No partnerships have been as important to the Forest Preserves of Cook County as the relationships with the Chicago Zoological Society (CZS), which operates Brookfield Zoo Chicago, and the Chicago Horticultural Society (CHS), which operates the Chicago Botanic Garden.
On this page:
- Overview
- Brookfield Zoo Chicago
- Chicago Botanic Garden
- Free Admission Opportunities
- Collaboration with the Forest Preserves
Overview
The Forest Preserves and CZS opened Brookfield Zoo Chicago in 1934, and the Preserves and CHS opened the Chicago Botanic Garden in 1972. The Forest Preserves provided the land that houses the Zoo and Garden and contributes significant financial support to these world-class institutions each year—nearly one-fifth of the Forest Preserves’ current annual budget is dedicated to the operation of the Zoo and Garden.
These public-private partnerships have proved resilient over the years, sustaining these preeminent centers for learning and scientific research and growing them into two of the most popular attractions in Illinois.
Brookfield Zoo Chicago
Set within a 235-acre nature park and accredited arboretum on Forest Preserves land, Brookfield Zoo Chicago connects more than 2 million guests annually to its diverse collection of wildlife living in cutting-edge naturalistic exhibits.
The Chicago Zoological Society is not only at the forefront of animal welfare, it also is a leader in social innovation, developing award-winning conservation, education and community outreach initiatives that serve disadvantaged neighborhoods, veterans and individuals with cognitive, physical and intellectual differences.
CZS teacher training and community-based education programs and events reach more than 200,000 people and encourage everyone, regardless of age and background, to understand the importance of wildlife, nature and the environment.
Chicago Botanic Garden
The Chicago Botanic Garden is a world-renowned living museum and so much more. Its roots grow throughout greater Chicago and beyond, inspiring all people to connect with plants. The Garden helps build healthier communities through urban agriculture, offers lifelong learning opportunities, leads pioneering plant conservation research, and showcases the beauty of horticulture.
Spanning 385 acres of Forest Preserves land, the Garden features 28 gardens, more than 100 acres of woodland and 15 acres of re-created prairie habitat. More than one million guests visit the Garden each year to view this living museum’s collection of 2.9 million plants.
Each year, more than 290,000 people participate in registered and free programs, including adult education classes, symposia, professional certificate program, and the Science Career Continuum that trains Chicago Public Schools middle- and high-school students for careers in science.
Additionally, the Garden trains an average of 100 participants each year through paid workforce development programs in urban agriculture broadens access to fresh produce for low-income households at Windy City Harvest throughout Cook County.
Free Admission Opportunities
While the vast majority of the activities and events held by the Forest Preserves of Cook County are free to the public, Brookfield Zoo Chicago, operated by the Chicago Zoological Society, and the Chicago Botanic Garden, operated by the Chicago Horticultural Society, generally charge admissions. However, in order to expand access to these world-class institutions, the Zoo and Garden offer a variety of opportunities for Cook County residents to enter free of charge.
Please note: Each Forest Preserve of Cook County Commissioner receives a limited number of free admissions and parking passes to distribute to constituents who otherwise would be unable to afford the Zoo or Garden (such as individuals experiencing financial hardship, seniors on fixed incomes, students, etc.). To contact your commissioner regarding the availability of these passes, please visit the Find My Commissioner page on Cook County’s website.
Other Free Opportunities
The Forest Preserves of Cook County offers a variety of free activities, such as hiking, fishing, and swimming, and hundreds of free events year-round. For more information, please visit our Things to Do Page and Events Page.
Collaboration with the Forest Preserves
Both the Zoo and Garden remain close partners with the Forest Preserves, which helps support the institutions and shares their mission of preserving and providing education about the natural world. Each year, the Forest Preserves collaborates with both CZS and the Garden on ecological restoration, innovative research and public programming.
The Forest Preserves and CZS have partnered to track walleye, badgers and river otters to help better understand their use of local habitats and inform future restoration projects. CZS also supports research efforts by helping Forest Preserves biologists perform health checks on native wildlife.
Recent collaborations with the Garden include the Plants of Concern and Budburst community science projects, the Greencorps Chicago job-training program and amphibian-focused restoration research. The Forest Preserves and Garden also frequently partner on seed collecting, research and banking for restoration efforts.