Glowing jack-o'-lanterns carved with Halloween themes line a paved path at the Chicago Botanic Garden after dark

Every Year in Chicagoland

Night of 1,000 Jack-o'-Lanterns in Glencoe, through October 25

Chicago Botanic Garden's pumpkin walk returns through October 25. Find dates, tickets, parking, food, and travel tips for this family outing.

By HellginOctober 8, 20267 min read

You know this part of October. The porch pumpkin has started to sag, Halloween is a few weeks off, and someone asks whether you're doing "the Botanic Garden pumpkin thing" this year. Night of 1,000 Jack-o'-Lanterns opens Wednesday, October 7, at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe. It runs on set evenings through Sunday, October 25. This guide covers which nights are left, what the walk is like, what tickets and parking cost, and how to get in after dark.

Still on through October 25

Night of 1,000 Jack-o'-Lanterns is the garden's nighttime trail of artist-carved pumpkins. The garden is at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe (60022), about 20 miles north of Chicago. It covers 385 acres and is run as a public-private partnership with the Forest Preserves of Cook County.

This year has 15 evenings, in three blocks:

Wednesday–Sunday, October 7–11
Wednesday–Sunday, October 14–18
Wednesday–Sunday, October 21–25

Hours are 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. each night. The event is dark on Mondays and Tuesdays, so there's nothing on October 12–13 or October 19–20. It ends Sunday, October 25, so it won't be open on Halloween night. For questions, the garden's visitor line is (847) 835-5440.

What the path is

It's a paved walk lined with more than 1,000 real pumpkins, lit with LEDs instead of candles. The garden calls it a just-creepy-enough family outing. That makes it more of a glowing stroll than a haunted house.

The carvings follow themes. The garden's list includes Halloween movies, comic book icons, dragons, native Illinois wildlife, Día de los Muertos, 150 years of Cubs baseball, bioluminescent wonders, fungi, and memorable obituaries.

The biggest pieces are about 75 large pumpkins, some as heavy as 150 pounds. They're done by artists from Rise of the Jack O'Lanterns, an East Coast company. According to the garden, the artists spend 8 to 10 hours drawing the design on each large pumpkin, then another 10 to 20 hours painting and carving it. Along the route you'll also find live carving and costumed performers.

New this year is Monarch Skull, a glowing 20-foot sculpture by artist Alyse Gamson, inspired by the monarch butterfly. The event page describes it as inflatable. Jodi Zombolo, the garden's associate vice president of Visitor Events and Programs, describes the night as a way to spend a crisp evening outdoors and named Monarch Skull as this year's addition.

What a ticket costs

These prices were on the garden's event page as of October 7, 2026. They're the lowest prices, for advance tickets at off-peak times:

Adults: $24 nonmembers, $20 members
Children 3–12: $17 nonmembers, $13 members
Age 2 and under: free

The timing matters. Off-peak, the cheaper window, is Wednesday and Thursday from 7:45 to 9:30 p.m. Standard time is Wednesday and Thursday from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., plus all evening Friday through Sunday. If your schedule is flexible, a later weeknight slot is the bargain.

When you buy also matters. Tickets bought up through the day before your visit cost less than tickets bought on the day. Garden members get a discount and get to buy tickets early.

Parking is separate. Nonmembers pay $15 if they buy online in advance and $25 at the gate. Members park free by showing their parking decal or membership card at the gatehouse. Ride-share drivers pay no parking fee. Active-duty U.S. military and their families, reservists, and former prisoners of war can park free with a valid ID at the gatehouse.

Some usual parking perks don't apply to nighttime ticketed events. These include free parking for reciprocal members such as Morton Arboretum and Cantigny, teachers, WIC card holders, and Museum Passports. Reciprocal memberships from other gardens also don't cover special-event tickets.

Museums for All: The event page lists reduced pricing, with parking included, for people receiving food assistance on six nights: October 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, and 22. Those are all Wednesdays and Thursdays. The page doesn't print the reduced price. The garden's general visit page says evening ticketed events aren't part of Museums for All, so call ahead to confirm before you go.

Want any night, any time? A President's Circle VIP all-access pass is $35 and works on any date and at any time during the event. Children 2 and under are free with it.

Getting there and getting in

By car: From the city, take the Kennedy (I-90/94) to the Edens (I-94). Exit at Lake Cook Road and go about half a mile east.

By train: The garden is close to Braeside station on Metra's Union Pacific North Line. From the station it's a 0.8-mile ADA-accessible walk on the North Branch Trail. That walk is in the dark on the way home, so plan for it. Schedules are at metrarail.com or (312) 836-7000.

By bus: Pace route 213, marked Northbrook Court, runs to the garden from Davis Street in Evanston and from the Glencoe and Highland Park stations. According to the garden, that bus doesn't run on Sundays or holidays, and three of this year's event nights are Sundays. Check pacebus.com for evening times before you rely on it.

Getting in: On event days the garden closes to everyone at 5 p.m. and reopens at 6 p.m. for event ticket holders only. If you're there for a class, that reopening doesn't include you. Tickets are timed, with entry slots from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., and the event ends at 10:30.

It goes on rain or shine, so check the forecast and bring layers. If you're planning to take photos, leave the tripod or monopod at home. Neither is allowed during event hours.

Food and drink along the way

You'll find autumn snacks along the route, sold separately from your ticket. The garden lists:

Homemade caramel apples
Festive popcorn
Apple cider donuts
Spiced nuts

To drink there's hot apple cider and hot chocolate, plus beer, wine, and specialty cocktails for adults. The garden hasn't posted itemized prices, so bring a card and budget a bit extra for treats, especially with kids, who will spot the caramel apples before the first carved pumpkin.

What will not get you in

Before you plan around a deal, know what doesn't count.

Free admission days: The garden's Illinois-resident free days don't apply to ticketed events, and Night of 1,000 Jack-o'-Lanterns is one of them. October 12 is on the free daytime admission list, but it's a Monday, and there's no pumpkin walk that night anyway.

Cards and IDs: The free entry the garden usually gives for a LINK or WIC card, an Illinois educator ID, or a tribal ID doesn't apply to this event.

Pets: Pets aren't allowed. Service animals are welcome.

Accessibility: Wheelchairs are free at the Visitor Center information desk, and accessible parking is in lots 1 and 2. Rented scooters have to be returned before sundown, so don't count on one for the evening walk.

Waiting until the last minute: The garden's advice is to buy early to get the time you want. Day-of tickets also cost more.

This is a big night for the garden. A 2019 Third Coast Review account says the display started in October 2016 and that the opening caused a long backup on I-94. The garden called 2025 the tenth year and said the run had grown from 10 nights to 15 because of demand. This year is 15 nights again. With 10 nights now gone from the calendar, grab a weeknight slot soon and you'll have your fill of pumpkins before the trick-or-treaters arrive.

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