Chicago Botanic Garden
The Chicago Botanic Garden is a world-renowned living museum and conservation science center that offers multiple unique nature courses spread throughout 26 gardens and four natural areas on 385 acres.
The Chicago Botanic Garden is a world-renowned living museum and conservation science center that offers multiple unique nature courses spread throughout 26 gardens and four natural areas on 385 acres.
Handmade, Chicago-style pizza is totally doable at home! You will discover how to prepare all of the elements: a garden-fresh sauce, “100-turn” dough, and homemade sausage, plus techniques to bake in a home oven and still get a lacquered bottom, pillowy crust, and bubbling cheese.
Learn to make traditional Italian dishes with a twist in this interactive cooking class. Master the art of crafting arancini filled with flavorful gorgonzola cheese, pecans, and pancetta, and impress your guests with a beef carpaccio salad topped with a delectable Sicilian pistachio cream sauce.
Learn to create delicious seasonal desserts like flower-pressed butter cookies, carrot cake quick bread, and blueberry crumb bars at the Chicago Botanic Garden's baking class. Impress your friends with these simple but impressive treats that can be adapted to any fruit you have on hand. Take home a sampling of your baked creations and spring into the season with yummy goodies!
Unleash the delectable potential of mushrooms in this hands-on cooking class at Chicago Botanic Garden. Learn expert preparation tips and cooking techniques as you create savory dishes such as mushroom yogurt lettuce cups, portobello cheese "steaks," mixed mushroom lasagna, and French onion and mushroom broth soup.
Recharge your mind and body in a serene outdoor setting with the soothing vibrations of singing bowls and melodic vocals. Unwind and let go of stress as you immerse yourself in a blissful state of deep relaxation and rejuvenation. No experience is required – just bring your yoga mat and get ready to experience tranquility like never before.
Experience the perfect harmony of movement and breath in this invigorating yoga series designed to enhance your health and vitality. Join us at the Chicago Botanic Garden for an immersive yoga experience that will engage your mind and energize your body. All levels are welcome!
Get ready for picnic season with a hands-on cooking class at Chicago Botanic Garden. Learn to make Thai-inspired fried chicken, a crunchy slaw, and macadamia nut ice cream sandwiches. Mother Nature's plans won't ruin your picnic with the option to move indoors.
Discover the secrets of the lush and vibrant gardens of Chicago as experienced horticulturists bring you on an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour. Immerse yourself in the beauty of plant varieties, design elements, and fascinating stories that have been cultivated over the years. Expand your gardening knowledge and be inspired by the expertise of these dedicated professionals.
Experience the taste of Paris in the spring with this elegant dinner party menu inspired by fresh ingredients. Indulge in a roasted rack of lamb with garlic-herb crust, paired with asparagus and sauce gribiche, and herbed new potatoes. Let the French mastery of seasonal eating transport you to a culinary paradise.
Explore the intricate world of fungi through colored pencil art at the renowned Chicago Botanic Garden. Learn how to capture the unique forms and vibrant colors of mushrooms using various techniques such as layering and burnishing. Develop your composition skills and create stunning finished works that showcase the beauty of these fascinating organisms.
Discover the ancient art of pique assiette at a renowned botanical institution. Unleash your creativity as you transform broken china and heirlooms into stunning mosaic masterpieces. Start collecting now for a unique and sustainable art experience.
Learn how to apply your design skills to create stunning garden spaces. Discover the spatial properties of landscape materials and how they can enhance your concept plans and construction-level drawings. Take your design knowledge to the next level with this professional course.
Discover the art and science of salt in culinary mastery. Unveil the secrets behind seasoning as you learn to enhance flavors and textures like never before. Dive into the world of salts and elevate your cooking expertise to new heights.
Unleash your photography potential with expert guidance in this hands-on workshop designed to help you master the setup and basic operations of your new camera. Capture stunning images with confidence, whether you own a DSLR, mirrorless, or advanced point-and-shoot camera.
Discover the art of creating stunning large-scale charcoal drawings at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Explore the versatility of charcoal and learn the techniques needed to work with both vine charcoal and charcoal pencils. Unleash your creativity and master the art of luscious darks in this immersive course.
Unleash the flavors of India in your gluten-free cooking as you explore the versatile and nutritious chickpeas. From a refreshing chickpea avocado salad to a hearty chickpea masala curry, this course will teach you how to create delicious and healthy gluten-free dishes inspired by Indian cuisine.
Get inspired by the Chicago Botanic Garden's stunning spring containers and learn how to create your own for a full-sun or partial-shade location. Discover the best plants that can withstand varying spring temperatures, including pansies and forced bulbs. Don't forget to dress appropriately and bring gloves if needed!
Classic French tarts can be sweet or savory. In this hands-on cooking class, you will learn how to prepare tender crusts that can be filled in a variety of ways. Featured recipes include leek and smoked salmon tart for a main course and a dark chocolate and pear tart for dessert.
Enhance your gardening skills by understanding the vital role of soil. Discover the secrets to maintaining healthy soil and learn how water cycles affect plants. Get your garden soil professionally analyzed for optimal growth.
Elevate your yoga practice and reach new levels of strength and flexibility with the invigorating Yoga Flow series in a serene botanical setting. Unleash your inner power as you connect breath with movement, taking your practice to exhilarating new heights. Unwind and recharge your mind and body in this challenging class with like-minded yogis.
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The Chicago Botanic Garden opened a little more than 40 years ago as a beautiful place to visit, and it has matured into one of the world's great living museums and conservation science centers. In 2013, one million people visited the Garden's 26 gardens and four natural areas, uniquely situated on 385 acres on and around nine islands, with six miles of lake shoreline. The Garden also has a renowned Bonsai Collection.
The Chicago Botanic Garden has 50,000 members—one of the largest memberships of any U.S. botanic garden. People of all ages, interests, and abilities participate in programs, take classes, and stroll the grounds year-round. Within the nine laboratories of the Garden's Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center, scientists and graduate students conduct a wide array of plant research. The Garden is one of only 17 public gardens accredited by the American Association of Museums. Its Lenhardt Library contains 110,000 volumes — including one of the nation's best collections of rare botanical books.
HISTORY
The Chicago Botanic Garden traces its origins back to the Chicago Horticultural Society, founded in 1890. With the motto Urbs in Horto, meaning "city in a garden," the Society hosted nationally recognized flower and horticultural shows, its third the World's Columbian Exposition Chrysanthemum Show, held in conjunction with the world's fair in October 1893.
After a period of inactivity, the Chicago Horticultural Society was restarted in 1943. In 1962, its modern history began when the Society agreed to help create and manage a new public garden. With the groundbreaking for the Chicago Botanic Garden in 1965 and its opening in 1972, the Society created a permanent site on which to carry out its mission. The Garden today is an example of a successful public-private partnership. It is owned by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County and operated by the Chicago Horticultural Society.
According to student reviews, the classes at Chicago Botanic Garden cover a wide range of topics such as forest bathing, beekeeping, painting, gardening, plant care, and more. Many students reported learning a lot of information and gaining new skills from their classes. Some specific skills mentioned include learning about brushes and paint mixing in painting classes, gaining knowledge about specific plants and how to care for them in gardening classes, and learning about the process of making soap. The instructors are frequently praised for their knowledge and teaching abilities, with many students expressing a desire to take more classes with them. Quotes: - "My first class at the Botanical gardens. It was great! Looking forward to other related classes. Mr. Lucas had a lot of knowledge. I love his teaching techniques. Thank you" - "This class was a delight! I learned so much. It is an intensive class, so expect to spend time out of class studying, but also expect to come away with newly gained understanding of the plant world and how much we rely on it." - "The best Bonsai teacher ever... Chris Baker! Learnt a lot in those two three short hours. Me Baker was very generous with sharing his knowledge and expertise on the subject. I only wish we could have had a week-long workshop. Thank you."
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