The Visitor Center is your gateway to the Arboretum. Visitor Services staff are happy to answer any questions you have about your visit. Tickets for tram tours and many special events can be purchased here. More detailed calendars, brochures, and informational handouts are also available. For specific questions, please call Visitor Services at 630-968-0074.
The Arboretum Grounds
Our grounds are kept beautiful and healthy for research, enjoyment, and learning. For the safety of our plant collections and our visitors,
- Please leave pets, alcohol, glass containers, and grills at home.
- Pets aren't allowed in vehicles or on the grounds.
- The Morton Arboretum is a smoke-free environment.
- No smoking is allowed indoors or outdoors within the Arboretum.
The Arboretum has acquired trees and other plants from around the world for study, display, research, and propagation. Unlike indoor museums, our collections are out in the open. It is important that our members and visitors respect our living specimens.
Amenities
- Restrooms can be found in the Visitor Center (East and West Pavilions), Children's Garden, Thornhill Education Center (limited hours), Administration & Research Center (limited hours), Big Rock Visitor Station (portable facility), Prairie Visitor Station (portable facility), and the Thornhill Shelter. The restrooms in the Visitor Center include family stations. All restrooms are wheelchair accessible.
- Water fountains are available in the Visitor Center (East and West Pavilions), Thornhill Education Center (limited hours), Administration & Research Center (limited hours), and the Thornhill Shelter. Make sure you have an adequate water supply before starting your hike.
Accessibility
- All buildings and paved garden paths and trails are accessible to strollers and wheelchairs.
- Paved garden paths are found in the Ground Cover Garden, Fragrance Garden, Herb Garden, Four Seasons Garden, and Children's Garden.
- Paved trails are Meadow Lake Trail, Conifer Walk, Joy Path, Big Rock Visitor Station, and the Prairie Visitor Station.
- A limited number of wheelchairs and strollers are available at the Visitor Center. (Strollers are $3)
- Acorn Express, our open-air tram, is an accessible vehicle. Daily, April-November call 630-968-0074 for details.
Bicycling
Bike nine miles of paved roads that wind through our magnificent tree collections. Hop on your bicycle, and explore our expansive grounds in a new and adventurous way all year-round. Daily, 7a.m.-sunset
Snowshoe/Cross-county ski
This winter put on your mittens and warm wool socks and cross-country ski or snowshoe across our 1,700 acre winter wonderland—when there is four or more inches of snow on the ground.
Arboretum Admission Fees
$12 Adults ages 18–64 ($8 Wednesdays*)
$11 Seniors ages 65+ ($7 Wednesdays*)
$9 Youth ages 2–17 ($6 Wednesdays*)
*Wednesdays are discount admission!
Children 1 and younger are free
Admission includes FREE parking!
Members always enter for free with valid membership credentials
Click here to see if your membership to other gardens allows a partial admission benefit to The Morton Arboretum.
The Arboretum is open 365 days a year! The grounds open at 7 a.m. year-round and close at sunset. (Please note Children's Garden hours below
Located 25 miles west of Chicago, The Morton Arboretum—4100 Illinois Route 53 in Lisle, IL 60532—is just west of Interstate 355 and north of I-88 on Illinois Route 53 (sometimes known as Lincoln Avenue or Lincoln Highway).
Westbound I-88: Exit north onto Route 53. Proceed north ½ mile to entrance
Eastbound I-88: Follow signs onto southbound I-355 and exit immediately to westbound Ogden Avenue (Route 34). Continue west on Ogden Avenue to Route 53 north. Proceed north one mile to entrance.
I-355: Follow signs and exit onto westbound I-88. Exit north onto Route 53; Proceed north ½ mile to entrance.
The Arboretum is two miles from the Metra train station in Lisle (Burlington Northern stop). Cab service is available through advance arrangements.
Know Before You Go
View www.illinoistollway.com to get the latest information on construction and traffic.
The Arboretum can be enjoyed any time of the year if you dress for the season and for walking.
All nine miles of roads are paved, and most walking trails are wood-chipped. Wear walking shoes appropriate to the season. If it is raining or has recently rained and you want to walk on trails, wear water-repellent shoes or boots.
If it is cold, or the weather is changeable, layer your clothing so you can add or remove layers to maintain your comfort level. In the summer, be prepared for mosquitoes in the early morning and at dusk; wear long sleeves and slacks or use insect repellent. Sun hats and sunscreen are also recommended if you will be in the sun.
Common Summertime Pests
All natural environments, including The Morton Arboretum, are home to pesky critters. A few simple precautions will help you avoid possible dangers and make your outdoor experience more comfortable.
Natural areas in northeastern Illinois, including the Arboretum, are reporting higher than normal tick populations this year. The most common tick is the American dog tick. The smaller blacklegged (deer) tick also is present.
Take precautions to avoid tick bites:
- Stay on marked trails and avoid rubbing against vegetation.
- Wear light-colored protective clothing, such as long-sleeved shirts, long trousers, and a head covering (light colors will help you to see ticks). Tuck trouser cuffs into socks.
- Apply insect repellent containing DEET to clothing, but apply to the skin only sparingly.
- Check yourself and family members every 2 or 3 hours for ticks. Ticks crawl slowly and seldom attach quickly.
If you find a tick, remove it promptly:
- Ticks can be removed from clothing with the sticky side of tape.
- The best way to remove a tick embedded in skin is to grasp it firmly with tweezers as close to the skin as possible, and gently, but firmly, pull it straight out. Wash the bite area and apply antiseptic.
To learn more about ticks, check the following Illinois Department of Public Health web sites:
www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/pccommonticks.htm
www.idph.state.il.us/health/infect/reportdis/lyme.htm
In case you need something you didn't bring, The Arboretum Store has long-sleeve shirts, rain ponchos for adults and children, hand and toe warmers, sunscreen, insect repellent, and hats.
Dress for the Children's Garden
Play clothes are highly recommended—children are likely to get wet and possibly dirty. Bathing suits are prohibited. We suggest that you bring an extra set of clothes in case your children need to change. Sandals or aqua shoes are recommended for the Secret Stream and Wonder Pond—they offer more protection than bare feet. Severe weather may result in closing the Children's Garden and Maze Garden. Call Visitor Services at 630-968-0074 after 9 a.m. for weather information.
The Morton Arboretum is an outdoor museum of trees and other plants from around the world. The 16 miles of hiking trails have been carefully planned to enhance your experiences on the grounds. These trails lead you through plant collections, natural areas, and other scenic landscapes. Several trails are paved, but most are wood-chipped. Check in at the Visitor Center for details about the trails or to pick up a map.
Trail signs are placed strategically to show connecting trails and roads. Use them for orientation. Benches provide an opportunity to sit, relax, and enjoy the beauty of nature.
For maximum enjoyment of the grounds, we recommend walking on the designated hiking trails and staying off the roadways. If you are walking on a paved roadway, please keep to the side of the road and be aware of automobiles, bicycles, and joggers, each of which is directed to use these roadways.
Arboretum plant collections include 41,000 labeled specimens throughout the grounds. At times you may want to go off trail to get a closer look at collections or specimens. Please use good judgment and be aware of your footing and the terrain. Watch for poison ivy. Avoid plant damage by refraining from walking through garden beds.
Arboretum lakes and ponds are for your viewing pleasure but are not accessible for swimming or fishing. Arboretum grounds are home to squirrels, geese, and other animals, so please observe but do not feed the wildlife.
Arboretum Etiquette
Our grounds are kept beautiful and healthy for research, enjoyment, and learning. We hope you take advantage of our expansive grounds, and explore the diversity of tree collections offered. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
- Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult while visiting the Arboretum
- Biking and running are permitted on our nine miles of paved roads
- Please refrain from ball playing, Frisbee, kite flying, rollerblading, segwaying, or skateboarding
- Please leave pets, tobacco, alcohol, glass containers, and grills at home
- Pets aren't allowed in vehicles or on the grounds
- Stay on designated trails, and if you go off trail to look at trees, do the best you can not to walk on planting beds or wildflowers
- Please no climbing on trees or hanging from branches
- Place all trash in garbage receptacles
- Park only in one of the Arboretum's 33 designated Parking Lots
- The Morton Arboretum is a smoke-free environment
- No smoking is allowed indoors or outdoors within the Arboretum
Plant Sample Permits
It is permissible to pick up leaves, seeds, or cones that have fallen to the ground, but please refrain from picking leaves, fruits, or seedheads from trees or other plants, or from otherwise damaging the plants.
Like any museum, our collections (plants) are here to be shared with all of our visitors. Collecting plant samples at the Arboretum is allowed for the following:
- Children's leaf collecting projects (from the ground only)
- Arboretum class-sponsored collecting projects
- Professional purposes, with prior permission from the Collections and Grounds program
This applies to seeds, fruits, nuts, acorns, fungi, and mushrooms as well. Enjoy everything you see and leave for others to do the same. For more information, call Visitor Services at 630-968-0074.
www.stayinlisle.com
Visitor information about Lisle, Illinois and the surrounding area.
Hilton Lisle/Naperville
3003 Corporate West Drive, Lisle, IL 60532
Phone: 630-505-0900
Fax: 630-505-8948
From the Arboretum, take Route 53 to Warrenville Road and turn right. Go 1.5 miles west. The hotel is on the left.
Hyatt Lisle
1400 Corporetum Drive, Lisle, IL 60532
Phone: 630-852-1234
Fax: 630-852-1260
From the Arboretum, drive south on Route 53 just past Warrenville Road and turn right
Wyndham Lisle-Chicago Hotel
3000 Warrenville Road, Lisle, IL 60532
Phone: 630-505-1000
From the Arboretum, take Route 53 to Warrenville Road and turn right. Go about 1.5 miles, and the hotel is on the right.
Taxi Services in Lisle
It is about a five-minute cab ride between the train station in Lisle and the Arboretum. A few local taxi services are:
- American Taxi at 630-920-9480
- A M Regional Taxi at 630-971-8888
- My Chauffeur Limo Service at 847-376-6169
- DuPage Limo Service at 630-941-3080 or 800-426-9890