The project to renovate the children’s garden at the Garfield Park Conservatory is back on track and expected to break ground Friday morning.
The new Elizabeth Morse Genius Children’s Garden, first announced in 2021, will cost $10 million to complete.
The Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance, the partner organization for the conservatory, mounted a yearslong fundraising campaign for the garden and raised $4.6 million in private donations.
The remaining balance will come from state grants, tax increment financing money and the Chicago Park District, according to the park district.
There will be a slide, dig pit, toddler area and a nature art gallery. A wheelchair-accessible spiral ramp will wind up to the top of the garden’s glass roof. There will also be a dedicated area for kids with sensory processing disorders.
The new garden, like the rest of the conservatory, will be free to Chicago residents.
The 6,000-square-foot indoor garden is expected to open next fall.
