The Best Kept Secret on Chicago’s West Side: Garfield Park Conservatory

Locals and tourists alike are bound to be aware of the Chicago sites like Willis/Sears  tower and the Bean but hidden in the neighborhood of Garfield Park is a lesser known attraction that though off the regular tourist track, is an absolute gem. This attraction is the “Largest publicly owned conservatory under one roof in the world”. If you don’t know, like we didn’t prior to looking it up online, the conservatory is a collection of greenhouses showcasing the world’s plants and foliage emulating their natural landscape that you can view all year round. The Garfield Park Conservatory is a real treat, and it’s free entry! We left a donation as suggested; they were worth every penny.

Garfield Park Conservatory

We took our trip to the conservatory on a gloomy Sunday in January and it was the perfect way to beat the winter gloom. Stepping into the toasty rooms felt like being outdoors in nature, right in the middle of  the cold midwestern winter. Don’t worry it wasn’t too hot or humid as to be uncomfortable, just cozy. You can tell the difference between the climates created in different rooms to fit the needs of those plants such as the dry warmth of the Desert House and the humid heat of the Palm House. In the warmer months you can also view what’s growing in their outdoor gardens. We will definitely go back to check out what they keep outdoors.

Beautiful Scenes

All of nature’s beauty is captured within the houses of the conservatory. Beyond the obvious beautiful plants and flowers each space is set up to mirror the natural habit including ponds, water falls , hidden paths and rock features. There are even some living creatures hidden amongst the houses such as coy in the ponds and bugs helping pollinate and otherwise aid in  natural plant life.

It’s All about the Plants

One might very well think, as Ryan did, what’s so fun about plants but you and he, will be happily suprised. These are not your average house plants. We viewed all the unique foliage and got out a kick out of some of the  very silly names. And, unless otherwise marked, feel free to touch theml, being careful of the cactus obviously. We particularly enjoyed seeing the plants that had fruit or where different products come from like cinnamon and gum.

Grab Some Lunch

The neighborhood surrounding the conservatory is not currently in a place where you can wander around safely, certainly not by foot. However I do encourage you to stick around at least long enough to try out one of the excellent neighborhood restaraunts giving back to the community. We work in the neighborhood and have tried several that we would recommend. The Green Tomato Cafe located at  3750 W Ogden Avenue, is a part of Christian Health Center’s ministry. They serve yummy and healthy food, which is important in a neighborhood that is a food desert. Have a quick sandwich lunch and support their mission of “loving God, loving people and connecting the Lawndale community” Inspiration Kitchens located at 3504 W Lake Street, trains low-income and homeless chicagoans for careers in the food service agency with the goal to assist them in getting them good positions and opportunities to bring themselves and their families out of poverty for good. They do this all while serving truly yummy dishes. We recommend highly the shrimp Po’ Boy which was made with those nice big shrimp pieces and a large serving of the side salad.

If you are looking for a great afternoon out in Chicago look no further than the Garfield Park Conservatory. We savored our relaxing stroll through the beautiful plants and gardens followed by an excellent local lunch supporting the community. It sure beats the crowds at the Bean and the prices at the Willis Tower. Take a chance to step outside of the Museum campus or Michigan Avenue and  share in the beauty of the world’s plants without ever leaving Chicago.