Connect with The Morton Arboretum’s Herbarium through guided tours, independent research, and hands-on volunteer opportunities. Students, educators, and the public can explore plant collections in person or online while learning how specimens are preserved and used for study.
Contact the Herbarium
Email herbarium@mortonarb.org to schedule orientation training or a visit to study specimens.
For Students and Educators
Herbarium tours are available to student groups and camps. Students can explore the Herbarium and study specimens with their class or access specimen data independently through the Arboretum’s reference library and the vPlants digital herbarium.
Tours must be scheduled in advance and are dependent on the availability of staff. Email herbarium@mortonarb.org to schedule a tour.
Tour the Herbarium
Learn how The Morton Arboretum’s Herbarium staff and volunteers preserve and process specimens to record biodiversity and how the Herbarium aids biodiversity research.
Tour groups meet at the reception desk in the lobby of the Administration and Research Center. Tours are between 30 minutes and one hour long.
Become a Volunteer
Volunteering in the Herbarium is an outstanding way to learn about The Morton Arboretum’s plant collections and how the Herbarium aids biodiversity research! Volunteers assist Herbarium staff with preserving and processing specimens.
Volunteers learn to collect, process, record, enter data, and mount specimens on acid-free paper. Regular weekday shifts between three and four hours are asked of Herbarium volunteers.
The Herbarium has an active group of approximately 30 volunteers, and we are often looking for new volunteers. Please visit The Morton Arboretum’s webpage to learn more about volunteering and to fill out an application form.