The Morton Arboretum — Attraction in Lisle

It’s hard not to give the full five stars to a beautiful park like this, but I’ll try to explain as detailed and balanced as possible why we came to this conclusion.

To start with what speaks for the Morton Arboretum: • The property is huge (bigger than we would have thought after seeing it on Google Maps) and provides visitors with an abundance of nature from different continents. • There are trails for every taste and ability, including paved paths for visitors with mobility issues or other accessibility needs. • Everything is very well kept and clearly signposted, and the map handed out by the friendly gatehouse staff was informative and helpful. • There are a lot of children-related sights and activities, making this a true family destination. In fact, we observed a lot of kids being fascinated by something they had discovered or were shown by their parents, giving us the feeling that the park clearly accomplishes its educative mission (for all ages - as adults, we also learned a lot while walking the park grounds). • The coffee at the Gingko Café tasted good, was reasonably priced, and could be enjoyed in a nice outdoor setting overlooking a lake. • Parking is included - while we did not make use of it (see below), we appreciated that the management refrains from making additional money via paid/ticketed parking.

So, why a deduction of two stars then?

• The ticket prices are (too) steep. Coming from a European background, the sheer idea of having to pay $25 per person to get access to a piece of nature seems strange to us. Even considering that this is just our perception - shaped by a different attitude towards nature and its accessibility - we consider the entry fees too high. Yes, there are a number of discounts, yes, you can book in advance and lock in lower rates, but the prices still seem out of proportion to us, even considering how costly it must be to keep everything in shape. Also, we were surprised that the price structure does not seem to reflect reduced daylight hours (effectively limiting the time you can spend on the grounds) or the fact that some services (like the tram) were not available due to maintenance. • There is literally zero infrastructure for people arriving on foot. Our 45-minutes walk from the Lisle Metra station to the Arboretum required walking through a highway’s berm, balancing through a road construction site (within the car lanes, a life-threatening experience) and then, even on the park’s grounds, having to walk on the road and entering via a gatehouse designed for visitors by car. It is beyond us how an institution advocating for nature and conservancy is so car-centric that it does not take potential pedestrian visitors into account - not even on its own grounds. Considering the high ticket prices, an hourly shuttle service to/from the Metro station would be advisable. • While the grounds are wonderful to the eyes, they are much less so to the ears. Even in the more remote parts of the western side, we were constantly followed by a lot of traffic noise from the adjacent Interstates. This permanent disturbance took a lot away from the recreational value of the place, especially for visitors like us who wanted to have a getaway from the hustle and bustle of the loud city. We understand that some of this is beyond the Arboretum’s control, but we did not have the impression that anything was done about the parts that actually are under their control (like reducing the traffic impact through clever landscaping and noise barriers).

All in all, we would still recommend the Morton Arboretum to anyone with deep enough pockets, a car, and a high noise tolerance. If this isn’t you, you might be better off in one of the forest...

We had the absolute pleasure of having our wedding at the MA and working with Denise Martinez and Alicia Dempz. There aren’t enough good thing so could say about these two women and how hard they worked to make our day so magical and special. We had our wedding at the Thornhill education center. Our ceremony and dancing was in the founders room, cocktail hour outside and dinner in the arbor room. I’ve attached pictures from our wedding, how these ladies transformed those rooms is truly nothing short of magic! Highly recommend upgrading the chairs to chivari, it’s worth it!! All the details(napkins,flatware,table setting) and choices, they walk you through step by step so you have no guess work or extra task you need to chase down. We picked an upgraded napkin but otherwise standard table setting and it was stunning. Our flowers also helped really elevate the clean and simple look. And I wouldn’t say this if so many of our guests didn’t text us to tell us but the food was amazing, we had a filet, salmon and mushroom entree and they were served hot! Our cake was from the approved vendor Sweet Spot and it looked and tasted absolutely amazing! The wait staff was also so kind to my parents who were fasting that day and made sure to hold their meals till they could break their fast. They constantly checked on me to make sure I was ok and I didn’t need anything which is so so kind!

This was the first and only venue we visited and their rain plan sold us. They wait till 2 pm the day of to decide whether it should be inside or outside, don’t bother you on your big day and just make the call. I didn’t have an ounce of stress on the actual day because I knew Denise and Alicia had it covered. We had a tornado warning on our wedding day and it was still one of the best most fun weddings I could’ve ever dreamed off!! The MA will always hold such a special space in our hearts and I can’t thank these two wonderful ladies and all the catering, bar, wait staff enough for making our wedding day so...

I wanted to see a beautiful site over the weekend, so we drove about 30–40 minutes to get there. What I didn’t realize beforehand was that it costs $40–50 for two adults just to enter. We were really looking forward to experiencing priceless nature, but when we got up to the counter and asked what there was to do, the staff member acted as if it was the greatest privilege to get in. For context, I’ve visited Allerton Mansion, the Champaign-Urbana Arboretum, Yellowstone, and plenty of other nature sites across Missouri and Arkansas—so my expectations were set by places that truly showcase unique landscapes and plant life. Here, the experience felt overrated. We were told there were five weddings happening that day, and the place seemed overrun by children. It is large—about 1700 acres—and I’ll highlight that if you want to see anything exciting, the children’s section is actually the most engaging. The garden there is simple but worth a quick look. The trails are long, as expected with that many acres, but the maze was underwhelming. You quickly lose interest because you can’t see anything except the occasional sign about a tree or flower if you turn the wrong way. The sculptures scattered throughout are also designed for kids—brightly colored, neon oversized animals that don’t really appeal to adults. It wasn’t romantic or scenic. Even the pond or small lake area was disappointing; the water looked murky, there were no bridges, and the view wasn’t very aesthetic. Overall, the space feels rather plain. For those used to a wide variety of flowers and exotic plants, this spot doesn’t offer much that’s eye-catching. It felt more like their selling point is pushing a season pass for locals rather than a worthwhile one-time visit for out-of-towners. After the drive, it was disappointing to learn we’d be paying that much just to see evergreen trees—something we didn’t expect, especially after moving to Chicago for work. I suppose in the city, even nature comes with...