Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory

Story Time at the Conservatory
2025-09-24 10:00 - 10:30, 2025-10-01 10:00 - 10:30, 2025-10-08 10:00 - 10:30, 2025-10-15 10:00 - 10:30, 2025-10-22 10:00 - 10:30, 2025-10-29 10:00 - 10:30, 2025-11-05 10:00 - 10:30, 2025-11-12 10:00 - 10:30 (America/Chicago) and 4 more dates | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Every Wednesday enjoy stories, songs, and puppets led by our volunteer docents at the Oak Park Conservatory. Enjoy story time in the garden during the summer months.
NEW: Bilingual Story Time on the first Wednesday of each month.

This program is presented by the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory. Free with a suggested $5 donation at the door.

Registration links:
January : Register here.
February : Register here.
March : Register here.

For Bilingual Story Time sessions: (Feb 4, Mar 4)
February – March: Register here.

Registration links for Spring/Summer coming on March 2026.

Plant Help Desk
2025-09-24 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-10-01 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-10-08 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-10-15 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-10-22 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-10-29 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-11-05 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-11-12 13:00 - 15:00 and 4 more dates
Every Wednesday from 1-3 pm: Plant Help Desk at the Oak Park Conservatory. Bring your plant questions and issues to our Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory volunteer expert who will help you on the spot. Bring a plant to be repotted too. Email inquiries to oakparkconservatory@pdop.org or call 708-725-2456, ext. 2. This is a new free service for the community.

Uncorked September 2025
2025-09-26 18:00 - 20:00
Summertime is the best time to enjoy an evening of music and drinks at the Oak Park Conservatory. Celebrate summer in the Rubinstein Garden with friends under the night sky. Admission includes two drink tickets, an appetizer, and a guided tour of the showrooms.
Tickets are $25. Advance sales only. Tickets will not be sold at the door. FOPCON members receive a 20% discount. Contact operations@fopcon.org for a discount code before registering. Tickets are $25 ($20 for FOPCON Members). Ages 21+
Registration Full. Vendors: Taco Mucho & BlackOut Bakery. Music by The Replays.

Gardening Lecture: Author Talk, Mysterious Moths
2025-10-16 19:00 - 20:00
Though seldom seen due to their nocturnal nature, moths are every bit as beautiful and charismatic as their butterfly cousins. Their role as pollinators is essential to the survival of many of our plants, especially orchids. Most importantly, moths and their caterpillars are food for birds, bats, and countless other animals. We will take a photographic journey into the intriguing world of moths, exploring which of our native plants are most enticing to these lovely Lepidopterans. We can all greatly benefit the ecosystem around us by “moth gardening” in our yards! We are excited to host Chelsea Gottfried, co-author of Gardening for Moths, for this program. This lecture is co-sponsored by West Cook Wild Ones. Register here.
Chelsea Gottfried is a naturalist from Crawford County, Ohio. In 2020, she founded Forest Friends, a nature-based preschool where children learn and explore in nature. An avid native plant gardener and a passionate entomologist, Chelsea’s areas of expertise include moths, bees, dragonflies, and damselflies. She enjoys capturing up-close images of insects and flowers using macrophotography. Her first book, Gardening for Moths: A Regional Guide, which she co-authored with Jim McCormac, was released in 2023 and features many of her photographs.

TET (Toddler Exploration Time): 2025/2026
2025-10-17 09:30 - 11:15, 2025-11-21 09:30 - 11:15
Young learners (18 months – 5 years) will be delighted with stories, lessons, and crafts led by FOPCON’s education docents at the Oak Park Conservatory. Each month is a different topic. Advanced registration for 9:30-10:15 or 10:30-11:15 is required. Limited to 30 children and their caregivers. FREE.
Themes:
September 19, 2025. Fall Seeds.
October 17, 2025. Night Flyers.
November 21, 2025. Treeing Around.
January 16, 2025. Frosty.
February 20, 2025. What’s That Sound?
March 20, 2025. Pitter, Patter, Splash.

Registration Links:
September – November 2025:
Register HERE for 9:30.
Register HERE for 10:30.

January – March 2026:
Register HERE for 9:30.
Register HERE for 10:30.

Gardening Lecture: Houseplant Pest Management
2025-11-13 19:00 - 20:00
Pests aren’t only in our gardens – they often end up on our houseplants, as well. Join us as we learn about how to prevent pests from showing up, identify them if they do, and how to effectively treat them and keep them from spreading. Register here.

Winter Greens Open House
2025-11-15 10:00 - 13:00
On Saturday, Nov 15, join us for a winter greens open house! Live demos of creating holiday containers and wreaths will be going on throughout the day. Refreshments will be served. No registration required.
Nov 14-Dec 21, 2025 | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Shop the Oak Park Conservatory’s Winter Greens Market for a selection of winter greens for your home. An array of fresh greens including balsam, fir, boxwood, winter berries, magnolia tips, spruce tops, and more will be available along with many other natural items for your winter decoration needs.
