Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens

Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens

Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens
4.5
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
About
Situated along the banks of the beautiful Rock River, Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens brings the tropics to the Midwest. The facility is the third largest conservatory in Illinois, offering an 11,000-square-foot plant exhibition area complete with water features, seating areas, and sculptures, all in a tropical plant setting.The beauty continues outdoors with the Eclipse Lagoon, complete with two fountains, waterfalls, pedestrian bridge, patio areas, and walkway connecting the Conservatory to the historic Sinnissippi Rose Garden. Featuring Bruce Munro: LIGHT June 3 - November 5!
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles218 reviews
Excellent
146
Very good
55
Average
13
Poor
4
Terrible
0

rita l
Cambridge, WI59 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020
Friends traveling thru Rockford ask “what is there to do in Rockford. I had to think a minute and of course Nicholas Conservatory came to mind. If you don’t have a specific event to come to, I was at a loss having lived here all my life. But Nicholas and Sinnissippi Gardens are spectacular to see any time of the year. Always something going on and displays and lights, butterflies, birds, the indoor gardens and outdoor gardens and it is right along the Rock River with a path that goes for miles.
Written 9 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Becky870
Aurora, IL609 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021 • Friends
I went for the butterfly exhibit. I've been to butterfly wonderland in Arizona so I was kind of expecting that but it was very small compared to that. However that wasn't a deal breaker. The conservatory was small but very nicely laid out. Make sure you go outside and explore the rest of the grounds because they are beautiful.

As for the butterfly exhibit the movie was informative as was the next part where you can see actual cocoons. The exhibit itself was small but they give you Gatorade soaked sponge sticks so that you can attract butterflies. I had about 3-4 on my stick throughout the time in the exhibit.
Written 26 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lynn and Rich
Lake Geneva, WI132 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021
What a beautiful place, so clean and inviting. The 'movie' and subsequent talk about moths and butterflies and their stages of growth was so interesting, we were so happy to have Lyndi be our instructor. The conservatory is beautiful, labeled well and easy to navigate. The butterfly house was a treat, really a thrill to have the critters land on you and see them up close and personal. Jim, the docent, was also so educating. It was a great venue.
Written 8 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ellen B
Hortonville, WI1,340 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023
We recently toured the Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens Butterfly Experience. What a lovely way to spend a morning! An orchid show had recently wrapped up, but many of the orchids remained. They were beautiful! We visited with our daughter-in-law and grandchildren, they absolutely loved communing with the koi. They had so much fun! All of the volunteers were very helpful, and were very informative about the butterflies. The kids actually were more excited by the koi, but it was fun to try to get a butterfly to land on one of the little sponge-tipped sticks (soaked in Gatorade). The experience was very well organized.
Written 23 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RockfordREG
Rockford, IL9 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2013 • Couples
This cost a fortune and you can visit it in 5 minutes. My advice is to go on a free day and you will get your money's worth. They could place this conservatory in a corner of Lincoln Park Conservatory in Chicago. Just not worth the money either for the admission or construction.
Written 4 March 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We're sorry you didn't enjoy your visit. Reconstruction of the outdoor lagoon and gardens was completed in fall of 2012 and is a beautiful place to stroll in the spring, summer and fall. When the weather allows, the lagoon is also a great place to ice skate in the wintertime. The Conservatory is ever-changing as the plants continue to grow, thrive and bloom. We offer a discounted admission day every Tuesday. If you have any further concerns, please feel free to call 815-987-1689.
Written 6 March 2014
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Julia Travels
Chicago, IL324 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2015 • Family
It's a nice place for pictures and to wander. You won't spend more than a couple hours (at most). Admission rather high for what you see/experience. Nice to go during winter when there's snow outside. Go on special-rate and free days.
Written 8 April 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AllieB27502
Apex, NC55 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2018 • Family
I grew up in Rockford but this was new to our most recent visit. Our whole family went - grandfather, children and grandchildren. Beautiful place. They were displaying the Corpse Flower when we were there. Gorgeous gardens along the Rock River. Highly recommend.
Written 27 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dawn B
Madison, Wisconsin, United States98 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2018 • Family
This was our first visit. We stopped after an event at the Coronado before we drove back to WI and we loved it! We were fortunate enough to visit when two exhibits were running simultaneously (the train and the orchid exhibits). My 4 year old loved watching the trains and doing the provided scavenger hunt. She also liked the little play area with the frog. The orchids were spectacular!

Would love to visit again, especially in summer when we could check out the outdoor trails, too.
Written 25 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ronald G
Rockford, IL, United States14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2017 • Family
This is a newer facility that is impeccably kept. The indoor and outdoor gardens are awesome! It is located on the river and bike path so you can enjoy more than the gardens. Both the indoor conservatory and very large outdoor gardens and pond are very special and unique.
Written 14 March 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MJ3400
Rockford, IL11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2015 • Family
This is a pretty little garden to stroll through. The greenhouse is a compilation of some stunning tropical plants. While not a huge place, it is quite tall, allowing the trees to grow quite tall, making if feel like you are in a jungle of sorts. There are also classes for the kids on specific days (a plan-ahead sort of thing). My family has been to quite a few of them, and we have always been pleased. The staff is excellent, and it's obvious they love their job. Outside the conservatory are the beautiful gardens. Very nice for a date night. Admission is...ehh. It adds up with a family of 6. We always try to go on the reduced days. This is a sweet spot in Rockford. I highly recommend a stop here when you visit Rockford. It's also a beautiful spot for pictures.
Written 7 July 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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NICHOLAS CONSERVATORY AND GARDENS: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

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