Chicago’s Garfield Park Conservatory honored

Chicago’s Garfield Park Conservatory has received one of the highest honors given to museums and libraries.

The conservatory won the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, one of 10 recipients to win the honor this year. The announcement was made Wednesday by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

The huge greenhouse on the city’s West Side is one of the largest conservatories in the country and is more than 100 years old. It houses several exotic and century-old plant species.

The conservatory works with neighborhood residents to transform vacant lots and eyesores into community gardens and offers workshops that teach participants how to grow food and flowers at home.

It’s owned by the Chicago Park District and operated in partnership with the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance.