Chicago Botanic Garden

EVENTS Calendar

Special Events

PHOTO: family picnicking and carillonCarillon Concerts

Monday evenings, June 9 – August 25, 7 p.m.
Carillon tours begin at 5:30 p.m.

Take the trolley to Carillon Concerts.

 

"I love the carillon concerts!
 They're such a wonderful experience."
 — Aarti Nagaraju

Enjoy an enchanting 45-minute musical performance of carillon bells on a warm summer evening and watch lights illuminate Evening Island.

Through a regularly scheduled series of concerts each summer, carillonneurs from around the world delight Garden visitors with the captivating music of the 48-bell Theodore C. Butz Memorial Carillon. Meet the performers and enjoy a free carillon tour and demonstration before the concert—you can even try your hand at ringing the bells.

Visitors can purchase snacks and a bottle of wine from the Garden Café, or grilled selections from the Garden Grille including burgers, hot dogs and barbeque. You may also bring a picnic dinner to enjoy on the lawn by McGinley Pavilion. A beverage cart will be available outside the Rose Garden serving coffee drinks, espresso, wine, beer and soda.

Since 1986, the carillon has remained both a noted landmark and a source of remarkable music at the Garden. Crafted in Holland, the tower's bronze bells and playing device with a range of four octaves constitutes one of the few hand-played carillons in the nation.


PHOTO: picnickers enjoy the carillon concert  PHOTO: carillon view from McGinley Pavilion

 

The Butz Foundation has generously made this concert series possible.