Illumination: Tree Lights at The Morton Arboretum

About This Event

Illumination is the quieter alternative to Chicago's big downtown light shows — a walking trail through 1,700 wooded acres in Lisle lit up after dark, rather than a fixed plaza display, now in its 14th year with new installations and an indoor model-train add-on winding through a miniature fantasy woodland.

The Arboretum itself dates to 1922, founded by Joy Morton — the man behind Morton Salt — on 178 acres next to his own estate. Trees ran in the family: his father, Julius Sterling Morton, founded Arbor Day itself, and 'Plant Trees' was literally the Morton family motto. Joy brought in Charles Sprague Sargent, director of Harvard's Arnold Arboretum, to help shape what the place should actually be for — not just a private garden, but a public collection meant to educate people about trees and fund real research. It's grown from that original 178 acres to 1,700 today.

Worth knowing: entry is timed, and 2026-27 pricing hasn't been announced yet, though recent years have run $21–34 per ticket — book ahead rather than assuming walk-up availability on a weekend evening.