Chicago Botanic Garden
Classes in Chicago
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.
47 classes with availability
Singing Bowl Meditation
Chicago Botanic Garden See all classes by this school @ 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL
Settle into deep relaxation with the soothing vibrations of crystal singing bowls, easing you into a meditative state of acceptance. As you lie comfortably, the frequencies help you tune into your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations, supporting profound calm. No prior experience is needed to enjoy this peaceful, restorative practice.
Nov 17th
6:30–7:45pm CT
$44
10 Seats Left
Dec 14th
6:30–7:45pm CT
$44
10 Seats Left
Don't see any dates that work for you?
Add to Wishlist
Tue. Nov 17th, 6:30–7:45pm CT
(75 minutes)
Dried Flower Arrangement
Chicago Botanic Garden See all classes by this school @ 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL
Preserve the beauty of the season with a custom dried floral bouquet designed to last through fall and beyond. Learn best practices for drying flowers at home, then explore how to combine color, texture, and height to create a balanced, eye-catching arrangement. Leave with a one-of-a-kind bouquet and practical skills for preserving your favorite blooms.
Wed. Nov 18th, 1–2:30pm CT
(90 minutes)
School Day-off Camps (Grades K-4)
Chicago Botanic Garden See all classes by this school @ 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL
Give your K-4 child an exciting break with nature-inspired activities that blend play, art, and science. They’ll engage in outdoor learning adventures and creative projects, all while exploring the wonders of the environment. Ensure they dress for the weather and bring essentials for a day full of fun and discovery.
Mon. Nov 23rd, 9:30am–3pm CT
(5 hours & 30 minutes)
Winter Container Workshop
Chicago Botanic Garden See all classes by this school @ 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL
Bring winter charm to your home with a festive seasonal container filled with fresh evergreen boughs, berries, and colorful branches. Learn how to arrange natural materials into a beautiful, long-lasting display while creating your own design in a sturdy, biodegradable container. Take home a versatile piece that can be displayed on its own or placed inside a decorative pot or urn.
Dec 3rd
1–2pm CT
$112
10 Seats Left
Dec 3rd
6–7pm CT
$112
10 Seats Left
Don't see any dates that work for you?
Add to Wishlist
Thu. Dec 3rd, 1–2pm CT
(1 hour)
Demonstration Cooking: Healthy Sheet Pan Dinners
Chicago Botanic Garden See all classes by this school @ 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL
Reclaim your evening with quick, healthy recipes packed with bold flavors and minimal cleanup. Learn to prepare juicy steak fajitas, hearty cauliflower and chickpeas with tofu, and tender chicken shawarma paired with flavorful curried vegetables. Perfect for busy weeknights, this class will give you practical techniques and delicious recipes to make satisfying meals with ease.
This class isn’t on the schedule at the moment, but save it to your Wish List to find out when it comes back!
$94
Birding the Barbara Brown Nature Preserve
Chicago Botanic Garden See all classes by this school @ 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL
Discover the ducks, shorebirds, and other waterfowl that inhabit diverse habitats from mudflats to prairies. Learn identification tips and observe bird behavior up close along scenic trails. Bring your binoculars and field guide to lift the experience as you explore these vibrant, dynamic ecosystems.
Thu. Nov 12th, 8–9:30am CT
(90 minutes)
Seasonal Tree Walk
Chicago Botanic Garden See all classes by this school @ 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL
Surround yourself with the beauty of nature on a captivating journey through the shifting landscapes of the Chicago Botanic Garden. Uncover the hidden stories and secrets of the distinctive trees that anchor each section of the garden during this enlightening morning walk.
Wed. Nov 18th, 9–10:30am CT
(90 minutes)
Beetle Pinning Workshop
Chicago Botanic Garden See all classes by this school @ 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL
Step into the fascinating world of beetle pinning and discover the art of preserving these remarkable creatures. Learn specimen positioning, pinning, and preservation techniques while gaining insight into the practices of entomology. Create your own museum-quality display specimen to take home, using ethically sourced beetles and all included supplies.
Wed. Dec 2nd, 10am–12pm CT
(2 hours)
Lightroom Classic: New Features and Essential Review
Chicago Botanic Garden See all classes by this school @ 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL
Refresh your Lightroom Classic skills while mastering the latest AI-powered editing tools. Dive into new editing panels and advanced masking features while strengthening your ability to turn your photographic vision into polished results. Build on your existing experience with image organization and Develop Module editing through hands-on practice and practical techniques you can apply to your own workflow.
Dec 6th
9–11:30am CT
Meets 2 Times
$162
10 Seats Left
Don't see any dates that work for you?
Add to Wishlist
Sun. Dec 6th, 9–11:30am CT
(5 hours over 2 sessions)
Winter Container Design Tips
Chicago Botanic Garden See all classes by this school @ 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL
Learn how to design stunning winter containers with a focus on hardy perennials, evergreens, and seasonal accents. Explore key principles of container design, including balance, contrast, and effective use of height, filler, and trailing elements. Gain practical advice on troubleshooting and caring for your winter arrangements to keep them visually appealing throughout the colder months.
Thu. Nov 19th, 5:30–6:30pm CT
(1 hour)
Teas, Sweets, and Tropical Treats
Chicago Botanic Garden See all classes by this school @ 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL
Explore the festive scents and flavors of edible plants from cultures around the world. Discover the plants behind beloved herbs, spices, teas, chocolate, and other seasonal favorites while learning about their cultural traditions. Create custom tea bags, mulling spice blends, hot chocolate, and other easy-to-replicate treats that can bring hands-on learning into the classroom.
Sat. Nov 21st, 9am–3:30pm CT
(6 hours & 30 minutes)
Hands-on Cooking: French Onion Soup
Chicago Botanic Garden See all classes by this school @ 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL
Learn the secrets behind creating a rich and comforting French onion soup, along with a classic Caesar salad, in this hands-on culinary experience. Discover the techniques for caramelizing onions and adding depth of flavor to your soups. Join us for a delightful journey into the world of French cuisine.
Wed. Dec 2nd, 11am–1:30pm CT
(2 hours & 30 minutes)
Pressed Floral Wall-Clock Workshop
Chicago Botanic Garden See all classes by this school @ 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL
Turn pressed flowers into a beautiful, functional piece of botanical décor. Learn how to arrange blooms using the golden ratio for a balanced and visually striking clock face, then discover sealing techniques to help preserve their color and placement. Leave with a unique, battery-operated floral clock ready to hang and enjoy at home. All supplies are included.
Thu. Dec 3rd, 10am–1pm CT
(3 hours)
Classroom Gardening and Engineering
Chicago Botanic Garden See all classes by this school @ 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL
Bring hands-on engineering and plant science into the classroom by building a simple grow-light stand with a light fixture for growing plants at school. Explore plant selection and care while investigating creative solutions to weekend and holiday watering challenges. Activities can be adapted to support NGSS and Early Learning Standards, making this a practical and engaging greening project for students.
Sat. Dec 5th, 9am–3:30pm CT
(6 hours & 30 minutes)
Photoshop 2
Chicago Botanic Garden See all classes by this school @ 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL
Push your Photoshop skills further with an in-depth exploration of selections and layers. Learn techniques for photo restoration, layer masking, sky replacement, and people extraction. Grow your expertise in collaging and understanding photo resolution to lift your digital editing capabilities.
Wed. Dec 9th, 1–3:30pm CT
(2 hours & 30 minutes)
Bird Walk: Fall Migration
Chicago Botanic Garden See all classes by this school @ 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL
Discover the beauty of fall migration as you join expert guides on bird walks in the breathtaking Chicago Botanic Garden. Uncover the secrets of identifying birds in their unique fall plumage, and witness the stunning diversity of warblers, vireos, flycatchers, ducks, sparrows, and hawks. Don't forget your binoculars and field guide for an immersive experience with nature.
Sat. Nov 21st, 8–9:30am CT
(90 minutes)
Hands-on Cooking: Pears and Chocolate
Chicago Botanic Garden See all classes by this school @ 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL
Warm up winter with the elegant pairing of pear and rich chocolate. Learn to create a smooth chocolate, Frangelico, and pear tart with a crumbly shortbread crust, plus a tender Kahlua-poached pear filled with raspberries and dark chocolate. Discover how to balance delicate fruit with indulgent flavors in two impressive seasonal desserts.
Mon. Dec 7th, 2–4:30pm CT
(2 hours & 30 minutes)
Dye Painting on Silk
Chicago Botanic Garden See all classes by this school @ 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL
Discover the art of silk painting in this hands-on workshop. Transfer designs onto silk pocket squares, use a water-based resist for outlines, and add vibrant fiber-reactive dyes to create a stained-glass effect. All supplies included for a bright, lasting creation.
Thu. Dec 10th, 1–4pm CT
(3 hours)
Hands on Cooking: Enchiladas
Chicago Botanic Garden See all classes by this school @ 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL
Master the comforting flavors of classic red sauce enchiladas in this hands-on cooking class. Learn the traditional technique for rolling tortillas, prepare a flavorful red chili sauce, and explore a variety of savory fillings with and without meat. Finish your enchiladas with creamy queso fresco and gain the confidence to recreate this satisfying favorite at home.
Sat. Dec 12th, 11am–1:30pm CT
(2 hours & 30 minutes)
Pressed Floral Candles
Chicago Botanic Garden See all classes by this school @ 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL
Celebrate the beauty of autumn through a nature-inspired collage workshop. Use found and foraged materials such as leaves, flowers, and bark to create layered designs on candles while exploring composition, texture, and form. Express your personal connection to the season and leave with two unique candles, perfect for gifting or adding a warm, natural touch to your winter home. All supplies are included.
Sun. Dec 6th, 3:30–6:30pm CT
(3 hours)
Reviews of Chicago Botanic Garden
-
Demonstration Baking: Challah Making and Shaping
Excellent class from a knowledgeable baker. Exceeded my expectation as I'm hard of hearing and she wore a device so I was able to hear the demonstration. Pick up some good information for different challah shapes. -
Demonstration Baking: Challah Making and Shaping
-
Spring Containers at the Garden
-
Embroidery Basics: Onsite
The instructor was great. Good pace. -
Painting the Natural World
-
Needle-Felted Halloween Friend
This is the second time I’ve taken a class with this instructor. She provides plenty of materials to fit everyone’s tastes and preferences and is positive, supportive and respectful in how she leads the group in learning new skills. The only reason that I have not given 5 stars is because she can be a little too soft spoken making it hard to hear everything she is saying. Otherwise, very fun, and her classes attract fun folks to spend a few hours with creating felted treasures. -
Beginning Digital Photography
Exceptional! The instructor was inspiring and being in the Chicago Botanic Gardens was inspiring and a perfect setting to hone my photo skills. I highly recommend this course and I will be taking the intermediate. -
iPhone Photography
-
Spring Containers at the Garden
-
Painting the Natural World
Judith was great! Can’t do next session, but will be back! M -
Wet-Felted Rose Workshop
Enjoyed learning the art of wet felting. Will definitely sign up for another class. -
Introduction to Houseplant Care
I loved the class, I learned a lot of things because I am a new learner in this subject, but I needed more time to take more notes -
Fiber Arts: Winter Bird Ornament
-
iPhone Photography
I definitely learned from this class, although it was a bit disorganized. The instructor covered how to use the editing tools within the Camera app on the iPhone as well as an app called Snapseed. He also recommended a variety of other editing apps. He showed us examples of photos he had edited. The class was listed as 6 PM - 8:30 PM and actually was 6:30-8:30 PM. For the first class, I waited on Zoom from 6 PM wondering what was going on. The instructor would benefit from a planned curriculum. He seemed to meandered through tools and his own photos with a lot of repetition. -
Hands-on Baking: Cake Decorating
-
Hydrangeas for the Home Garden: Online
-
Creating a Garden Sanctuary: Online
Helpful. Good intro but not what I expected. -
Needle-Felted Pumpkin
The course was fun! Well organized, clear instructions and positive feedback. I love the pumpkin I made. My only criticism is that there is insufficient handicap parking at the learning center. In my opinion, all of the spaces right at the learning center should be reserved for handicapped people. -
Forest Bathing Experience
Loved this class! -
Elements of the Garden: Patios
It was a good class. I learned a lot. The instructor was quite informative and obviously an expert in this field of study.
