The floral smells, deep colors and breeze of the Chicago Botanic Garden should calm students escaping the stresses of midterms and bar scenes. One of the most visited attractions in Illinois – with more than one million visitors annually – the nearly 400 acre complex boasts millions of plants, and more than 20 individual gardens and reserves, including Japanese Zen gardens and Evening Island.
Some 25 miles north from the Chicago Loop, the garden provides a flowery oasis from the noise and chaos of city life. Located in Glencoe, students should plan ahead before visiting, as the garden is really only accessible by Metra rail or car. It takes more than six hours to adequately tour the whole garden.
Maintaing such a vast compound is not easy. Some 200 staff and gardeners, and about 1,200 volunteers tame the plants and maintain the facilities.
“We are always looking for volunteers,” said Julie McCaffrey, the media relations manager at the garden. “We have volunteers from all age groups.”
And in an effort to reach younger people, the garden is promoting a comprehensive smart phone app called