Lincoln Park Conservatory

What is Lincoln Park Conservatory?

The conservatory covers about 3 acres inside Lincoln Park, just south of Fullerton Avenue and west of Lake Shore Drive. Under the glass are four display rooms of plants from distant climates. The Orchid Room is a highlight, with rare varieties such as the moth orchid.

Outside, the formal garden in front of the building is among the oldest public gardens in the city. It is replanted each year in late spring, and it is set with fountains and sculpture, including the Bates fountains and a monument to the German poet Friedrich Schiller. In the Grandmother's Garden across the street, once called the Old English Garden, stands a well-known statue of Shakespeare. Farther north along Stockton Drive are the North Pond Nature Sanctuary and the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool.

History of Lincoln Park Conservatory

The glass house dates from the late 1800s, and the formal garden was laid out in the late 1870s. Over the years the garden has held a changing set of artworks. A bust of conductor Sir Georg Solti once stood here before it was moved to Grant Park in 2006. Today the conservatory works alongside its sister, the Garfield Park Conservatory on the West Side, to care for important plant collections and run education and community programs.

Visiting Lincoln Park Conservatory: tips

The conservatory has restrooms on site, is listed as wheelchair accessible and is good for children. An hour is enough for the glass house and garden. The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and Lincoln Park Zoo are each about 0.2 mile away, so the three make a relaxed half day.