Located at 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Illinois, USA, the Chicago Botanic Garden is a 385-acre living plant museum situated on nine islands featuring 23 display gardens surrounded by lakes, as well as a prairie and woodlands. There are many gardens inside the main campus. The Waterfall Garden is one of the best with a set of cascading waterfalls flowing down a hill with beautiful plants and flowers. The Bonsai collection is very interesting and a must see. The other gardens include the Fruit and Vegetable Garden, the Aquatic Garden, the Rose Garden and the Sensory Garden among others. A full day isn't enough to cover all the gardens thus the importance of the membership.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is also one of the United States most visited public gardens and a center for learning and scientific research. Joseph Regenstein, Jr., School of the Chicago Botanic Garden is a top school and offers a Ph.D program and several Masters programs. There are also beginner and advanced courses for everyone interested in botany.

The Garden is open every day of the year, except December 25th. Admission is free though parking is $15 for non-members. Membership is definitely worth it as an individual membership costs only $65 and there are enough events, plant giveaways, and courses to keep you using that membership through the year.

During the winter, the Wonderland Express is a must see. Famous Chicago landmarks are redesigned by Paul Busse using only plants and seeds.