Thoughts From
Friends Of The Conservatory

“I am sorry my donation is not much. I am truly devastated about the situation right now. I cannot quite clear the tears from my eyes. Garfield Park Conservatory is my home here in Chicago. All of my visitors and friends are taken there by me. My family from South Carolina knows it as if it were in their hometown. I have made several life changing decisions under the roof of this tranquil conservatory...it holds my love and my heart. I will be the first to come clean up if you allow the public to help. PLEASE contact me if you need my hands, head or heart to help restore. I am here and willing to help. GPC means the world to me, along with all of its inhabitants. I truly appreciate this beautiful public space.”

“Our family, particularly our 3-yr-old grandson, love the Garfield Conservatory, which he calls the "Flower Museum". We have spent many enjoyable visits there soaking in the beauty and enjoying its peacefulness. It is a great treasure and I hope you will succeed in protecting and restoring it.”

The Garfield Park Conservatory sustained catastrophic damage in the June 30th hailstorm, shattering approximately half of the glass panes in the roofs of the historic Fern Room, Show House, and ten propagation greenhouses. The glass panes in the Desert House also sustained significant damage. The pathways, ponds and plants in the Fern Room, Show House, Desert House and propagation houses are covered with broken glass, and shards of glass hang dangerously from the roofs. Until the roofs are repaired, rain will cause the ponds to overflow, and direct sunlight will destroy and kill the plants that have been so carefully and lovingly conserved for so many years. We are facing an unprecedented clean-up and repair of our display houses. We need your help like never before.

We ask that you give what you can to preserve this wonderful institution. Any amount you give will help us tremendously. Please choose an amount below to donate now.

The Chicago Park District does hold insurance on the Conservatory, and this is currently being assessed. The full cost of the clean up and repairs is still unknown, but the insurance will not cover the full cost and a deductible will need to be paid.

The Garfield Park Conservatory celebrated its Centennial in 2008 — donate now to help keep the Conservatory growing for another hundred years!

All donations to the One Pane at a Time campaign are now being matched! Your donation will be doubled by an anonymous foundation, up to $50,000. Your support of the rebuilding process at the Garfield Park Conservatory can now help even more!

Saving Garfield Park Conservatory: One Pane At A Time

The “One Pane At A Time” campaign allows the public to help rebuild the Garfield Park Conservatory’s damaged roofs by making a donation towards replacement panes of glass. As the Chicago Park District does not yet know the final cost of each pane of glass, these amounts are symbolic of purchasing panes for the Conservatory. Donors at these levels will be acknowledged publicly once the repairs have been completed. Please select from one of the following donation levels to provide important support to the rebuilding process.

Other Donation Levels

If you would like to make a donation towards the repair efforts at a different level, please select from the following gift levels.

Donations are also accepted by calling Development Coordinator, Sheila Quinn, at 773-638-1766 x.13 or by mailing a check made out to "Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance" to Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance, 300 N. Central Park Ave., Chicago IL 60624.

The Chicago Park District does hold insurance on the Conservatory, and this is currently being assessed. The full cost of the clean up and repairs is still unknown, but the insurance will not cover the full cost and a deductible will need to be paid.

Donations at all levels are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. An acknowledgement letter that can be used for tax purposes will be mailed to you. Thank you for your support!

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Garfield Park Conservatory Closed Due to Hailstorm Damage: MyFoxCHICAGO.com