Attendance hits record level at Morton Arboretum
In stressful times with employment rates falling, many arborists believe people are turning to trees and nature to "de-stress."
Officials at Lisle's Morton Arboretum say folks de-stressed in record numbers last year.
Spokeswoman Gina Tedesco says the tree museum set an attendance record with 786,231 visitors in 2008, a 7 percent increase over 2007. She said the figure makes the arboretum the third-most visited public garden or arboretum in the United States and the fourth in North America.
(For the record, here's the list: Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis; Longwood Gardens near Philadelphia, Pa.; Montreal Botanical Garden; amd Morton Arboretum.)
"It's been shown that people are seeking trees and nature to de-stress and have enjoyable experiences," Tedesco said. "And we're happy they're finding that comfort and affordable family experience in our 1,700 acres in Lisle."
Boosting 2008 attendance was David Rogers' Big Bugs, an outdoor exhibition that ran from April to July featuring a dozen, larger-than-life bugs such as 25-foot-long ants and a 20-foot-long praying mantis. Tedesco said the exhibit helped draw 17 percent more visitors than during the same period in 2007.
A similar exhibit, featuring likenesses of 11 oversized animal habitats, is scheduled to be unveiled in May.
"It's going to be fun and engaging among youngsters but also a spark to their imaginations," Tedesco said.
The award-winning, four-acre Children's Garden remained a favored destination for children to explore trees and nature.
"Kids have so much fun playing in that garden, they don't even realize they're learning," she said.
Director of Visitor Programs Rick Hootman also attributed the rise in attendance to new or expanded programs including bicycling, cross-country skiing and concerts.
"It appears that visitors are enjoying the arboretum in all four seasons," Hootman said.
Tedesco said staff members have put a larger emphasis on educating visitors about the environment.
"We're not just about 'Hey come look at pretty stuff,'" Tedesco said. "We want people to come away better off than they arrived and to have learned something, Ideally they're inspired to help keep the world green and plant trees."
The Morton Arboretum is a private, nonprofit organization with a collections of 4,117 kinds of trees, shrubs and other plants from around the world. For information, visit mortonarb.org.
By the numbers
Attendance at Morton Arboretum in Lisle since 2004:
2004: 415,240
2005: 560,925*
2006: 735,605
2007: 735,204
2008: 786,231
* Note: Children's Garden and Maze Garden opened in 2005
Source: Morton Arboretum