As soon as I entered the Conservatory the aroma of flowers wafted toward me. What a wonderful treat in winter! Colors abound everywhere. It was like leaving behind the cold chill of the outdoors and diving into a whole new world. I took off my coat and entered into the world of warmth and vibrance. So many things to see. My favorite? The orchid room. It also had a coy pond. I watched as the fish danced in the warm waters all the while seeing the orchids above. What a scene! From time to time, one could see fruits growing in the treetops. I even saw coffee beans! I most definitely will return here again. My only recommendation would be to have more locations to place donations. We were asked to do so when entering but I never saw where to put it. Entry staff could be more helpful in that matter.

What a glorious gem of beauty in the middle of the bustling city! And free! (We made the suggested donation of $10 per person, but it is not required for entry.) There are four beautiful rooms - palm; fern; show; and orchid. Each is filled - to the roof in some cases - with incredibly lush plants/flowers/trees. (The orchids are amazing!) There are a few benches throughout if you want to stop and soak up the beauty. The outdoor gardens are also included, though there wasn’t much to enjoy there during our visit, since it was still fairly cold. I suspect when in bloom, the outdoor areas are equally as lovely as the indoor. What a perfectly lovely way to spend an hour or so in Chicago! Highly recommend!

Though the peak viewing time to smell the flowers and admire the botanical gardens at the Lincoln Park Conservatory is between July and August, when you are in the neighborhood, there is never a bad time to visit one of the oldest public gardens in Chicago, which was designed and planted in the late 1870s, and everything that goes with it. Located at 2291 North Stockton Drive in Lincoln Park, south of Fullerton Avenue and west of Du Sable Lake Shore Drive, the Lincoln Park Conservatory makes for a thoroughly enjoyable family outing with the Lincoln Park Zoo situated next door and the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool an the North Pond Nature Sanctuary further to the north along Stockton Drive. Established in 1877 and anchored at its present location since 1893, the Lincoln Park Conservatory is a Victorian Era glass house that contains a vestibule, four rooms displaying exotic plants from around the world, including rare orchids like the Moth orchid that can be found in the Orchid Room, and 15 propagating and growing houses. The Palm House was built and opened to the public in 1892 and contains more than 12 different types of giant palms and rubber trees, including a 50-foot fiddle-leaf rubber tree planted in 1891. The Tropical Room, now called the Orchid Room, opened in 1895 and contains a collection of 25,000 natural species. The Fern Room, opened in 1895, contains plants of the forest floor, primarily a a vast collection of ferns and one of the most historical plants, the cycads, whose fossils date back at least 250 million years. The Show House or the Display House is used for seasonal flower exhibits. The Tropical Summer Show started on June 2 and ends on September 23. The Winter Flow and Train Show runs from November 24 through January 6. In addition to the flowers and trees and gardens, the Lincoln Park Conservatory also is home to several noteworthy sculptures and works of art. The most famous are the Bates fountains, the Schiller monument and the Shakespeare monument.

For the Conservatory you actually need a pre-booked time slot but if available you are allowed to enter without, the website said. When we arrived, however, that wasn't so direct, because I had to log into the Wi-Fi, book the time slot and then we were allowed in, in the same minute as I booked it! It's completely pointless and just data fishing, which annoyed me briefly. But we really wanted to come in here because we always like to look at flowers or plants and the botanical garden is very far outside. And visiting this oversized greenhouse is also worth it! In my opinion it is not a “must see” but free, very well maintained and a quiet, green oasis with a very large number of different plants. There are also supposed to be outdoor gardens but we were not looking for them extra and also ad hoc did not see any signs there!

Love this oxygen filled warmth and serene glasshouse of exotic plants and flowers. Holiday of Poinsettias did not disapoint. So much beauty and color in a small enviroment. Hint. Make reservations. Best free thing to do in Chicago. What a gem. I left my purse in the conservatory and did not realize it until we were entering the Zoo Christmas lights as scanning us as you enter. My husband ran to see if he could catch them as they were closing when we left. He went to the back and a gentlemen (the security guard) the parking lot for the event (thank you) helped him to see if anyone was around as already locked. They found Matt and he was headed to his car. He informed my husband they did find my purse and went back in to get it. WOW..... What a nice guy. Thank you so much for your kindness. The staff there is so friendly and goes the extra mile. Again, both of you so nice to help us in a bad situation.