Garfield Park Conservatory reopens Fern Room

A popular Chicago greenhouse has reopened another section of its facility after severe damage from a hail storm earlier this year.

The Garfield Park Conservatory's historic Fern Room is open for the first time since late June storm.

Chicago Park District officials called the damage extensive. The facility sustained about 60 percent breakage in the Fern Room, which is more than 100 years old.

A district spokeswoman says workers had to remove shards of glass by hand and replace soil. Two other rooms remain closed.

The cost of the cleanup is $2 million, but that doesn't include other rehabilitation work that conservatory officials say is needed.

Garfield Park is one of the largest conservatories nationwide and is more than 100 years old. It houses several exotic and century-old plant species.