Chicago Gardens by Train

Board the Amtrak Borealis train at the Saint Paul Union Depot and join your fellow travelers in reserved Business Class seats for a scenic, seven-hour train ride through Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois. After stopping at cities and towns along the way, you’ll reach the bustling metropolis of Chicago, where a motorcoach will pick up the group at Union Station and transfer you to the conveniently located Hilton Garden Inn Downtown/Magnificent Mile. This hotel is where you’ll stay for the next six nights. It’s an 18-minute walk north to the Water Tower Place Mall on North Michigan Avenue (the “Mag Mile”) and an 18-minute walk south to Millennium Park. You will have lots of free time to explore both places and the sites in between.

This morning, visit the highly-rated, 385-acre complex of flora and footbridges that is the Chicago Botanic Garden. Situated on nine islands in the Cook County Forest Preserve, the 27 spectacular gardens are a feast for the senses. Your admission includes a 35-minute Tram Tour for an overview of the garden and the Butterflies & Blooms exhibit. Tours are self-guided, so you can spend the morning focusing on the areas that are of most interest to you. After lunch, we’ll stop at the beautiful Bahá’í House of Worship. The Baháʼí principle of The Unity of Religion is detailed throughout the stunning white temple by a variety of religious architecture and symbols. After our guided tour we’ll return to downtown Chicago for dinner together. 

Today we’ll tour the area near the hotel on foot. Starting at the building that was originally the Chicago Public Library and is now the Chicago Cultural Center, you will be dazzled by the gorgeous interior décor, including two 38-foot stained glass domes, one made by Tiffany. Then cross the street to Millennium Park to view Cloudgate (a/k/a “The Bean”) and the Crown Fountain, an interactive work of public art, video and water. After enjoying the Lurie Garden in the Park, we’ll arrive at the Art Institute of Chicago, where you can spend as much time as you’d like at one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. They offer a Highlights Tour every afternoon, or create your own tour using a link on their website. There’s lots to see! Tonight is on your own to explore and enjoy the city.

Enjoy the first day of summer in two beautiful places: Graceland Cemetery and the Morton Arboretum. The “garden cemetery” opened in 1860, two miles from Chicago city limits, but now the Victorian park-like atmosphere attracts city residents as a green oasis. It is also a certified arboretum of more than 2,000 trees. Among the notable burials are: Ernie Banks, Daniel Burnham, Marshall Field, Cyrus McCormick and George Pullman. We’ll then head to the Morton Arboretum, which covers 1,700 acres and is home to over 4,100 different plant species. Established by the founder of the Morton Salt Company, the woodlands, wetlands and prairies offer beauty and wonder. Tour the gardens, find your way out of the maze and hike a trail. After a lovely visit we’ll return to the hotel for another evening on your own in Chicago. 

Begin today with outings to two conservatories: the Oak Park Conservatory and the Garfield Park Conservatory. We’ll start at the smaller of the two, Oak Park, with its three indoor showrooms and urban outdoor gardens. Just down the road is Garfield Park Conservatory, designed by Jens Jensen in 1906. With its large glass house, exotic plants, numerous gardens, water feature with a Chihuly glass installation, and horticulture hall, there’s much to take in on a visit here. Back in Chicago, we’ll stop for lunch at one of the city’s most-visited tourist attractions, Navy Pier, and then take a narrated architectural cruise on the Chicago River. From this unique vantage point you’ll learn the history of the buildings in the ever-changing skyline. Dinner is included tonight.

It takes hours to enjoy all that Lincoln Park has to offer, so the day will be spent there. This 1,200-acre park running alongside Lake Michigan offers a Conservatory, Formal Gardens, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum & Butterfly House, the Zoo & a Petting Zoo, a Bird Sanctuary, the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool, the South Pond Boardwalk and Public Art. There are restaurants in the Park and directly across the street, for a mid-day break. At the end of the day, we’ll head back into the city and enjoy a Farewell Dinner, where you can exchange memories of your week in the Chicago area with your travel companions.

After breakfast at the hotel, it will be time to check out and return to Chicago’s Union Station to board the Amtrak Borealis train back to Saint Paul’s Union Depot. Enjoy the sites along the way while relaxing in your reserved Business Class seat and enjoying the on-board amenities. Thank you for traveling with the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum!