Chicago Botanic Garden

for immediate release

Visit with Santa at these Special Events as Part of
Wonderland Express

Holiday Exhibition Features Trains, Chicago Landmarks

 

Media Only:
Melissa Schuler
(847) 835-6829, direct
mschuler@chicagobotanic.org

GLENCOE, Ill. (October 28, 2009) — The Chicago Botanic Garden offers several opportunities to spend time with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and enjoy the popular holiday exhibition Wonderland Express. Christmas Supper with Santa, Christmas Breakfast with Santa and Hot Chocolate with Mrs. Claus are three events that get families into the holiday spirit. Supper with Santa and Breakfast with Santa each include a buffet meal, a visit with Santa and Wonderland Express exhibition viewing after or before public hours. Hot Chocolate with Mrs. Claus includes hot chocolate, light snacks, storytelling with Mrs. Claus and Wonderland Express exhibition viewing. Tickets will be available to the general public starting Nov. 5 online, and on site at the Information Desk in the Visitor Center. Tickets are on sale now for Chicago Botanic Garden members.

Christmas Supper with Santa is from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, December 21 and 22. The buffet in Burnstein Hall includes entree selections of roast beef with a rosemary demi-glace and turkey galantine with gravy. Specialty selections include green beans with red peppers and toasted almonds, Caesar salad with grilled croutons, and French baguettes with butter. Children’s selections include chicken fingers with honey mustard and barbeque dipping sauce, cheese macaroni and tater tots. Dessert selections feature assorted holiday cookies, petite pastries including pecan and lemon bites, fruit-filled kolaches, and chocolate covered strawberries. A cash bar is available with beer and wine. Cost is $38 for adults, $32 for children (3-12), free for ages 2 and under.

Christmas Breakfast with Santa is from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, Dec. 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20. The buffet includes freshly baked cinnamon rolls, coffee cake, and bagels served with cream cheese, butter and preserves, turkey sausage links and smoked bacon, roasted potatoes, scrambled eggs and waffles with vanilla scented strawberries, and maple syrup on the side. Cost is $26 for adults, $20 for children (3-12), free for ages 2 and under.

Hot Chocolate with Mrs. Claus is at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 21 and 22 in the Linnaeus and Fairchild rooms. Children and their families listen to Christmas stories recited by Mrs. Claus while sipping on delicious hot chocolate and snacking on assorted holiday cookies. Cost is $15 for both adults and children (ages 3-12), free for children 2 and under.

Wonderland Express is a magical trip to a winter wonderland of twinkling lights, garden-scale trains, miniature Chicago landmarks, beautiful horticulture displays and indoor snowfall. This popular holiday exhibition in the Regenstein Center features detailed landscapes with more than 80 miniature versions of Chicago’s favorite landmarks all made with natural materials. New this year is the Union Stockyards’ Old Stone Gate, President Barack Obama’s Hyde Park home and Michelle Obama’s childhood home.

Wonderland Express hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Nov. 27 through Jan. 3, 2010 (closed at 3 p.m. on Dec. 3 and 24, and all day Dec. 25). Exhibition tickets are available now onsite at the Information Desk in the Visitor Center and online at www.chicagobotanic.org/wonderland. Cost is $10 for adults and $8 for children (ages 3-12) and seniors (62+). Members pay $8 for adults and $6 for children (ages 3-12) and seniors (62+). Admission to Wonderland Express on Tuesdays through Dec. 23 is free. All ticket purchases are timed for entry. Parking is $20 per car; free for Garden members.

Wonderland Express is sponsored by ComEd and Harris Bank. Free Tuesdays are sponsored by Grainger. Additional support has been provided by the Lake Forest Country Day School. The Chicago Botanic Garden is particularly proud to be partnering with ComEd in the use of all energy-efficient LED lighting for Wonderland Express. For more information on Wonderland Express, call (847) 835-5440, or visit the Garden’s Web site at www.chicagobotanic.org/wonderland.

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Editors, please note: The Chicago Botanic Garden's newsroom is online at www.chicagobotanic.org/pr. For digital images, contact Julie McCaffrey at (847) 835-8213 or at jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org.

The Chicago Botanic Garden, one of the green treasures of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, is a 385-acre living plant museum featuring 24 distinct display gardens surrounded by lakes, as well as a prairie and woodlands. With events, programs and activities for all ages, the Garden is open every day of the year. Admission is free; select event fees apply. Parking is $20 per car; free for Garden members. The Garden is located at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, Ill. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org, or call (847) 835-5440 for seasonal hours, images of the Garden and commuter transportation information.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society. It opened to the public in 1972 and is home to the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden, offering a broad array of adult classes in plant science, landscape design and gardening arts. Through the Division of Plant Science and Conservation, Garden scientists work on plant conservation, research and environmental initiatives that have global impact. The Center for Teaching and Learning brings the wonder of nature and plants to children, teens and teachers. The Garden's Horticultural Therapy and Community Gardening programs provide nationally recognized community outreach and service programs. A program of the Chicago Botanic Garden, Windy City Harvest is an organic vegetable and plant production enterprise that provides instruction in sustainable horticulture and urban agriculture to residents of Chicago’s North Lawndale and West Side neighborhoods.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is a member of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA). The Chicago Botanic Garden is also host to Botanic Gardens Conservation International-U.S., and a member of the Center for Plant Conservation. In 2006, the Chicago Botanic Garden received the Award for Garden Excellence, given yearly by the APGA and Horticulture magazine to a public garden that exemplifies the highest standards of horticultural practices and has shown a commitment to supporting and demonstrating best gardening practices.