It took nearly seven months of fundraising and repairs, but the Garfield Park Conservatory finally manage to reopen all of its rooms. more ›

The man suspected of killing the Walgreens guard and another man in Rogers Park was found dead in Evanston today. more ›

In October a local artist hauled about 1,000 pounds of glass pieces to his studio in an attempt to create art from wasted bits of history. more ›

Good news from the West side of the city as the Garfield Park Conservatory's Fern Room re-opened for the first time since it suffered significant damage from a June 30 hail storm. more ›

Garfield Park Conservatory has a few plants in need of a good home. more ›

As a Canadian cold front breezes into Chicago prompting month-early frost warnings, the Garfield Park Conservatory is trying to protect its variety of lush flora from the elements. more ›

When a freak summer hail storm hit Chicago over a month and a half ago it caused incredibly extensive damage to the Garfield Park Conservatory. The hail was unusually cruel to this building built mostly of glass whose sole purpose is to protect and house botanical treasures for Chicagoans and visitors to take delight in. It seemed to us at the time an unforgivable act of nature attacking itself. more ›

In case you missed it, the Garfield Park Conservatory was completely trashed by last month's hailstorm - most of the glass panels were broken, shards destroyed hundreds of plants and the conservatory, one of the nation's most glorious, is partially closed for renovation. Oh, and did we mention that there's no money? Well, Paul Kahan's restaurants are pitching in to help. This Sunday, from 12-4 at Big Star, all of the Blackbird group of restaurants will be hosting a sidewalk sale, selling all of their used (and undamaged) dishware, furniture and kitchen supplies. more ›

The Garfield Park Conservatory is still taking donations to replace the damage from the June 30 hail storm. Here's video from floriculturalist Matthew Barrett shows the extent of the damage, both outside and inside. more ›

Mayor Daley apparently loved handing out little jars of honey from the City's rooftop hives. But bees have even more clout these days as hipsters set up hives all over town. more ›

The Hideout's excellent seasonal Soup and Bread benefit is returning for a special, all summer soup (read: cold) edition tonight to benefit the Garfield Park Conservatory. The Chicago landmark sustained heavy damage after last week's hail storm, with roughly half of its glass-paned roof shattered, and damage to some of the rare plants housed below. more ›

Hannibal Buress comes home for a long residency at Zanie's. Also, Native Son at the Portage and Food Truck Thursdays at the new Ethyl's Beer & Wine Dive. more ›

A sure recipe for mayhem? Hard stuff raining down from the heavens onto glass. Just ask folks at the Garfield Park Conservatory and innocent drivers on I-290 last night. more ›

Last week, we wrote about the Chicago Park District's top honchos lavishing in fancy hotels and dining on expensive meals while lobbying on business trips across the country. Perhaps their priorities have gone awry because instead they could be working on fixing a much needed west side gymnasium that flooded last summer. more ›

Chicago Craft Beer Week kicked off with last night's "Beer Under Glass" event at the Garfield Park Conservatory. We've written before about how Chicago's craft beer community has exploded in recent years. While the number of breweries and brewpubs is impressive, it's the quality of beers being produced that's most impressive. From Half Acre's Ginger Twin and Daisy Cutter, to Revolution's Mad Cow and Dos Osos, to Finch's Golden Wing and even Hamburger Mary's Apple Pie Wheat, area brewers are pushing the envelope and getting creative for an increasingly educated consumer base. more ›

Striking while the iron is hot in the afterglow of Craft Brewers Conference, the Garfield Park Conservatory is planning a night of beer inside the conservatory proper from 5:30-8 p.m. May 13. Tickets to the event ($45 day of the event, $35 in advance, purchase tickets here) will allow guests to sample beers from Metropolitan, half Acre, Goose Island, Argus Brewery on the Far South Side (we'll have more on Argus later), Hamburger Mary's and Rock Bottom Chicago surrounded by the foliage and fauna of the conservatory. Food for the event will be provided by Marion Street Cheese Market in Oak Park and Green Zebra. more ›

Even before Chicagoland got its first 70 degree day of the year, area beekeepers were preparing for spring. Beehives—like the ones on the roofs of City Hall and the Chicago Cultural Center, in Garfield Park Conservatory, and the 100-plus hives in a North Lawndale co-op community— have already been checked to make sure the bees have survived the winter and have enough food to last them until the first dandelions, willows, and soft maples bloom. Keepers have cleaned and medicated the hives as necessary and might have ordered a few more thousand bees or a new queen, which are shipped through the U.S. Postal Service. more ›

Garfield Park Conservatory celebrates their 100th Anniversary today. All sorts of events will take place today between Noon and 3 p.m. Live music, storytelling, prizes, and free food -- including cake -- will all be a part of the festivities. You can also have your photo taken with conservatory staff dressed as horticulturalists from the early 1900s. Be one of the first 100 and you’ll receive a free dogwood sapling. more ›