Conservatory

Spring Plant Sale

Friday, May 8 | 10:00 AM-6:00 PM & Saturday, May 9 | 10:00 AM-1:00 PM

Additional Details

Summer Makers Market

Saturday, May 30 | 9:30 AM-2:30 PM

Additional Details

Vendor Application

Conservatory Kids Story Time – June 2 & August 6 | 10:30-11:00 AM
All are welcome for story time at the Friendship Park Conservatory! Bach 2 Rock Arlington Heights will be assisting with music and dancing fun.

No registration needed.

Butterfly Fun! (Ages 5-10) – Wednesday, July 22 | 12:30-2:00 PM
What does a seed need to sprout? This hands-on class will show the best way to get a seed to sprout and teach the techniques to care for seedlings until they are ready to go in the garden. We will tour the greenhouse and take a look at how the plants grown around the district get their start as seeds and plugs. Participants will take home a few planted seeds to watch their experiment grow.

Fun with Fossils (Ages 5-10) – Wednesday, August 5 | 12:30-2:00 PM
What does a seed need to sprout? This hands-on class will show the best way to get a seed to sprout and teach the techniques to care for seedlings until they are ready to go in the garden. We will tour the greenhouse and take a look at how the plants grown around the district get their start as seeds and plugs. Participants will take home a few planted seeds to watch their experiment grow.

Current Class Offerings

Mah Jongg (Ages 18+)
Thursday, May 28-June 25 | 1:00-3:00 PM
Wednesday, July 1-July 29 | 6:00-8:00 PM
Tuesday, July 14-August 18 | 1:00-3:00 PM
Learn the fundamentals of American Mah Jongg in this beginner-friendly course. Over 5 weeks, you will learn everything you need to know to play Mah Jongg like a pro! We will supply everything needed to play. Included in registration fees is the cost of your 2026 Mah Jongg Hands and Rules Card, which will be yours to keep after the course. Please note: Individuals are welcome and encouraged to register; however, play requires groups of 4.

Misc. Plant Sale Planter (Ages 18+) – Wednesday, May 13 | 5:45-7:00 PM
Create a completely unique planter with the opportunity to customize each plant and even the planter to your liking. We will have assorted plants remaining from our sale that will look fabulous in any of our available planter options! This is our most free-form and creative planter design class giving you your choice of thriller, filler and spiller with advice from greenhouse experts.

Terracotta Herb Tower (Ages 18+) – Wednesday, June 3 | 5:45-7:00 PM
Fresh is the best! In this class, we will be assembling a 2-tiered terracotta herb planter. Participants will have the opportunity to select from a variety of herbs based on their preferences. These towers are designed to work for those both with a yard or with the restriction of container-only gardening.

Herb Planter for Seniors (Ages 55+) – Friday, June 5 | 10:00-11:15 AM
Participants will receive a bowl-shaped herb planter perfect for a sunny spot in their kitchen or outdoor on their deck/patio. We will supply a variety of herbs to choose from and teach proper plant care. Class may take place outside, weather permitting.

Composting and Vermiculture (Ages 18+) – Wednesday, July 8 | 5:45-7:00 PM
Tired of food scraps going straight into the garbage? Put them to use growing plants year round! Learn what can and cannot be composted, what you need to get started, and why we like to keep organic waste out of landfills. Take home some worms from our vermiculture bin to get yours started.

Garden Art: Custom Birdbath (Ages 18+) – July 9-July 16 | 5:45-7:00 PM
Want to make your backyard more attractive to birds? Just add water! Birds need a dependable supply of fresh, clean water for drinking and bathing. Putting a birdbath in your yard may attract birds that don’t eat seeds and wouldn’t otherwise come to your feeders. In this 2 part class, we will use a selection of large, tropical leaves from our specimen collection as an imprint to form a birdbath using cement and seal it with a nontoxic sealant after it curves.

Nature Photography for Absolute Beginners (Ages 18+) – Tuesday, July 14 | 2:00-4:00 PM 
Grab your phone or camera and meet us at Friendship Park Conservatory to learn the fundamentals of lighting and composition for producing stunning nature photographs. Nature Photographer Deb Snow Humiston will lead participants in 1 hour of classroom instruction, followed by 1 hour of hands-on practice exploring and photographing our beautiful grounds             

Spring Planter (Ages 18+) – Wednesday, April 22 | 5:45-7:00 PM & Saturday, April 25 | 10:00-11:15 AM
Ring in spring with a beautiful planter on your stoop or patio. Assemble a dazzling planter with plants designed to bloom early that have been grown in MPPD’s own greenhouse. All planters, plants, and soil supplied, but please bring gloves in you have them. Dress for weather, class may take place outside.

Current Class Offerings

Interested in volunteering? Join us at Hill Street Nature Center! Volunteer work may include: pulling invasive species (i.e. garlic mustard, creeping Charlie, teasel, etc.) and picking up trash as needed. Friendship Park Conservatory staff on-site to supervise and direct volunteer duties. Bring gloves, water and any sun protection or bug spray you might need, depending on the weather. Bags provided by MPPD.

Dates (9:30-11:30 AM):
-Tuesday, May 12
-Tuesday, July 14
-Saturday, August 1
-Tuesday, August 18

Please fill out the Volunteer Agreement if interested in attending.

Volunteer Agreement

This artist-in-residence program involves selecting an artist who will have their work showcased at the Conservatory for a set period of time. For the purpose of this program, the selected artist should have a connection to the Conservatory, Park District, Mt. Prospect Community, or create art that stimulates interest and appreciation for horticulture and the environment.

The aims of this program are as follows:
-Offer opportunities to local artists to showcase their work
-Provoke interest in new art forms
-Build stronger ties with the local community
-Highlight the Conservatory through new lenses of art and appreciation
-Encourage exposure to new ideas and understanding of our shared community and experiences

Artist residencies will last 8 months or as determined by the needs of the Conservatory with 1 residency period per year ideally spanning from May thru December. Prospective artists will apply for the residency and will be selected by a panel of Park District Judges and announced in March. Residency will entail display of the artist’s work in the Conservatory foyer space and include a biography of the artist’s history and artistic process. Opportunities such as artist demonstrations, using the headhouse as a workspace, or tabling at in-house events may also come up on occasion. The application process includes examples of work, explanation of process, and outlining the artist’s connection to the aims of the program. Artists will submit to a background check and will be classified as a volunteer. After selection, artists will submit their display pieces for approval.

Application