One of the largest conservatories in America sits on Chicago’s West Side – and admission is free. Garfield Park Conservatory shelters whole landscapes under glass: a fern room with a lagoon, a palm house soaring overhead, a desert house of sculptural cacti and a seasonal show house that explodes with flowers.
Families make a beeline for the Elizabeth Morse Genius Children’s Garden, where young gardeners can plant, dig, water and ride the slide amid giant leaves, then explore the outdoor City Garden in warm months. It opened in 1908 and still feels like a gift: a warm, green, budget-friendly world to wander when Chicago weather does its worst.
