March Programs & Events

Sugar from the Sun Public Opening
Saturday, March 1 and Sunday, March 2, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Be the first to experience the ground-breaking permanent exhibit opening this weekend at the Conservatory. Immerse yourself in the world of plants as they take in and use air, water and sunlight to make sugar-energy inside every leaf. Using plants, water features, tons of stone and innovative sound and lighting technologies, the living exhibit tells the story of how plants grow and ultimately provide everything we need to live. Exhibit hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, until 8 p.m. on Thursdays. The exhibit is free.

Age of Azaleas Spring Flower Show

March 1 - May 11, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, until 8 p.m. on Thursdays,
The 2008 Centennial Flower Shows include a number of historical plants and themes that reflect a century of American culture and horticulture. The first half of the Spring Show features azaleas, some descended from those in the Columbian Exposition of 1893. The second half highlights hydrangeas. More than 5000 bulbs, including tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, will be in bloom in the Show House.

Museum of Botany: Plants Have Ancestors

March 1 -  May 11, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, until 8 p.m. on Thursdays,
As a tribute to the Conservatory's historic role as Museum of Botany (a name bestowed by the City of Chicago in 1931), a section of the Show House becomes a botanical museum. This living time capsule not only displays important plants of past decades, but addresses botanical concepts that bring to the forefront the role a conservatory plays in the enduring connection between people and plants.

In Step with Nature Exhibit

March 9 - March 30, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, until 8 p.m. on Thursday

Two Jens Jensen legacies, the Garfield Park Conservatory and The Prairie Club, turn 100-years old in 2008. One co-celebration program will be "In Step with Nature,” a nature art and photography exhibit featuring works by members of The Prairie Club.  The show will be on display during public hours at the Garfield Park Conservatory from Sunday, March 9, 2008 through Sunday, March 30, 2008 in the Conservatory’s lobby and the Community Room. More than forty works by twenty artists will include photography, watercolors, oils, and other media. Admission is free. For more information about this exhibit, please contact Anne Royston at 708.246.1762 or a.royston@sbcglobal.net

Please note: Though the Community Room is often open to the public during regular conservatory hours, it is also regularly rented to outside organizations who host private workshops, meetings, etc. in this room.  To ensure that “In Step with Nature” is open for public viewing during your visit to the Conservatory, please call our front desk at 1-312-746-5100.

Creative Living in the City Lecture

March 13, Noon at the Cultural Center (77 E. Randolph)

Julia Bachrach, co-author of Inspired by Nature: The Garfield Park Conservatory and Chicago's West Side, will discuss the book at a lecture as part of the Friends of the Parks’ series "Creative Living in the City."

Healthy Communities/Healthy People Walking Club

Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 5 p.m. - 7 p.m., through March 19, free

Is Chicago's winter giving you cabin fever?  What better way to banish the blues than by taking a stroll through the beautiful houses of the Garfield Park Conservatory with some great company?  Join the movement to improve your health and your community with the Healthy Communities/Healthy People Walking Club on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.  Just stop by and join in!

Nature Oasis Family Night

Thursday March 20, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., free

Bring your family to explore Garfield Park Conservatory after the sun’s gone down at this exciting event brought to you in partnership with the Chicago Park District’s Nature Oasis Program.  We will be highlighting the new Sugar from the Sun exhibit with demonstrations, activities and projects that remind us of how plants make the energy that fuels life on Earth. All ages welcome. Please call the Chicago Park District at 312-742-5039 to register in advance.

Fleurotica

Friday, March 28, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The botanical fashion show of the century treats guests to a variety of artistic floral interpretations in wraps and clothing, hats, parasols, corsages and more, all made from flowers, plants and leaves. The runway soiree is a collaborative event between the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance and Chicago-area florists, and students from the Millinery Department of the Art Institute of Chicago. Stunning floral arrays in Horticulture Hall, beautiful lighting, music, refreshments and professional photographers make it an affair to remember. Tickets are $100 for general admission; $150 for runway seating. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 773-638-1766, extension 13.

Family Make-and-Take Activity: Centennial Celebrations
Saturdays and Sundays 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Visit the Elizabeth Morse Genius Children's Garden to make and take home an activity celebrating plants of the past, present and future. Themes in March include: Adopt a “Pet” Conservatory Room: March 15th and 16th See-Through-Seed Bracelets, March 22nd and 23rd Pound-A-Plant Bookmark,  March 29th and 30th Mixed-Up Conservatory Charms.

Family Exploration Station: Past, Present and Future of Plants
Saturdays and Sundays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
There’s always something special in the Children’s Garden to help celebrate our special upcoming birthday bash. Read a plant’s future by examining our seed collection, explore a plant’s past by digging for plant fossils, and get a close-up look of the green and growing present by viewing leaves on our light table. Enjoy our soil table by planting a pretend garden, building a mini-banana habitat or digging for dinosaur bones during this special staffed drop-in time (Note: dig themes rotate weekly). Help decorate a special conservatory birthday cake and, before you go, make sure to slide down our flower-stem slide. (See also Family Make & Take.) (Themes and programs are subject to change.)  

Mobile Exploration Station: Conservatory Birthday Booth
Thursdays, 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Come help blow out some candles for the Conservatory at this historically-themed discovery cart. Learn about Conservatory history, take a seed i.d. quiz, or make a Conservatory Birthday hat. Listen to Mendelssohn’s Spring Song, said to have inspired the soft trickle of the prairie waterfall in the Fern Room, and see if you can hear the similarities. Staff and additional resource materials will be on hand to answer questions and get you in the swing of things at this Conservatory Birthday Booth.

Hunting for History Scavenger Hunt

Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, until 8 p.m. on Thursdays
Pick up a scavenger hunt sheet at the front desk and travel back in time. During the self-guided hunt, use educational hints and photo details to discover exciting historical secrets, meet centennial celebrities (both plant and mineral) and have an old-fashioned good time.

Weekend Plant Clinic
Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners answer gardening questions in the Conservatory's front lobby. Or call the hotline at 773-233-0476 on weekdays from
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Morning Glories for Families
Mondays, 10 a.m. to noon
Preschoolers and caregivers are invited to the Elizabeth Morse Genius Children's Garden for a weekly drop-in activity and story time. Each project takes 15-20 minutes.

Morning Glories for Schools
Thursdays, 10 a.m. to noon
Larger groups or classes of preschoolers are invited to the Elizabeth Morse Genius Children's Garden to enjoy a project together. To schedule a visit, call 773-638-1766, ext. 25.