Morton Arboretum
Arboretum · Illinois
Salt magnate Joy Morton founded this 1,700-acre living museum in 1922; it now holds over 4,300 plant varieties across 16 miles of trails and is metro Chicago's benchmark fall-color destination. Tram tours and a tree-canopy walk put maple, oak, and hickory color at eye level and above it.
Don’t miss
Peak: October 15–October 19
Color builds from October 9 · mostly bare by November 8
Sampled at Morton Arboretum’s own coordinates and elevation (204 m) rather than a regional average.
Illinois is sampled at 27 weather points, then moved 2 days later so the model agrees with 1 published peak date from smokymountains.com and almanac.com. Illinois is running 7 days earlier than its own average this year. How the forecast works
When to go to Morton Arboretum
You get about 17 days of color here, from the first turn through to roughly October 26. That is about 6 days earlier than Illinois as a whole.
Figure about 23 mi from Chicago.
Morton Arboretum on the map
Drag the date slider to see when color reaches this corner of Illinois, or tap a pin for that stop’s own peak window.
More things to do in Illinois
Leaves & views
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Plan from a city
Frequently asked
- When does Morton Arboretum peak in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 15–October 19 (best estimate October 17). Color starts around October 9 and is mostly bare by November 8.
- How do I get to Morton Arboretum?
- The closest city is Chicago, about 23 mi away. It's part of Illinois's fall lineup.
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