for immediate release

The Woman's Board of the Chicago Horticultural Society Presents All Aboard! Wonderland Express Dinner

Media Only:
Julie McCaffrey
(847) 835-8213, direct
jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org

GLENCOE, Ill. (November 2, 2009) — The Woman's Board of the Chicago Horticultural Society presents its fourth annual All Aboard! Wonderland Express dinner on Thursday, December 3. Set in and among the Garden’s 10,000-square-foot indoor winter exhibition of garden-scale trains, winter flora and over 80 iconic Chicago landmarks, this evening sets the tone for celebrating the season.

Wonderland Express is a popular holiday exhibition in the Regenstein Center and throughout the grounds of the Chicago Botanic Garden. New landmarks added to the train exhibition this year include the Union Stockyards’ Old Stone Gate, President Barack Obama’s Hyde Park home and Michelle Obama’s childhood home. Returning landmarks include Navy Pier, Soldier Field, Millennium Park and the Shedd Aquarium.

Cocktails begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner, prepared by Calihan Catering, at 8 p.m. Tickets begin at $375 per person. Table packages are available. Call (847) 835-6944 for tickets and information. All Aboard! benefits the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center, which will provide state-of-the-art laboratories and teaching facilities for more than 200 Ph.D. scientists, land managers, students and interns whose research is critical to fulfill the Garden's efforts to save our planet, by saving our plants.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is located at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, IL. For more information about any of the Chicago Botanic Garden’s programs and events, call (847) 835-5440, or visit www.chicagobotanic.org.

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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.