Press release
The Arboretum’s Children’s Garden celebrates 20th anniversary with free family-friendly programming for kids of all abilities
Visitors to The Morton Arboretum will soon be greeted by a collection of massive, colorful, whimsical animal sculptures in the new exhibition Vivid Creatures: Colorful Sculptures as Tall as Trees, opening Saturday, May 17, 2025. General admission to the Arboretum is on sale starting at $16.95 for tickets purchased in advance online, including free access to Vivid Creatures, at mortonarb.org. Discounts are available for seniors and children. Admission is always free for Arboretum members.
On opening day of the Vivid Creatures exhibition, May 17, the Vivid Creatures Walking Tour provides visitors with a special behind-the-scenes look at the new sculptures with artists Heather BeGaetz and Fez BeGaetz, who will share their creative process, inspirations from nature, and how they built these awe-inspiring animal structures. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions during this leisurely walking tour. Limited tickets are now on sale, with a discount available to Arboretum members.
Alongside this vibrant exhibition featuring five larger-than-life sculptures of animals essential to the Illinois ecosystem, the Arboretum is offering special programs and activities for families and visitors of all ages this summer through Labor Day weekend—providing more opportunities to explore, play, and learn about nature.
A free artmaking program, the Vivid Creations Art Workshop, will open in the Arboretum’s Children’s Garden on weekends throughout the summer for children and families to create their own works of art inspired by the large-scale sculptures in Vivid Creatures. Young artists will learn about different art materials, with workshop creations inspired by a different Vivid Creatures sculpture each month—from the wide, feathery wings of Cadence, the sandhill crane, to the shiny, colorful shell of Spectra, the brittle button snail. The free Vivid Creations Art Workshop is open on Saturdays and Sundays from May 24 through September 1, 2025.
“In the Children’s Garden, we believe in the power of free play and hands-on discovery to spark creativity. The Vivid Creations Art Workshops invite children and families to imagine and create together in a space that promotes connection and self-expression,” said Emilian Geczi, PhD, manager of early childhood programs at The Morton Arboretum.
This summer marks the 20th anniversary of the Arboretum’s Children’s Garden, a lush oasis for kids of all abilities, offering streams, wading ponds, giant tree roots to slide down and picnic pavilions. This four-acre outdoor play space welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, providing hands-on play for children and families that sparks a love for the outdoors. Additional free programming will be offered in the Children’s Garden throughout the summer, with family-friendly activities including Art in the Garden and a special Nature Play for All weekend event on May 31 and June 1, 2025.
The popular Wonder Woods Mini Golf returns to the Arboretum beginning on Friday, May 23 through Monday, September 1, 2025. This imaginative, tree-themed course was specially designed for the Arboretum with the help of its research scientists, and brings tree science to life in fun and unexpected ways. Learn how tree rings can tell the life story of a tree, how trees support the ecosystems of bugs and wildlife, and other cool—and surprising!—scientific concepts in this nine-hole pop-up course. Guests must reserve a specific time slot by purchasing tickets in advance.
About Vivid Creatures: Colorful Sculptures as Tall as Trees
Created by Portland, Oregon-based artists Heather BeGaetz and Fez BeGaetz, the new Vivid Creatures exhibition continues the Arboretum’s tradition of showcasing innovative outdoor art. This vibrant collection, making its debut at a public garden, includes sculptures of a white-tailed deer, dragonfly, sandhill crane, fox squirrel and brittle button snail, ranging from 8 to 23 feet tall. Four of the pieces will be along paved, accessible paths within a short walking distance from the central Visitor Center area. The fifth, the rainbow-colored brittle button snail, will be on a hill overlooking Interstate 88, a short walk from two of the Arboretum’s East Side parking areas. This berm location visible along I-88 is where a piece from the Arboretum’s former Troll Hunt exhibition (2018-2021) was a popular attraction.
Northern Trust is the presenting sponsor of Vivid Creatures.
The new exhibition will be included free with general admission to The Morton Arboretum. For more information, visit mortonarb.org.
About The Morton Arboretum
The Morton Arboretum is an internationally recognized tree-focused botanical garden and scientific research center near Chicago in Lisle, Illinois. Its 1,700 acres include specialty tree and plant collections, 9 miles of roads and 16 miles of hiking trails, a Children’s Garden, a 2-acre Grand Garden, educational programs and a Visitor Center. Information about exhibitions, events and admission is available at mortonarb.org.
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