Bliss out at Chicago Botanic Garden’s ‘Feelin’ Groovy’ Orchid Show

Posted January 06, 2026 4:38 pm

Submitted by Chicago Botanic Garden

Tickets go on sale Jan. 13 for Chicago Botanic Garden’s annual orchid show. Rewind to the 1960s and ’70s at the “Orchid Show: Feelin’ Groovy” where 10,000 vibrant orchids are the hottest thing since bell bottoms.

Floor-to-ceiling sunbeams made of cascading orchids light up the room in living color. Lose yourself in a 10-foot lava lamp aglow with colorful blooms, then hit the road as a flower-filled Volkswagen Beetle carries you through a Route 66 daydream.

The show will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 7 to March 22 at Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. Tickets are $9-$16. For tickets, visit chicagobotanic.org/orchid. The Orchid Show ticket includes admission to the garden; parking not included. Save time and buy parking in advance.

They also offer pre-show ticketed access for photographers for $30 from 8:15-9:45 a.m. and 4:15-5:45 p.m. Tuesdays; capacity is limited.

More than 10,000 blooms will make up the Chicago Botanic Garden’s “Orchid Show: Feelin’ Groovy,” opening Feb. 7. Courtesy of the Chicago Botanic Garden

Other highlights

Orchids after Hours: 5-8 p.m. Thursdays, March 12 and 19; Fridays, Feb. 13 to March 14; and Saturdays, Feb. 14 and 28, and March 14. Mingle with the blooms and enjoy a vibrant night out at Orchids After Hours, featuring cocktails and light bites for purchase. Separate ticket required; members cannot use free Orchid Show tickets for this event. $16-$25.

Orchids after Hours Silent Disco: 5-8 p.m. Saturdays, Feb. 21 and March 21. Age 21 or older can mingle with the blooms and enjoy a vibrant night out at Orchids After Hours, featuring cocktails and light bites for purchase. Separate ticket required; members cannot use free Orchid Show tickets for this event. $25.

Illinois Orchid Society Spring Show and Sale: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, March 14 and 15. See hundreds of rare and unique orchids from the private collections of the top growers in four states compete in 130 competition classes in the longest-running amateur orchid exhibition in the Chicago area. For 74 years, the Illinois Orchid Society has brought the allure and mystery of the orchid world out from the glasshouse and into plain view for the public. The Illinois Orchid Society Show is free, and does not require a ticket beyond your Chicago Botanic Garden admission and parking. Shop for orchid plants and supplies from our network of commercial growers and collectors. Reserve your timed entry to the Chicago Botanic Garden in advance.

Rare Book Exhibition: noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday, Feb. 7 to March 22. As part of the annual orchid show, stop by the Lenhardt Library for “Slipper Orchids: Retro, Mellow & Groovy,” featuring rare book illustrations of slipper orchids highlighting the retro, mellow, and groovy aspects of the Art Nouveau period of botanical illustrations.