Since it opened more than 45 years ago, the Chicago Botanic Gardens has matured into one of the world’s greatest living museums and conservation science centers. With more than 1 million visitors annually, this North Shore destination is worth the stop for any native or visitor to Illinois.

The Chicago Botanic Gardens is made up of 27 gardens and an additional four natural areas, which can all be reached by foot or by the Gardens’ tram service. The Gardens are uniquely situated on 385 acres on and around nine islands, with six miles right on the Lake Michigan shoreline.

One site the Gardens are most renowned for is the Bonsai Collection, which boasts nearly 200 species of bonsai plants. There is also a sensory garden: an area meant for visitors to see, smell, hear and even touch the flowers and plants there . The Gardens also include a number of family-friendly attractions, like the Children’s Growing Garden, a place for kids of all ages to engage with nature as they learn to water, weed and harvest plants. 

No two visits to the Gardens are the same. The season, weather and a regularly changing calendar of events can all have an impact on the kinds of sights and experiences the Gardens can provide.

The Chicago Botanic Gardens are located in Glencoe and open every day of the year. Admission to the Gardens is free, but there is a fee for parking for non-members. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, visitors much pre-register to visit. More information on the Gardens and how to visit can be found on their website here.

It’s time to meet some of the most exotic animals in the world, because today is National Zoo Lovers Day! Illinois is home to many zoos that provide residents and tourists the opportunity to witness some extraordinary and loveable animals.

Prepare your stomachs: Today is deep-dish Pizza Day! Invented in the 1940s, Chicago-style pizza is one of the most renowned forms of deep-dish pizza, distinguished by its tall, flaky crust holding thick layers of mozzarella cheese, chunky tomato sauce and fennel sausage patties as an optional topping.

Charles Mound is the highest natural point in Illinois, at 1,235 feet above sea level. It’s located on rolling farmland, 11 miles north of the Mississippi River town of Galena and less than half a mile from the Wisconsin border.

The northwest area of Illinois is part of a unique geological region called the “Driftless Area.” The land was not covered by glaciers during the last Ice Age, which created a tall plateau cut by deep river valleys, most notably around the Mississippi River.

Sophia Byrd, a senior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has been nominated for two Grammy Awards.

Byrd had the opportunity to sing in a professional oratorio as a college freshman and is now studying lyric theatre. She was one of six vocalists who performed in “Place,” a 2018 work that explores the effects of gentrification in a Brooklyn neighborhood. “Place” is nominated for best chamber music/small ensemble performance and best contemporary classical composition.