Annual Report
Annual Report
A Message from the Chairman of the Board and the President & CEO
When you tell people about the Chicago Botanic Garden, what do you say? Maybe you mention seeing hundreds of tulips in spring, or the excitement of our annual Orchid Show, or taking a peaceful winter walk around our grounds.
We prize and cultivate those experiences, and our impact goes even further. When you tell people about the Garden, we hope you also talk about the Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science and Action, which last year worked internationally to help prevent plant extinctions, and locally to restore the Chicago area’s native landscapes. Or the Regenstein School, which reached more than 44,000 people through learning programs in 2024—from Nature Preschool to adult education classes in areas like garden design and cooking. And Windy City Harvest, our urban agriculture program, which significantly increased distribution of fresh produce boxes to people with dietrelated diseases.
There’s a lot to tell. We are a global leader in plant conservation science, education, urban agriculture—and, of course, horticulture. In 2024 we were selected to co-host the 9th Global Botanic Gardens Congress in 2027 with the Morton Arboretum, the first time this event will take place in the United States in 27 years.
We also ranked as the sixth-most-visited museum in the Chicago area with 1.3 million visits, a record for the Garden.
We’ve spent more than five decades building all of this, led by President and CEO Jean Franczyk for the last ten years. Now, as Jean prepares to retire from the Garden in March 2026, a search is underway for someone to guide us in our next chapter.
We live in uncertain times, and in instances like these, we know what we have to offer: Moments of joy and tranquility in our blossoming gardens. Hope in the form of seeds. Food that nourishes the body, and lifelong learning that nourishes the soul. Now more than ever, plants can help people, and planet, thrive.
So much grows here. In this report, we invite you to explore it for yourself.
