Learn how The Morton Arboretum’s Herbarium staff and volunteers preserve and process specimens to record biodiversity and how the Herbarium aids biodiversity research.
The tour group meets at the reception desk in the lobby of the Administration and Research Center. Tours are between 30 minutes and one hour long.
This program is free with advance registration. Arboretum admission must be purchased separately. If you are not an Arboretum member, purchase general admission in advance for the day of the program.
Ages: 7 and older
Instructors: Andrew Hipp, PhD, Herbarium director and senior scientist in plant systematics, The Morton Arboretum; Lindsey Worcester, Herbarium coordinator, The Morton Arboretum; Marlene Hahn, plant systematics research program manager, The Morton Arboretum
About The Herbarium
The Morton Arboretum Herbarium is a collaborative and authoritative repository of plant specimens, focusing on The Morton Arboretum, the Chicago region, and Arboretum research. The Herbarium serves global audiences of scientists, horticulturists, students, and the public as a research and education collection.
Tour Schedule
Tours are between 30 minutes and one hour long. Tours meet at the reception desk in the lobby of the Administration and Research Center.
Celebración de los Árboles
As part of the weekend-long Celebración de los Árboles festival, the Herbarium research staff will host special, guided tours of the Herbarium’s collection of Mexican oak specimens. These specimens help conservation researchers better understand the evolution and biodiversity of oak trees in Central America and around the world.
Register for a tour in advance.
Saturday, September 27, 2025
Sunday, September 28, 2025
11:00 a.m.
2:00 p.m.
Fall Herbarium Tours
Saturday, November 8, 2025
10:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
Administration and Research Center (Parking Lot 1), East Side
Instructors
Andrew Hipp, PhD, Herbarium director and senior scientist in plant systematics, The Morton Arboretum
As Herbarium director, Andrew Hipp leads the work of The Morton Arboretum’s Herbarium in documenting the plants of the Chicago region and woody plants of the temperate zone. As senior scientist in the Plant Systematics Research Group, Hipp engages in leadership, research, and outreach in the field of plant biodiversity.
Lindsey Worcester, Herbarium coordinator, The Morton Arboretum
Lindsey Worcester oversees the daily operations in The Morton Arboretum’s Herbarium, coordinating a volunteer corps of 20 to 30 active participants, co-managing the Arboretum’s integrated plants database, processing the thousands of plant specimens that move through the Herbarium every year, and serving as the face of the Herbarium for visitors and colleagues.
Marlene Hahn, plant systematics research program manager, The Morton Arboretum
As the plant systematics research program manager, Marlene Hahn manages the systematic lab, collaborates on Quercus systematics research and other systematics projects, and supports ongoing efforts in The Morton Arboretum’s Herbarium.
What to Know
Passes for this event are free but need to be obtained in advance. Herbarium Tour passes do not include Arboretum admission.
If you are not an Arboretum member, purchase general admission in advance for the day of the program.
