Group Tours

Whether you have 60 minutes or all day, The Morton Arboretum is a special destination for your group outing. Get to know us—on foot, on your bus, or on our Acorn Express open-air tram. Special tour packages, including food options, are available for groups of 15 or more. Tour times are based on availability. Please secure your group reservation at least two weeks in advance.

The Arboretum is an outdoor museum. You will be most comfortable if you dress for the weather and wear casual clothing with comfortable walking shoes. On the Acorn Express you may feel a breeze as the tram travels up to 15 miles per hour—dress warmly in cool weather! Insect repellent may be helpful during the summer.

Natural Wonders

The Arboretum’s 1,700 acres have a splendid geologic history. Glacial moraines were deposited more than 14,000 years ago and rise as much as 125 feet above the East Branch of the DuPage River, which bisects the Arboretum. The rolling landscape provides a great natural diversity of soils and native vegetation. Myriad wetlands and lakes dot the landscape and are rich with aquatic flora and fauna.
There are more than 900 acres of unique natural areas at the Arboretum, including vast oak and maple forests that remind us of the woodlands that once dotted northern Illinois’ predominantly prairie landscape prior to settlement. The Schulenberg Prairie and an adjacent oak savanna are more than 100 acres in size. Begun in 1962, the prairie is one of the oldest planted prairies in the Midwest and has served as a model that other prairie plantings in the Midwest have followed.
Wildlife abounds. The Arboretum is a favorite location for bird watchers. More than 225 species of birds have been seen at the Arboretum over the years, at least 80 of which nest on the grounds. Several dozen other species have been seen in migration. Bring your bird book and your binoculars.

Millenium Oak: Our Living Logo

Long before there were people at the Arboretum, there were trees. If the Illinois Millennium Landmark Tree could talk, oh, what tales it could tell since our Millennium Oak is about 250 years old!

The White House Millennium Council encouraged people to recognize the Year 2000 as a turning point in national history, and to consider the importance of trees that have witnessed our nation’s growth. America the Beautiful selected one Millennium Landmark Tree in each state to be protected and used to promote the respect and care for trees in a technological age. At the Arboretum, the Illinois Millennium Landmark Tree pre-dates Illinois’ 1818 statehood. Located in the oldest part of the Arboretum—close to where Joy Morton originally built his home in 1909—the tree stands in an area where community founders recall having seen Native American (Potawatomi) temporary encampments, reflecting both Illinois history and cultural diversity. The Millennium Oak is on the West Side near Parking Lot 26, just north of Lake Marmo.

For a complete list of Chicago group tour ideas and Chicago sightseeing attractions, visit Hereschicago.com, Chicago’s group tour and sightseeing directory.