Garfield Park Conservatory

We invite you to join us as we bring our historic greenhouses back to glass! Certain rooms will be renovated in 2014 and 2015, and will be closed to the public during that time. Currently the Palm House, Sugar from the Sun, the Elizabeth Morse Genius Children’s Garden, Show House and Horticulture Hall are all open. The Fern Room, Desert House and Aroid House are currently closed for renovations. The Fern Room and Desert House are expected to reopen in spring 2015.

In early 2014, we began the next phase in the restoration of an important gem on Chicago’s west side: the roof of the Garfield Park Conservatory. We kept our doors open after the 2011 summer hail storm by covering our damaged greenhouses with temporary polycarbonate roofing. Now, some greenhouses are closed temporarily for restoration. The remainder of the facility is open to visitors, groups, and events throughout this process.

Join us as we honor the vision of Jens Jensen, the Conservatory’s original landscape architect. Watch as one of the city’s most important steel and glass buildings rejoins the Chicago skyline. We welcome your input, so if you have a question or comment, please email us at info@garfieldpark.org or tweet us using #back2glass and remember to tag us @gpconservatory.

Currently the Palm House, Sugar from the Sun, the Elizabeth Morse Genius Children’s Garden, Show House and Horticulture Hall are all open. The Fern Room, Desert House and Aroid House are currently closed for renovations.

June 30, 2014

The Show House is now open! The first Flower Show to be exhibited in the newly renovated Show House will be the Holiday Flower Show of 2014-2015.       

March 14, 2014

The Show House has been undergoing construction since the summer of 2013, but a tunnel through the room has provided access between the Palm House and Horticulture Hall. The renovations have reached the point where the tunnel now needs to the closed so the room can be completed. The tunnel will be closed on Friday, March 21, and will remain closed until the renovated Show House is expected to open in mid-May. A walkway will be available linking the Community Room and Horticulture Hall through the outdoor Monet Garden during that time. Please note that this walkway may be unavailable at times when Horticulture Hall is closed for large construction equipment to move through, or when the Community Room is rented. Please check with the Front Desk regarding room availability. We appreciate your patience while we get #back2glass!

March 3, 2014

With the Desert House closed, access to the outside City Garden is only available through Sugar from the Sun. These doors need to remain closed on cold days, to protect the plants in the room. Access to the City Garden will be available on warmer days. Please inquire at the Front Desk to learn if access to the City Garden is available. Access is often available to the Monet Garden, another beautiful outdoor space.

February 25, 2014

We are continuing #Back2Glass renovations in the Desert House. The Desert House will close to the public on Monday, March 3, 2014 and will remain closed until construction is completed. Construction is slated to be completed in late fall, but because this is a very complex construction project, this may change. Until the Show House reopens, the Aroid House will also be inaccessible. We hope you will come enjoy the warmth of our other rooms!

January 30, 2014

Come visit our historic Fern Room before it closes to the public temporarily, to complete renovations to its glass roof. The Fern Room will be open for visitors to enjoy through Sunday, February 2. The room will be closed starting Monday, February 3, and the renovation is currently expected to be completed in the fall of 2014. Due to the complexity of the construction, this timeline is subject to change. These renovations are following the June 30, 2011 hailstorm that caused unprecedented damage to the Conservatory. We are excited to remove the polycarbonate sheets that have covered the Fern Room since 2011, and finally get back to glass!

June 2013

Repairs to the Show House roof began in June 2013. The temporary roof will be replaced with strong permanent glass. A tunnel constructed through the Show House allows for access between the Palm House and Horticulture Hall. The rest of the room will be closed until the repairs are complete.