Celebración de los Árboles
Explore the cultures and traditions of Latin America in the beautiful natural settings of The Morton Arboretum at Celebración de los Árboles on Saturday, September 26, and Sunday, September 27, 2026.
Celebración de los Árboles is a two-day cultural festival featuring music, dance, food, storytelling, artisan vendors, family-friendly activities, and a chance to connect with local community organizations and Arboretum scientists.
Lucha Libre
Lucha Libre matches will run throughout the Celebración de los Árboles festival weekend, leading to the final championship match and a luchador meet-and-greet on Sunday afternoon. Stick around until the end to see who is crowned Champion of Trees!
Artisan Vendors
During the festival, purchase handcrafted goods, art, and traditional foods—such as tamales, conchas, paletas, empanadas, and aguas frescas—from more than a dozen local artists and vendors.
Herbarium Tours
The research staff of The Morton Arboretum’s Herbarium will host special, guided tours of the Herbarium’s collection of Mexican oak specimens during the weekend of Celebración de los Árboles. These specimens help conservation researchers better understand the evolution and biodiversity of oak trees in Central America and around the world.
Tickets
Herbarium tours are free with advance registration. Registration will open soon.
Schedule
Herbarium tours will take place on Saturday, Sept 26, 2026. Details will be available soon.
Science and Conservation
Learn about the important tree science and conservation work being done by researchers at the Arboretum, in Latin American countries, and in biodiversity hotspots around the world.
Lotería Night
Join us from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 11, for an evening of Lotería, a traditional Mexican game of chance similar to bingo.
Lotería is played with a deck of illustrated cards depicting familiar objects and symbols. This special edition of Lotería features custom, Arboretum-themed cards illustrated by artist Jazmin Rodriguez.
Tickets
Tickets must be purchased online in advance.
Cost: $45
Member cost: $35
Fun for Families
The Morton Arboretum offers a variety of family-friendly activities throughout the months of September and October, and many fun places to explore outdoors that are exceptionally beautiful during this time of year.
Family activities and sculptural exhibitions are included in Arboretum general admission.
Children’s Garden
Far more than just a playground, the Children’s Garden is a 4-acre outdoor play space that encourages children to safely romp, climb, splash, see new things, and wonder about trees and nature.
There are ponds, streams, things to climb on, and plenty of places for adults to sit while children play. Many of its interactive features are based on tree science. It is designed for children from toddlers to 12-year-olds.
Maze Garden
Next to the Children’s Garden is a twisty Maze Garden made of living green shrubs. Find the secret to reach the big sycamore tree for a towering view! Children love to solve the puzzle.
Fall Color Festival
During the monthlong Fall Color Festival in October, The Morton Arboretum offers seasonal events and attractions to celebrate this time of transformation in the natural world. Visit on weekends for the Fall Color Festival Concessions tent in Arbor Court, offering apple cider doughnuts and other treats that are only available this time of year.
Vivid Creatures
Explore The Morton Arboretum’s art exhibition, Vivid Creatures! You can find five giant, colorful animal sculptures along the Arboretum’s trails and paths.
Four of the sculptures are connected by paved, accessible trails that lead through the Arboretum’s central area, around Meadow Lake, and through the shaded canopy of the Conifer Collection. The fifth sculpture is on a hill near parking lot P-4 following an inclined, wood-chipped trail.
Ginkgo Restaurant and Café
The Ginkgo Restaurant and Café is the perfect choice for lunch with friends, or weekend brunch after a walk through the woods. The menu of internationally inspired meals includes vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options, as well as craft beer and wines, baked goods, and coffee.
There are a limited number of tables and seating near the Café in the Visitor Center. Tables inside the Ginkgo Room are reserved for Ginkgo Restaurant guests only.
The Ginkgo Restaurant is open Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The Gingko Café is open 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily.
Cultural Installations
Cultivando Comunidad: Tree Stories in Papel Picado
Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, the Arboretum’s Visitor Center will host an exhibition of papel picado, a traditional Mexican folk art made of intricately cut paper designs, created by Chicago artist Jason Guzman.
The exhibition tells the stories of people and community organizations who plant trees in their neighborhoods and build community support for trees through the Chicago Region Trees Initiative’s Tree Ambassador Program.
The Tree Ambassador Program provides partners with training, resources, funding, and priority status to request trees to be planted in parkways by the City of Chicago.
Guests who view the exhibition will have the chance to create and add their own simple papel picado story to the display wall.
Día de los Muertos Community Ofrenda
View an altar decorated with offerings to the departed at the Visitor Center beginning on Día de los Muertos, Saturday, October 31.
The community ofrenda invites everyone to contribute. Offerings may include photographs, sugar skulls, papel picado (cut paper designs), candles, or any other items that honor the friend or family member you’d like to commemorate.
Bring your ofrenda contributions to the Information Desk in the Visitor Center from Monday, October 26, through Friday, October 30.
The community ofrenda will be on view from Saturday, October 31 (Día de los Muertos), through Monday, November 2. All contributed items can be picked up from the Arboretum starting the following day.
Spanish-Language and Bilingual Tram Tours
Spanish-Language Tram Tours
Narrated in Spanish, these one-hour rides take you on an adventure through woodlands, wetlands, and prairies. Spanish-language tram tours include information about the Arboretum’s history, grounds, and activities, along with cultural connections to nature.
Tram tours are wheelchair accessible.
Tickets
Tickets must be purchased at the Information Desk in the Visitor Center on the day of your visit.
Adult: $10
Child (4 and older): $5
Infant (3 and younger): Free
Family (up to 6 people): $30
Member adult: $8
Member child (4 and older): $3
Member infant (3 and younger): Free
Member family (up to 6 people): $24
Schedule
Tours take place during Celebración de los Árboles weekend and every Sunday through mid-November, weather permitting.
Saturday, September 26, 2026, 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 27, 2026, 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Sundays through mid-November, 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Bilingual Acorn Express Adventures
Hop on the Acorn Express for a family-friendly tram ride that includes a short hike and a take-home craft. Narrated in both English and Spanish, tours will focus on the theme of eagles and their significance in Hispanic culture.
Tickets
Tickets must be purchased at the Information Desk in the Visitor Center on the day of your visit.
Schedule
Wednesday, September 30, 2026, 11:00 a.m.
Thursday, October 1, 2026, 11:00 a.m.
Bilingual Acorn Express Adventures tram tours meet in the Visitor Center.
Forest Therapy and Guided Hikes
Spanish-Language Forest Therapy Walks
On guided Forest Therapy Walks, participants are encouraged to relax, meditate, and cultivate mindfulness through their interactions with the natural world. Led by Spanish-speaking certified forest therapy guides, each walk will lead participants through woodlands and natural areas of The Morton Arboretum. At the end of each walk, a tea ceremony will be held with tea made from plants foraged from the forests.
Registration
Register for Forest Therapy Walks online.
Schedule
This program meets during these times; choose your sessions. Pricing is per session.
Sunday, September 27, 2026, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Parking lot P-1, East Side
Sunday, October 11, 2026, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Thornhill Shelter (parking lot P-21), West Side
Spanish-Language Guided Hikes
See new sides of The Morton Arboretum and explore the trails through the seasons with a naturalist guide who will narrate in Spanish. Enjoy the changing colors of fall, stretch your legs, and get some fresh air while you learn about the history of the Arboretum and the plants and animals that call it home.
Registration
Register for Spanish-Language Guided Hikes online.
Schedule
This program meets during these times; choose your sessions. Pricing is per session.
Sunday, October 4, 2026, 1:00 to 2:30 p.m.
Thornhill Shelter (parking lot P-29), West Side
Science and Conservation
Science is the foundation of The Morton Arboretum’s work for trees. Learn how Arboretum researchers conduct on-the-ground tree conservation action projects with local partners in Mexico and Mesoamerica to benefit ecosystems while supporting local communities.
Chicago Region Trees Initiative
The Chicago Region Trees Initiative is The Morton Arboretum’s urban and community forestry program, working to improve people’s lives by supporting the health, diversity, and equitable distribution of trees in the Chicago region and throughout Illinois.
Tree Ambassador Program
In partnership with Our Roots Chicago, CRTI’s Tree Ambassador Program provides community organizations with training, resources, funding, and priority status to request trees to be planted in parkways by the City of Chicago.
Global Tree Conservation Program
Working around the world, The Morton Arboretum’s Global Tree Conservation Program is dedicated to safeguarding tree species in biodiversity hotspots like Mesoamerica through global collaborations. Arboretum staff lead integrated, science-based conservation action projects that support sustainable livelihoods and respect local cultures and traditional knowledge.
Conservation Gap Analysis of Native Mesoamerican Oaks
PRecently published in 2025, The Arboretum’s Conservation Gap Analysis of Native Mesoamerican Oaks was a landmark report that identified key concerns and areas of opportunity for conserving threatened oak species. The report is available in both English and Spanish.
Opportunities in Science
The Arboretum’s Center for Tree Science offers many opportunities for students and young people to get involved in tree conservation and STEM. Learn more about youth volunteer opportunities and the Arboretum’s Integrated Mentorship Program.
