Morton Arboretum (2025)

It's great to be back!

While it has been a while since my last travel post, since that time I've visited a lot more museums, zoos, and other attractions and I have a massive backlog to whittle down!

Previously, I wrote a series of posts about downtown Chicago but now I'm going to diverge a bit and share some interesting sights outside the city, in the Chicago suburbs. And later on, I will also write about some things to see in downstate Illinois.

This post covers my most recent 2025 visit to Morton Arboretum which includes the Vibrant Creatures art exhibit but only captures the East side of the grounds. I also have pictures from an earlier 2024 visit, including the Of the Earth sculpture exhibit, and parts of the West side, which will be covered in a future post.

C1: Morton Arboretum (2025) (this post)

C2: Cosley Zoo (2026)

Some other Chicago suburb attractions I plan to post about include Brookfield Zoo and Six Flags Great America.

All of the pictures in this post were taken by me except for the East Side map of the arboretum and the map of the Children's Garden. If you want to use any of my photos, please contact me to first obtain permission.

MORTON ARBORETUM

4100 Illinois Route 53
Lisle, IL 60532

Website: https://mortonarb.org/

Hours: 9 A.M. to sunset (usually around 5 PM or 6 PM)

Cost (as of 2025):

For General Admission, Adult tickets range from $16.95 to $21.95 while Senior (65+) and Child (4-17) tickets range from $10.95 to $15.95. You save $2 by purchasing tickets online.

Local DuPage county residents receive 33% off of General Admission on Wednesdays.

Active-duty military members and their families receive free admission. Veterans and their families/guests receive free admission on the Fourth of July and Veteran's Day.

Discounted evening admission is available to anyone on selected Thursdays from 5 PM - 7 PM starting from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day (May 23rd through September 1st for 2025). The price is $5.

The Morton Arboretum also takes part in the American Horticultural Society’s Reciprocal Garden Network for reciprocal admissions.

Estimated Time: 1 to 2 hours if you are focusing on the main attractions. Arborists and botanists could easily spend the whole day looking at the specialized collections. Hikers could spend multiple days going through the various trails.

SUMMARY

Morton Arboretum - East Side Map.jpg

Morton Arboretum is a public garden and outdoor museum with over 220,000 living plants spread out amongst a sprawling 1700 acres. It is located in Lisle, IL, a west suburb of Chicago.

Morton Arboretum is NOT a greenhouse or conservatory where you can see lots of flashy tropical plants in 30-60 minutes. The plants that you will see are those that can survive in the outdoor climate of the Midwest. And while there are some plants and many attractions near the visitor center, if you want to see most of the other trees you will need to walk, hike, and/or drive to reach them. That makes the arboretum ideal for hikers, outdoor enthusiasts, and arborists. There are also ample playgrounds and activities for kids in the easily accessible Children's Garden.

While there are bus and Metra (railway) routes to Morton Arboretum, I would strongly recommend driving in a car. The grounds are vast and there are many areas of the arboretum that you are unlikely to be able to reach unless you drive there - there are roads that can be driven on within the arboretum, as well as various parking lots scattered throughout.

Each year Morton Arboretum hosts a special art installation. This year it was Vibrant Creatures, with 5 colorful and enormous animal sculptures. Last year it was Of the Earth with 5 nature-themed sculptures emphasizing that people are part of nature.

My two favorite things at gardens are maze gardens / hedge mazes and topiary gardens where the trees and clipped into ornamental shapes especially animals. While there were no topiary animals in sight, Morton Arboretum does boast a delightful maze garden which is always fun to wander through.

Rating the Morton Arboretum I would give it 4 stars. While it may not be as flashy or compact as other gardens or parks, there is a lot to see and do. There are ample activities in easy proximity of the entrance like the Maze Garden and Children's Garden and for those with a taste for adventure and a willingness to walk there are a plethora of trails to explore. I think the standard $17-$22 admission price is a bit pricey but visiting for $5 on a Thursday from 5 PM - 7 PM (between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day) is a great bargain!

For a frame of reference comparison to similar garden attractions:

5 stars:

Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden (New Orleans, LA, Free)

4 stars:

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (Sarasota, FL)
Morton Arboretum (Lisle, IL)
Garfield Tropical Conservatory (Indianapolis, IN)
Lincoln Park Conservatory (Chicago, IL, Free)

3 stars:

Jardin at the Monastère de Cimiez (Nice, France, Free)
Villa del Principe (Genoa, Italy)
Japan House Gardens (Urbana, IL, Free)

2 stars:

Bayfront Gardens portion of The Ringling (Sarasota, FL, Free on Mondays)
Millennium Park (Chicago, IL, Free)
Biosfera (Genoa, Italy)
Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park (Indianapolis, IN, Free)
Osher Rainforest portion of California Academy of Sciences (San Francisco, CA)
Rainforest Trail portion of Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (Vallejo, CA)
Goizueta Gardens at the Atlanta History Center (Atlanta, GA)
Centennial Olympic Park (Atlanta, GA, Free)
Audubon Park (New Orleans, LA, Free)

VIVID CREATURES

This is the 2025 featured art exhibition at Morton Arboretum. As an animal lover, I really enjoyed these sculptures - much more than the Of the Earth sculptures in 2024. Spectra the Snail is particularly striking since she is located on a hilltop and is viewable from the nearby I-88 highway.

Scamp the Fox Squirrel

Curious, clever, and full of charm—Scamp stands 8 feet tall and holds a walnut like she’s ready for a game of hide and seek. Modeled after a fox squirrel, she reminds us that squirrels are the sculptors of the forest, shaping future woodlands as they stash seeds and acorns.

Scamp can be found in Arbor Court outside the Visitor Center.

Generosity the White-tailed Deer

Generosity is modeled after a white-tailed deer. Towering at 22 feet tall with antlers like branches and roots reaching deep, Generosity is more than a sculpture—he’s a symbol of how life in nature is deeply connected. He hosts creatures in his antler branches, and life in his leaves and roots.

Generosity can be found along the Conifer Walk south of the Children’s Garden and The Gerard T. Donnelly Grand Garden.

Cadence the Sandhill Crane

Graceful and soaring, Cadence carries the rhythm of migration and moonlight. Modeled after a sandhill crane, her wingspan stretches 26 feet wide. She bears a glowing full moon on her chest —a quiet reminder of how our own journeys have long been guided by the rhythms of nature.

Cadence can be found on the south side of Meadow Lake Trail.

Nimbly the Dragonfly

Poised on a blade of prairie grass is Nimbly, a blue dasher dragonfly. He spans an incredible 30 feet across and 23 feet tall, embossed with a green frog and a goldfinch—creatures who share his vibrant world.

Nimbly can be found on the north side of Meadow Lake Trail.

Spectra the Snail

Delicate, dazzling, and full of wonder—Spectra invites a closer look. Modeled after a brittle button snail, Spectra wears a shell that shimmers like a prism, highlighting the hidden beauty of life at our feet. Though brittle button snails are small in nature, Spectra is 16 feet tall.

Spectra can be found on a hill near parking lot P-4 following an inclined, wood-chipped trail.

ADDITIONAL ART

Morton Arboretum typically has several smaller art installations by various artists:

LIFE Force Ever Flowing
Grace Potapenko

David Crabapple
Malus 'David'
Laurie Tennant, 2017
Photograph of the living collection of The Morton Arboretum
https://laurietennentbotanicals.com/

Wooster Zumi Crabapple
Malus zumi 'Wooster'
Laurie Tennant, 2017
Photograph of the living collection of The Morton Arboretum
https://laurietennentbotanicals.com/

Laurie Tennant, 2017
Photograph of the living collection of The Morton Arboretum
https://laurietennentbotanicals.com/

MAZE GARDEN

A picture from the observation deck of the maze garden:

FOUR COLUMNS

Architect Arthur Myhrum designed the Four Columns after studying columns of the Parthenon as well as the four columns salvaged from the former home of Chicago businessman Potter Palmer, which stood in the Chicago apartment of Sterling’s daughter, Suzette. These influences came together in the Four Columns structure visitors enjoy today. In later years, Suzette would say the columns represented her grandfather, Joy Morton, and his brothers Paul, Mark, and Carl.

The Four Columns at the Morton Arboretum have an entry in the Atlas Obscura:
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/four-columns-at-morton-arboretum

CHILDREN'S GARDEN

The Children's Garden is surprisingly big and there's a lot to see even for adults. Yes, childless adults are allowed in the Children's Garden. Wonder Pond is very picturesque and the walkway/bridge in the northeast is fun (I don't have any pictures of the walkway/bridge in this post but I will have some in my subsequent post about my 2024 visit).

Wonder Pond