go from room to room the humidity and temperature change, as do the flora. Our crew was so taken by the variety and splendor of the plants, flowers, palm trees and cacti, they actually put down their iPhones.
We’ll be adding this as a permanent stop on our staycations to the City; it may be one of Chicago’s most under-​rated attractions.

Beautiful and free! When we are in the dead of a cold Chicago winter and everything is dead, come to this place to see beautiful green life!

*sigh!!!
I just absolutely love this place! A great place to get away from the city life & appreciate mother nature. Let me point out the desert room, wow! Love everything from the variety of plants, to the color of the room. Also one can not beat free admission. This place is right off the conservatory green line stop, super convenient!

Wonderful! This is the perfect place to get a little of that Florida-​like feeling! Entrance is free, but donating to keep this beauty seems like a great cause. There are benches, and the set up changes with the seasons. It is very kid friendly, and it is really cute to come for a stroll and see the new displays. I mentioned it reminds me of Florida because of the slight humidity you feel inside due to climate control, which is great when compared to the cold outside. It definitely makes me feel more at home. There are koi ponds, and palm trees. As an amateur photographer, I come here often with friends to practice my «skills» (lol) and It is just a beautiful place to get lovely pictures! One of my favorite places in Chicago!

Absolutely fantastic.
I took the children I nanny here: a 3 year old and a 8 month old.
I wasn’t sure if the 3 YO would like it… But he loved it! Especially the children’s section!
Great place to go inside this winter, both fun and educational.
Free parking and free entrance (they asked for a donation if you can).
There is a small gift shop.
Clean bathrooms.
Employees were so nice and even gave the 3 YO some fish food to throw into the pond!
A must for every family!

What an amazing and unique place in Chicago! The flowers, plants, and trees are overwhelmingly beautiful! This place has been around since the early 1900s. Highlights include the fern room (made to look like prehistoric Chicago/​most plants actually around since early 1900s), the cactus/​dessert room, and the sensitive plant (when you touch it the leaves curl up ! – there are signs for this).
The new luftwerk light exhibit is worth the visit! Make sure you visit all of the installations, especially the one near the Monet Hall. It has a light/​water drop installation that’s coordinated with music.
Will be back for the yoga and to visit the conservatory in the different seasons!
Tip: wear layers as the different rooms are held at somewhat different temperatures!

Like most Chicagoans, you look at your pothole-​pocked road, the obnoxious water bottle tax and the scandal-​riddled front page of the Sun-​Times, and you think, «God, why do I live in a place that cares so little for people who choose to make this fair burg home?»
Restore your faith in humanity here. It’s hard to believe a place this fabulous is run by the Chicago Park District.
You can easily kill an hour or two transporting yourself to a prehistoric world filled with ferns, a tropical paradise or a desert getaway. The kids will love it, and you will too. Maybe shoot your family Christmas photo here or host a baby shower – no matter the reason, this is a unique and special place. Enjoy!

Passed by GPC on a chilly Spring day. It’s that time of year that Chicago winter is like that annoying ex that just won’t leave. And it’s actually the best time of year to visit GPC.
The place is free but with how amazing it is, you’re compelled to donate the couple singles in your pocket. Immediately after walking in, it’s like 15 degrees warmer and humid. Did I just walk into Miami?
There’s rooms with different little ecosystems of plants, flowers, trees (oh my) and you’ll forget all that is dreary outside. There’s even a little play area that’s interactive for little ones who need to put their hands on something and not get in trouble.
On my last visit, I saw a really cool installation of umbrellas that hung from the ceiling for April showers. Cute! I hear they’ll be rotating different «art» pieces in the plants every now and then.
Garfield Park conservatory, you make hippies, hipsters, families and all other frozen Chicagoans happy to have you.

This place is a gem of the city. A FREE botanical garden in the west stretch of Chicago. They do accept donations. This Conservatory hosts 5 – 6 giant rooms that harbor different ecosystems of plants. There is a Cactus Room, a Palm Tree Room, and a maze of other exotic and interesting plants. This is a lovely place to go to get some fresh air and see the beauty of nature, for free.

This is one fabulous place to visit in Chicago. Easy to get to on the L, it’s a real gem.
You’ll be bowled over by the Fern Room.
Go here.

First time here for Shakespeare in the Park! Fantastic performance held at the Garfield Conservatory and it was my first time here. It’s held outside on the lawn. Be forewarned, it gets hot as there is not shade. I give my props to the cast that poeticially recited, sang and danced to this modern mashup of pop music meets Shakespeare. It’s fun and a sight to see as we fan ourselves with the head of the man that we speaketh!
As many have mentioned, it’s a nice reprieve in the neighborhood and conveniently located by the CTA Green line as well as those with cars to park in.
There are many events here that are free for the public. Looking forward to checking those out as well as using this as a winter getaway.

Great place to take your SO/​family/​friends. Even though admission is technically free, you should consider donating a few dollars to support such a wonderful place. They take meticulous care of their plants, and it’s evident by the cleanliness and organization of their displays. There are so many plants of so many kinds that you get sort of «lost» in the realization that these are all living, breathing organisms. I also enjoyed the multiple sections like the desert area, the more wet jungle area. Hands down the coolest place is the fern room.

Not many attractions are free when you’re on vacation but the Garfield Park Conservatory was.
Since many of the rooms are climate controlled, it could feel a bit muggy at times. Overall, the conservatory had a beautiful collection of flowers, palms, koi fish, and seasonal flowers. Great place for pictures!

I often meet tourists or transplants new to the area asking for some places to visit. Without hesitation I suggest Garfield Park Conservatory. Of all the things I’ve seen living here, this is one of the most spectacular.
It’s FREEEEE!
The EL Green line drops of close to the main attraction and free parking south of the Conservatory, near the train station.
I always come away with a greater appreciation of the variety of plants across the world and get to see and touch some cool unusual plants. It’s like a National Geographic Magazine in living color. What a treat.
The Fern Room was built in 1907 and was the original conservatory, now there are myriad rooms of indoor and outdoor gardens, über flowers and cacti, a little river, a children’s area, koi pond, large lilly pad pond, lil waterfall, lots of room for walking, tables for hanging out or having a light picnic. The design of the areas and landscaping is really artfully executed. MY FAVORITE IS The Palm House Room! Those puppies are big and make me feel like I’m in Fern Gully or an amazing Biodome minus Pauly Shore. So many regions of the world and flora and fauna and lil critters are represented it’s a mini vacation.
This city is pretty cold much of the year and no matter what the weather is outside — it’s always toasty inside. And really an ideal way to spend an afternoon with kids for edification purposes or on a date appreciating the sights, smells, sounds, and beauty. Chicago is so famous for awesome food to fill the belly but we also have unforgettable things that fill the mind and eyes.
Get thee forthwith!

I wish the Conservatory got as much attention as other public institutions, but I was still very happy with my experience. The entire conservatory was not open, but we heartily enjoyed what we could. It was a stark contrast walking from the main room to the flower room. It was beautifully vibrant and gorgeous.
Great escape from the winter and a lovely opportunity for a family field trip. Plus, it’s free!