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After being shuttered for more than two months in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chicago Botanic Garden had a “limited reopening” Tuesday evening, officials said.

The first step in the garden’s reopening required advance registration to ensure that patrons and the garden’s staff would be able to safely social distance, said Harriet Resnick, the Botanic Garden’s vice president of visitor experience and business development, on Tuesday. The limited reopening was held from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

“When the state’s Phase 3 began, we’d already been talking for a long time about when and how we could do this, and do it safely,” Resnick said. “On a busy Sunday in June, we typically see 10,000 visitors, so we knew that was not sustainable in the world today. But we knew we needed to re-open for our members and visitors, because the community needs the garden more than ever for their mental and physical health.”

For now, that means beginning Tuesday, June 9, visits to the garden will allow walkers or cyclists to take a 2.3-mile perimeter loop of the garden, passing North Lake, glimpsing views of the Malott Japanese Garden, as well as enjoying the spring blooms in the Dixon Prairie and McDonald Woods.

Chicago Botanic Garden workers on an aquatic plant harvester Tuesday afternoon, June 9. The Garden is getting ready for a limited reopening beginning June 9. A 2.3-mile perimeter walk will allow visitors to experience part of the Garden while still maintaining safe social distancing. All visitors will be required to preregister for a specific date and time.
Chicago Botanic Garden workers on an aquatic plant harvester Tuesday afternoon, June 9. The Garden is getting ready for a limited reopening beginning June 9. A 2.3-mile perimeter walk will allow visitors to experience part of the Garden while still maintaining safe social distancing. All visitors will be required to preregister for a specific date and time.

Starting Sunday, the garden will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., but those arriving by car will still need to register in advance.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the garden was “sold out through June 23.”

While officials anticipate reopening the rest of the 385-acre Garden on June 24, many of the venue’s attractions, including the model railroad and tram rides, will not be available until at least the end of July, Resnick said.

On Tuesday afternoon, a stretch of the garden’s perimeter trail was hemmed by columbine, peonies and Queen Anne’s Lace, yet in the distance, blankets of algae clouded the surface of the waters surrounding the Japanese Garden island.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is getting ready for a limited reopening beginning June 9th. A 2.3-mile perimeter walk will allow visitors to experience part of the Garden while still maintaining safe social distancing. All visitors will be required to register for a specific date and time.
The Chicago Botanic Garden is getting ready for a limited reopening beginning June 9th. A 2.3-mile perimeter walk will allow visitors to experience part of the Garden while still maintaining safe social distancing. All visitors will be required to register for a specific date and time.

Resnick said the excess algae is a result of having only a small group of staff tending the garden since its closure in mid-March, and crews are already working to restore the waterway.

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“We haven’t had as much staff here, but the garden is still beautiful,” Resnick said, adding: “We’re taking baby steps. We’ve been nimble for the past few months, and pivoted quickly by offering many of the garden’s educational programs online. Now, it’s time to safely bring people back.”

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