Chicago Botanic Garden Admissions Fee Has 'Plan-Ahead Pricing'

GLENCOE, IL — The Chicago Botanic Garden began charging admission fees this month for the first time since it was founded a half-century ago.

Ticket prices range from $10 to $26 per person, with multiple factor determining how much visitors, including demand from the public, weather and attendance patterns.

Botanic Garden representatives call it "plan-ahead pricing." Tickets are valid for a specific date and time, and they include admission to seasonal offerings like the Grand Tram Tour, Butterflies & Blooms and the Model Railroad Garden.

“With plan-ahead pricing now in place, we encourage nonmembers to make advance plans and purchases to ensure the best fit for their budget and schedule,” Harriet Resnick, the garden’s vice president of visitor experience and business development, said in a statement.

“The farther in advance they purchase their admission ticket, the more likely they are to save," Resnick said.

Parking fees will remain $8 year-round.

There will also be 52 free admission days throughout the year for Illinois residents.

This month, admission fees are waived Feb. 7 to Feb. 13 and on Feb. 21. A schedule of the rest of the year's free days is available online.

Parking fees still apply on free admission days, and non-members must pre-register to attend.

The 385-acre property opened in 1972 and is operated by the Chicago Horticultural Society on mostly unincorporated areas of land in New Trier Township owned by the Cook County Forest Preserve District.

Taxpayer money provided about 17 percent of the society's $53.18 million in operating revenue for the year ending Dec. 31, 2020, in the most recent annual report available.

The number of visitors at the Chicago Botanic Garden is up 43 percent over the past decade, according to its representatives. According to a statement announcing the change, the "new pricing structure enables the Garden to keep up with increased costs associated with maintaining and sustaining its exceptional gardens, visitor experience, and science and learning programs."

Earlier: Chicago Botanic Garden To Begin Charging For Admission