Garfield Park Conservatory Children’s Garden
Story:
Rain, snow, sleet, or shine, the indoor gardens at the historic Garfield Park Conservatory have long offered a respite for Chicagoans no matter the season. With two acres of landscape from a variety of ecosystems under its glass roof, the Garfield Park Conservatory is among the largest greenhouse conservatories in the nation. Visitors are welcomed with a warm embrace as they step into the gardens, allowing the noise and bustle of the city to fade away as individuals and families explore the natural world through the Conservatorys winding pathways, horticultural education, and outreach programs.
While the Conservatory has always been a great place for visitors of any age, an especially frequented garden is the Elizabeth Morse Genius Childrens Garden. Much like the weather, learning-through-experience approaches constantly change and, subsequently, the childrens garden needs to be refreshed. Led by Hitchcock Design and made possible through the Elizabeth Morse Genius Trust, the kids will have a fabulous new garden and safe activity area to explore the natural world through play in a novel way that would not otherwise be possible in an urban environment.
The garden, geared towards children ages one through nine-years old, will feature a multi-level, nature-themed playscape with integrated plantings to encourage the investigation of horticulture. Floating, leaf-like platforms, curving sloped walkways, and winding vine-like slides allow children of all abilities to embark on an exploratory expedition from the roots to the canopy of the tropical plantings around them. Within the walls of the conservatory, children from every corner of the city and beyond will have the freedom to safely explore the natural world while developing a healthy dose of curiosity, knowledge, and appreciation for nature.
As an architectural consultant, Bailey Edward is contributing to the improvements at the Garfield Park Conservatory by designing both a nature-disguised family restroom to ensure the comfort of all visitors and a donor wall to thank those who have made the new space financially possible.
You can learn more about the Childrens Garden at the Garfield Park Conservatory by reading Hitchcocks description here or watching the below video by the Elizabeth Morse Genius Trust.
Elizabeth Morse Genius Charitable Trust Video from GPCA on Vimeo.