
Now that summer is here, florals are sprawling at the city’s edges, and luscious foliage is painting the city green. While there’s so much to do in the city, from sipping happy hour drinks to devouring a delicious AYCE meal, sometimes we crave a therapeutic escape.
Aside from vast parks and beaches, there are a number of gardens hidden around the city that offer serenity from bustling city life. Here are some of the most beautiful gardens in Chicago where you can gather your thoughts in solitude.
1. South Garden at the Art Institute of Chicago
This intimately scaled garden was built on a parking garage and now lies next to the celebrated Art Institute of Chicago. Built by renowned architect Dan Kiley, the picturesque garden has a large plaza space spotlighting a rectangular pool known as the Fountain of Great Lakes, which Lorado Taft sculpted. Surrounding the pool are raised beds planted with cockspur hawthorn trees that provide a tranquil getaway from the cacophony of street cars on the Mag Mile.
📍Location: 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe
💵: Free to the public
2. Lurie Garden
Millennium Park’s “secret garden” is named after Ann Lurie, who donated the $10 million endowment. This 2.5-acre garden transports you into a grassy flower bed while the chaotic city life melts from behind as you get closer to the garden’s center. This eco-friendly botanical landscaping still possesses the iconic Chicago skyline that made you infatuated with the city from the start.
📍Location: 220 E Monroe St, Chicago
💵: Free to the public
3. Garfield Park Conservatory
Referred to as “landscape art under glass,” the Garfield Park Conservatory is one of the largest botanical conservatories in the country and as majestic as it is vast. You can visit this conservatory year-round, where you’ll greet lush flora that takes you into eight indoor garden displays. Leave the stunning interior, and your senses will tingle at the breathtaking outdoor garden.
📍Location: 300 N Central Park Ave, Chicago
💵 Cost: Free to the public
📲 Reservation: Timed-entry reservations are required
4. Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool
Originally part of a Victorian Garden, the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool is situated on the edge of Lincoln Park. Before you enter a lovely, dainty lily pond, you’ll step through a large brass gate and into an overgrown path around an oval ornamental lily pond. As you frolic on the stone path, you’ll hear trees brustling their leaves intertwined with birds singing.
📍Location: 125 W Fullerton Pkwy, Chicago
💵 Cost: Free to the public
5. Lincoln Park Conservatory
A few blocks from Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool is the Lincoln Park Conservatory, a greenhouse dome featuring hundreds of tropical palms, exotic plants, and ancient ferns stretched along the designated pathway. Perfume scent whispers throughout the greenhouse, and you’ll breathe in an earthy, fruity fragrance that contrasts significantly with the polluted Chicago streets. While gallivanting through the conservatory, you’ll come across the four main attractions: Palm House, Fern Room, Orchid House, and Show House, home to the annual fresh flower shows.
Find the location below:
📍Location: 2391 N Stockton Dr, Chicago
💵 Cost: Free to the public
📲 Reservation: Timed-entry reservations are required
6. Chicago Botanic Garden
This living plant museum is a spectacular, vibrant sanctum outside Chicago—depending on your geographic interests, close your eyes, and it will feel like you’re there. The 385-acre enchanting garden sprawls over nine Cook County Forest Preserve islands. It’s one of only the gardens in Chicago that feature 27 display gardens in four natural habitats: Mcdonald Woods, Dixon Praire, Skokie River Corridor, and Lake and Shores.
📍Location: 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe
💵 Cost: $9.95- $23.95 for Cook County residents and $25.95 for non-Cook County residents
📲Reservation: Purchase Chicago Botanic Garden tickets here
7. Oak Park Conservatory
When you go to Oak Park Conservatory, you’ll enter a rich, fragrant garden filled with flora and fauna. One of the top three historical sites in Oak Park, the conservatory has three memorable showrooms: Mediterranean, Tropical, and Desert. The succulent ecosystem is the ideal city escape, and the sweeping greenery makes it one of the more tranquil gardens in Chicago.
📍Location: 615 Garfield St, Oak Park
💵 Cost: Free to the public
📲 Reservation: Timed-entry reservations for groups of 10 and more
8. Jackson Park’s Japanese Garden
Just a stone’s throw away from Lake Michigan, this Japanese Garden is scintillating with one of the most unique landscapes in the city. Also known as the Garden of Phoenix, you’ll see a century-old pavilion gifted to Chicago by the Japanese Government, symbolizing the mutual respect and friendship between Japan and the United States. The garden has been revitalized throughout the past few decades and is now known for its blossoming cherry trees in the springtime. While the cherry trees are quite spectacular, they only last 6-10 days. They are one of the only gardens in Chicago to see them, so keeping up with the Chicago Park District is essential to avoid missing them.
📍Location: 6300 S Cornell Ave, Chicago
💵 Cost: Free
9. Gethsemane Garden Center
A family-owned garden center located in the center of Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood, one of the few multifaceted gardens in Chicago; enter the upmarket center and breathe in the fruity fragrances of lilies, roses, perennials, or any other flowers they carry. This unique greenhouse offers plants, flowers, and gifts you can surprise loved ones.
📍Location: 5739 N Clark St, Chicago
💵 Cost: Free
10. Grant Park Rose Garden
Many Chicago natives and passing neighbors have heard of the Buckingham Fountain; however, what is lesser known is the romantic fountain, which features a gorgeous rose garden nearby. Take a stroll through the North Rose Garden, smelling the floral and tea aromas as you hear waves crashing from Lake Michigan across the street—one of the gardens in Chicago that proves to be a scenic getaway.
📍Location: 301 S Columbus Dr, Chicago
💵 Cost: Free to the public