Morton Arboretum
add photosFounded by Morton Salt magnate, Joy Morton, the arboretum has 16 miles of hiking and 900 acres of natural areas. Also on the grounds are the Visitor Center and Plant Clinic, The Arboretum Store, Ginkgo Restaurant and Café, five-acre Children’s Garden, one-acre Maze Garden, an environmentally-friendly parking lot, and a paved walking trail around restored Meadow Lake.
12 Reviews for Morton Arboretum
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1 family found this helpful
"Great children's garden."
The Nitty Gritty We went here on a Sunday afternoon and it definitely the specific children's area we went to were crowded.I used a Groupon for 2 adults for which I bought for $10. A steal considering admission was about $11 each adult. There is plenty of parking but if you want to get close to the Visitor center, you may need to come early. Stroller friendly but if it's busy may be hard to maneuver around other children.
The fun: We went here in August when my son was 16 months. Though we know the place is huge, we were only able to explore the Children's Garden and Maze Garden. The Children's area is huge and my son had lots of fun with all the activities they had.
Son's fav moment: Playing in the pond and the children's park area.
Parent's fav moment: Looking at view of the area from Maze Garden.
Bottom Line: Definitely recommend. The Arboretum if very well kept.
Tip: They have the Gingko Cafe that we didn't get to try. But there are tons of places of have a picnic. Pack a lunch and enjoy it outside! We didn't venture far off into the trails, but I would use bug spray just in case.
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1 family found this helpful
"Don't miss out on this gem!"
I cannot say enough good things about the Arboretum. We have a pass which allows us to go throughout the seasons to enjoy all it has to offer. Of course the kids love the Children's Garden, there is so much for them to do. My husband and I love driving through the park as well, especially in the fall, to enjoy the colors and the landscape. One unanticipated benefit: When we build our house and had to landscape our land, we spent a few hours driving through the Arboretum, writing down the trees and shrubs that we liked and then worked with the Visitor's Center staff to learn more about which trees would thrive in our area. They were very helpful and very informative!
0 families found this helpful
"Kids area is great"
We have not had the chance to explore beyond the kids area.
I went on a field trip with 90+ kindergartners...they LOVED it...we couldn't have stayed long enough for them. Great for kids of all ages...no stroller necessary if you just plan to stay in the kids area.
Kind of expensive, but the kids love it!
0 families found this helpful
"A MUST GO!"
Wonderful area to explore, children's garden, education classes, concerts and much much more! My kids ask to go at least once a week! Good thing we're members!
Membership isn't expensive and the food there is delicious. You're also welcome to bring your own. If you're interested you can also bring your bikes and enjoy the beautiful paths while you ride!
0 families found this helpful
"Great Family Time"
We have a membership here and go quite often. The children's garden is always a huge hit with my kids. they can climb, learn, run, play and just be kids. We have also picnicd here and just taken nature walks. They have many fun things during the holidays too.
3 families found this helpful
"The Hedge Maze is the Best!"
The Morton Arboretum is a great place for kids to run around, and we especially love the hedge maze. There's lots kids can explore, and check their website because they often have live music and events in the summertime. It's about 45 minutes from Chicago, but worth the drive.
2 families found this helpful
"Children's Garden"
The Morton Arboretum is one of the BEST outdoor places to bring children. Their Children's Garden really lends itself to our little ones. The grounds are beautiful, they make everything accessible and SAFE for children. We LOVE it!!
In fact, we became members!
My only complaint is we didn't bring our children here sooner!
We even went there for Paint a Pumpkin on the weekend and they had great food, caramel apples and music! Wonderful experience for the whole family!!
1 family found this helpful
"Nature fun"
This is a great place for kids to learn about nature and have fun. My boys love all the climbing areas and running on the bridges. MA also offer kids classes, crafts, concerts, walks, and bike paths. Also there's a library where you can check out books. A great place for the family to hang together.
1 family found this helpful
"Fun with nature all year 'round"
The Children's Garden at the Arboretum is popular among the preschool-and-younger set. We love the water fountain where we can drop rocks with loud plops (great fun for the toddler). The pond was just filled with tadpoles, and the kids had great fun trying to catch them. Running through the "tree house" and the maze are fun as well.
0 families found this helpful
"Cool Boardwalk"
The Children’s Garden gives children a place to walk up a boardwalk that extends 20 feet up into a real tree. It also includes a pond and a model farm field. Not everything here is natural, however—the arboretum has a visitor center with restrooms, a restaurant, and a gift shop. During summer you can ride an open-air tram for a tour of the arboretum.
1 family found this helpful
"Awesome Children's Garden"
I absolutely love this place for the kids! Whoever designed the spaced deserves an applause. It's beautiful. I've been there in the cold winter months as well as the summer months when they have the water parts turned on. I always dress my kids in swim shirts and swim trunks in the summer since they inevitably get themselves wet in the rock streams. It's nice because they can run around and explore but the whole thing is contained enough so you can't really lose them easily. There's also a nice cafe inside the building where you can grab some lunch after.
3 families found this helpful
"Must Do"
we have a membership because we go so often. if you plan on going a lot get the membership. This is a must for people with kids under 15 i would guess. They have a huge children's garden that every child must see. many areas withing the children's garden to explore. many water areas as well (bring a change of clothes because they will get wet). also a couple tree houses to explore, tadpole marsh area. outside of the children's garden there is a hedge maze (alla the Shining) that is great and there is a platform in the middle to go on to see everyone. there is even a mini maze (less than 2 feet tall) for the tiny kids. in the summer they have outdoor concerts including kids concerts. this summer (2009) they will have animal habitats that are build to human scale that the kids can go in/on. i would also recommend the tram tour just to get an idea of how huge this place is. they also have breakfast with santa, bfast with the easter bunny, mothers day brunch, fathers day brunch. it's great.
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