What Chicago Botanic Garden does

Chicago Botanic Garden is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit botanical institution founded in 1972 and located on a 385-acre campus at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, Illinois, approximately 20 miles north of Chicago. The Garden operates as a public visitor attraction affiliated with the Forest Preserves of Cook County, employing 501–1,000 staff and organized into three core programmatic divisions: the Regenstein School (adult education, youth programs, camps, teacher professional development, and a Science Career Continuum), the Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science (research in preventing extinctions, restoration ecology, native seed, and scientist training), and Windy City Harvest (urban agriculture, produce, and therapeutic horticulture). Supporting infrastructure includes the GardenGuide mobile app, a Plant Information Service, a birding program covering 100+ species, the new ADA-accessible North Branch Trail multiuse path, and recurring exhibitions such as the annual 10,000+ orchid Orchid Show.

The Garden's technology stack is grounded in horticultural and ecological science rather than software: proprietary capabilities include the Seed Amplification Program (a Cook County partnership scaling native seed production from 100+ lbs in 2024 to 2,000 lbs annually by 2030), specialized living collections such as Dixon Prairie and McDonald Woods, and a 175+ acre managed natural-areas footprint. The GardenGuide app provides interactive maps, audio walking tours, a plant finder, and a What's in Bloom feed to enhance the on-site experience.

Revenue is generated through eight diversified streams: general admission and parking (transaction), annual memberships with exclusive 8-10 a.m. access hours (subscription), adult classes and youth programs (subscription), on-site and online retail (Garden Shop), dining (Garden View Café, Garden Grille, Rose Terrace Bar, Garden Vine), donations and planned giving including IRA, stock, and corporate support, private event rentals, and Windy City Harvest produce and therapeutic horticulture programs. Pricing for admission and membership tiers is not publicly disclosed in scraped content. A $10 million grant from the Negaunee Foundation in 2019 anchors the research division, and a 2022 voter-approved Cook County tax funds the Forest Preserves restoration mandate.

Name

Chicago Botanic Garden

Legal name

Chicago Botanic Garden

Website

https://chicagobotanic.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Chicago Botanic Garden is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a 385-acre public botanical garden in Glencoe, Illinois, serving general visitors, schools, horticulture students, urban farmers, and donors through three divisions: Regenstein School (education), Negaunee Institute (plant conservation science), and Windy City Harvest (urban agriculture).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Botanical Garden and Horticultural Services

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Landscaping Services (561730)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections) (THAJADAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Garden Cleanups & Debris Removal (Bed-focused) (HSAIAFAJ), Garden Bed Installation & Planting (Annuals, Perennials, Shrubs) (HSAIAFAB), Seasonal Color & Flower Rotation (Spring/Fall Plantings) (HSAIAFAE)

Keywords

• Botanical garden services
• Horticultural education programs
• Plant conservation research
• Urban agriculture programs
• Public garden visitor attractions

Headquarters

HQ city

Glencoe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Admission Fees: Visitors pay for general admission tickets and advance parking
2. Membership Program: Annual membership providing exclusive benefits including early access hours (8-10 a.m.) and other perks
3. Education Programs: Adult classes, workshops, youth programs, camp programs, and professional development for teachers
4. Retail Sales: On-site Garden Shop and online shop selling plants, gifts, and garden-related merchandise
5. Dining Services: Garden View Café, Garden Grille, Rose Terrace Bar, and The Garden Vine food and beverage operations
6. Donations and Planned Giving: Individual donations, corporate partnerships, planned giving, IRA gifts, stock gifts, and tribute donations
7. Private Events: Facility rentals for weddings, corporate events, and private gatherings
8. Urban Agriculture Products: Windy City Harvest produces and sells produce, therapeutic horticulture programs

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Chicago Botanic Garden operates a 385-acre public botanical garden in Glencoe, Illinois, offering visitor experiences across display gardens and natural areas, supported by horticultural education, plant conservation research, urban agriculture programs, and on-site dining, retail, and event services. Its core activities are visitor garden access, adult and youth horticulture education, scientific research on plant conservation and restoration, and community urban agriculture through Windy City Harvest.

Product overview

The Chicago Botanic Garden is a 385-acre public botanic garden offering a unified visitor experience centered on its display gardens and natural areas. The portfolio consists of the core Garden attraction plus three programmatic divisions: Windy City Harvest (urban agriculture), the Regenstein School (education), and the Negaunee Institute (science/research). Supporting services include the GardenGuide mobile app, Plant Information Service, Birding program, and North Branch Trail. The Smart Gardener content publication extends educational outreach. The Garden operates as a membership-based attraction with paid admission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Regenstein School: The learning division of the Chicago Botanic Garden offering adult classes, wellness and fitness programs, child and youth programs, camp programs, school field trips, teacher professional development, and science career continuum.
• Negaunee Institute
• Windy City Harvest
• GardenGuide App

Products and services

• Chicago Botanic Garden Visitor Experience A 385-acre public botanic garden in Glencoe, Illinois featuring display gardens, natural areas, and seasonal attractions such as Butterflies & Blooms, the Model Railroad Garden, and Tram Tours; open daily with member-exclusive early morning hours.
• GardenGuide Mobile App Mobile app for iOS and Android providing an interactive map, walking tours with audio narratives, event calendar, What's in Bloom feature, and a Garden plant finder to enhance visitor experience.
• Windy City Harvest Urban Agriculture Program Urban agriculture initiative offering programs, produce, experiences, therapeutic horticulture, events, tours, and workshops focused on sustainable urban food production and community food access.
• Regenstein School Education Programs Learning division offering adult classes, wellness and fitness programs, child and youth programs, camp programs, school field trips, teacher professional development, and a Science Career Continuum.
• Negaunee Institute Plant Conservation Science Research division focused on preventing plant extinctions, reimagining restoration ecology, meeting the need for native seed, and training the next generation of scientists.
• Birding at the Garden Program Comprehensive birding program featuring an alphabetical bird species list with seasonal detection information for over 100 species found at the Garden.
• North Branch Trail Multiuse Path A 1-mile ADA-accessible multiuse bike and pedestrian path connecting the North Branch Trail with the Green Bay Trail at the Braeside Metra station in Highland Park, passing through Turnbull Woods and McDonald Woods.
• Smart Gardener Publication Monthly publication offering gardening articles, tips, and how-to guides covering vegetables, herbs, flowers, native plants, and seasonal gardening advice.
• Plant Information Service Walk-up and phone-based plant information services providing gardening help, plant finder tools, and horticultural consultation to visitors and the public.
• Annual Garden Membership Annual subscription providing exclusive benefits including member-only early morning hours (8-10 a.m.), discounts on programs and shop purchases, and other perks.
• Private Events Facility Rentals Facility rentals for weddings, corporate events, and private gatherings, including the Stone Family Picnic Glade which accommodates up to 200 people with covered and open-air picnic areas.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cook County Forest PreservescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2025Partnership to scale up Seed Amplification Program addressing shortage of native seeds for habitat restoration. The program aims to produce 2,000 pounds of seed annually by 2030, up from over 100 pounds in 2024. A 2022 voter-approved tax increase funds both the seed program and the goal to restore 30,000 acres of habitat to high-quality condition by 2040.
• Forest Preserves of Cook CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Partnership to build multiuse path for bicyclists, runners, and walkers. Path passes through Turnbull Woods and the Garden's McDonald Woods. Part of 20-mile North Branch Trail system.
• Friends of the Chicago RivercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Partnership to install and maintain osprey nesting platform at the Garden. The platform, established in 2016, has hosted osprey pair Oakley & Onyx since 2024. The osprey is listed as a threatened species in Illinois.
• Forest Preserves of Cook CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Co-partner with Friends of the Chicago River on osprey nesting platform. Osprey nesting platform is viewable from North Branch Trail near Dundee Road. Ospreys depend on healthy habitats like the 175+ acres of natural areas managed at the Garden.
• Glencoe Friends of the Greenbay TrailminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll-volunteer group dedicated to restoring sections of Green Bay Trail. Garden ecologist Jim Steffen donated hundreds of sedges for transplanting along the trail during construction of the path.
• Rocky Mountain Biological LaboratoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with Garden scientist Paul CaraDonna, Ph.D., and collaborators Nickolas Waser, Ph.D., and Mary Price, Ph.D., on hummingbird and flower pollination research published in The American Naturalist.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Missouri Botanical Garden: One of the oldest and largest U.S. botanical gardens, operating a comparable mix of display gardens, scientific research (Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development), education, and conservation programs. Directly comparable in mission, scale, and programming structure.
• Brooklyn Botanic Garden: 52-acre urban botanical garden with extensive children's education, plant research, and visitor programming. Comparable mid-sized nonprofit botanic garden model with similar urban demographic and educational mission.
• Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden: Midwest zoological institution that also operates accredited botanical garden collections and conservation programs, with comparable Midwest climate, urban-attraction model, and educational programming.
• New York Botanical Garden: Major 250-acre urban botanical garden in the Bronx with plant science research, education programs, major exhibitions, and extensive acreage comparable to Chicago Botanic Garden's footprint. Operates the same nonprofit attraction-plus-research model.
• Longwood Gardens: 1,077-acre horticultural display garden operating display gardens, performing arts, education, and research with a strong emphasis on horticulture and seasonal exhibitions—closely aligned in programmatic structure and visitor experience.
• Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens: 130-acre estate with extensive botanical gardens, library, and museum collections operating as a major cultural and horticultural attraction. Comparable in combining gardens, education, research, and visitor-based revenue.
• United States Botanic Garden: Federal botanical garden on the National Mall operating display gardens, exhibits, and education programming with a similar visitor-attraction-plus-conservation profile, though publicly operated.
• Cleveland Botanical Garden (Holden Forests & Gardens): Midwestern nonprofit combining a botanical garden with arboretum and natural areas, operating comparable urban agriculture, education, and conservation programs in the Great Lakes region.

Regional players

• Morton Arboretum: 1,700-acre tree-focused arboretum in the Chicago western suburbs, operating in the same regional market as Chicago Botanic Garden with overlapping plant science, education, and visitor programming missions.

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian Gardens: National-level garden network operating under the Smithsonian umbrella, with similar horticulture, education, and visitor-programming roles. Larger and broader institutional parent but overlapping mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chicagobotanic
• Facebookfacebook.com/chicagobotanicgarden
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicago-botanic-garden

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chicago Botanic Garden