Its an Botanical garden but has many scenic places within its area. Very beautiful. Whether you go too early or in fall or late after fall you will not get bored being there. The walk wouldnt pain... More

Its an Botanical garden but has many scenic places within its area. Very beautiful. Whether you go too early or in fall or late after fall you will not get bored being there. The walk wouldnt pain your legs but becomes memorable scenes in mind. So many plants roses, green plants, water fountain, green house. There is a festival starting Sept 30th till Oct 1 called Blue Grass festival. Music concerts are pretty good, sitting inbetween the beautiful scenes and listening to nice music will leave you with good memories.
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This huge park has a number of interesting gardens of various plants. There's so much to do here, it is hard to get everything done in a day. The cafe is nice and no more expensive than you'd... More

This huge park has a number of interesting gardens of various plants. There's so much to do here, it is hard to get everything done in a day. The cafe is nice and no more expensive than you'd expect. They have special events, such as wine tastings and food demonstrations on weekends, so check the schedule. While there is a parking charge, admission is free. You can bicycle here using the cook county forest preserve north branch trail. This is a very peaceful place, well worth visiting.
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The first thing I noticed after parking the car($12 per car no matter how many people are in your vehicle, also covers your admission) was the pond with 4 swans in it. One of the employees here told... More

The first thing I noticed after parking the car($12 per car no matter how many people are in your vehicle, also covers your admission) was the pond with 4 swans in it. One of the employees here told me that they are two couples and that they mate for life, he said "they stay together for their whole lifetime because there are no lawyers in the bird world". After seeing the pond I went and checked out the visitors center where they give you a free map of this huge property (385 acres). I knew I would need a snack at their cafe before exploring this spectacular property. Inside the visitors center is restrooms as well as a gift shop (another review). They have over twenty amazing gardens that between them grows a huge amount of plants and flowers of so many spieces. There are several ponds & streams thru out the area as well as plenty of benches where you can rest your feet. Not only is this a great place to get some great excersise but it is a great place for quiet time and reflection. .
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No, this isn't a review of that silly, over the top movie with Reese Witherspoon. It's about a place that looks like my image of what Heaven is all about. Gorgeous, full of life and love, and a... More

No, this isn't a review of that silly, over the top movie with Reese Witherspoon. It's about a place that looks like my image of what Heaven is all about. Gorgeous, full of life and love, and a true nature lover's paradise. The grounds are simply stunning and all the enormous amounts of hard work and dedication that they put into this place really pays off. They have over 2 dozen garden areas to enjoy. I feel this place is more for adults to appreciate because I could see kids don't have much to enjoy and would probably get bored pretty fast. You have to take the tram ride (for the one price you can exit twice and pick up the train again - similiar to the way a transfer card works on public transportation). The tram ride takes you all over the park with great narration. I suggest getting off at the Japanese garden area (under construction right now, but still breathtaking) and at the last tram stop near the bell tower. The beautiful bells play the most lovely and serene music as you stroll about the garden. There's also a great pond area to enjoy. But my favorite has to be the Island Gardens - it literally looks like my mind's eye vision of Heaven. I was just stunned. You will see swans and geese swim by, surrounded by fountains, flowers and bridges. They also have a nice cafeteria with paninis, pizza, soup and beverages, and they're open for breakast, lunch and an early dinner. For avid walkers, you cannot beat the amazing amount of land that is before you, all surrounded by birds and little creatures enjoying their natural habitat. This is such a glorious place to visit again and again. They charge $12 per car and that counts as your parking/admission. The tram ride is $5 for adults. They also have a small admission price for the garden area with model trains (which is so cool). You can save money by signing up to become memberships which will get you free parking/admission for one year along with many other perks.
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I absolutely love to go here in the summer. The gardens here are so beautiful it almost feels magical. They have several different "themed" sort of gardens, some with waterfalls and others with... More

I absolutely love to go here in the summer. The gardens here are so beautiful it almost feels magical. They have several different "themed" sort of gardens, some with waterfalls and others with garden mazes. Its a very breathtaking and relaxing place to be. My kids don't enjoy it as much as I do, probably because they are too young to appreciate the beautiful gardening and flowers. Addmisson into this place is free and they don't even charge for parking.
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This is a beautiful place to go to if you really enjoy nature and the outdoors. They have a great array of plants and trees here. Its the perfect place to take a nice stroll in the summer. There's... More

This is a beautiful place to go to if you really enjoy nature and the outdoors. They have a great array of plants and trees here. Its the perfect place to take a nice stroll in the summer. There's so many beautiful areas to see, including some nice fountains and waterfalls. I love going here and enjoying the great scenery. Another great thing is that it is free, so you can come as often as you want and for as long as you want and it won't cost you a penny.
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If you are into gardening or plants or just want a day to relax, Botanic Garden is the place for you. They have all types of gardens from Japanese Gardens to Water Gardens. Beautiful colors of all... More

If you are into gardening or plants or just want a day to relax, Botanic Garden is the place for you. They have all types of gardens from Japanese Gardens to Water Gardens. Beautiful colors of all types of flowers and plants and you can spend the entire day just walking. It's very relaxing and if you don't want to walk, they even have tours. There is also dining and refreshments. Great place to bring a date or the entire family. Parking is plentiful.
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This is a wonderful place to go to have a nice quiet afternoon walk amongst beautiful scenery. They have lots of flowers and greenhouses to look at. It is a great learning experience for all who... More

This is a wonderful place to go to have a nice quiet afternoon walk amongst beautiful scenery. They have lots of flowers and greenhouses to look at. It is a great learning experience for all who enjoy gardening and there are some excellent photo opportunities. The garden is free, you just pay for parking. There are also places to grab a bite to eat and enjoy the surroundings. A gift store is also available to purchase items.
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The Chicago Botanic Garden is located right off the Edens at Lake Cook Road (so technically, it's not in the city). We are members, so the parking is free (otherwise, you will need to pay). It is... More

The Chicago Botanic Garden is located right off the Edens at Lake Cook Road (so technically, it's not in the city). We are members, so the parking is free (otherwise, you will need to pay). It is truly wonderful to visit there when everything is in bloom, and hard to believe that the expressway is about a mile or so away. Bring your hiking/walking shoes, as there is a lot of ground to cover. I don't know which area we like the best - the English garden, the rose garden, the Japanese island/garden, the fountain area (or maybe it's the cafe which looks pretty good after all of that walking.....). They also have a nice gift shop as well. The CBC also has a plant and bulb sale, as well as other planned special event activities throughout the year. Also, when we were there a few weeks ago, a bridal party and photographer had arrived to take bridal party pictures; I don't know what the CBC policy is on that (ie they may have restrictions on day/time/areas to photograph), but it's worth checking out if you know someone who is getting married.
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The Chicago Botanic Garden is a good place to go when you want to get away from the city and spend the day outside in nature. I spent nearly six hours here and walked the whole grounds. The back... More

The Chicago Botanic Garden is a good place to go when you want to get away from the city and spend the day outside in nature. I spent nearly six hours here and walked the whole grounds. The back area near the woods, the prairie, and marsh island are a little bit of a walk but great exercise. I really liked the waterfall area, the Japanese Garden, and the Fruit Garden. Although it's next to I-94, the scenery is beautiful. Many people have their wedding reception here because it's such a pretty outdoor area. It's a great place to go as a couple or take the kids. The cafe in the gatehouse had good food and nice outdoor dining with live music. The peach sundae is good too. The grounds were well kept with plenty of benches and restroom areas.
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