Events

Walking Plays

Experience a live outdoor play performed amid beautiful trees and scenic landscapes during the Walking Plays series at the Arboretum.

Content Detail

Walking Plays are full-length plays, adapted exclusively for The Morton Arboretum and performed by local professional actors. A walk leader guides the audience to each scene, which takes place at several natural backdrop locations, along a one- to two-mile hiking route. Audiences are encouraged to bring water, portable chairs or blankets for seating, and bug spray.

Walking Plays take place on select Saturdays and Sundays, July through October, 2024. Performances begin at the Thornhill Shelter on the West Side and last approximately two hours.

Performance start times vary by month. July and August performances (House at Pooh Corner) begin at 6:00 p.m.; September and October performances (The Grimmest of Tales) begin at 4:00 p.m. See Performance Schedule for details.

2024 Performance Dates

House on Pooh Corner
July 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, and 28
August 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, and 25

The Grimmest of Tales
September 28 and 29
October 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, and 27

Ticket Details

Members
Infant (younger than 2): $0
Child (2 through 17): $10
Adult (18 and older): $15

Guests
Infant (younger than 2): $0
Child (2 through 17): $15
Adult (18 and older): $25

Your ticket purchase helps support the Arboretum’s vision of a greener, healthier, more beautiful world where people and trees thrive together.

 

The Morton Arboretum acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council.

2024 Performance Schedule

For all performances, attendees will meet at the Thornhill Shelter on the Arboretum’s West Side. Each performance will last for approximately two hours.

House at Pooh Corner

In the second book of A.A. Milne’s beloved Winnie-the-Pooh series, The House at Pooh Corner, we meet Tigger. He joins the other friends of the Hundred Acre Wood as they tell a new, contemporary adaptation of this beautiful collection. Hilarious, touching, and full of useful lessons for the young and the young at heart, audiences of all ages will be charmed by “Chris” Robin and companions as they make their way through the woods together.

Each performance of House at Pooh Corner begins at 6:00 p.m. and lasts approximately two hours.

Saturday, July 13
Sunday, July 14
Saturday, July 20**
Sunday, July 21
Saturday, July 27
Sunday, July 28*
Saturday, August 3
Sunday, August 4
Saturday, August 10
Sunday, August 11
Saturday, August 17**
Sunday, August 18*
Saturday, August 24
Sunday, August 25

*Indicates a low impact experience
**Indicates the availability of an American Sign Language interpreter

The Grimmest of Tales

The Brothers Grimm were famous for their fairy tales and folklore, and equally notorious for their spooky, twisted, and more gory tales. As the shadows grow longer and the Halloween season approaches, we dare to delve into the darker side of these original horror stories. Even the brothers themselves become ensnared by a mysterious enchantress from their past, who bewitches them into telling their Grimmest of Tales. This performance is recommended for 10 years of age and older due to scary content and mentions of death and gore.

Each performance of The Grimmest of Tales begins at 4:00 p.m. and lasts approximately two hours.

Saturday, September 28
Sunday, September 29
Saturday, October 5
Sunday, October 6
Saturday, October 12
Sunday, October 13
Saturday, October 19**
Sunday, October 20*
Saturday, October 26
Sunday, October 27

*Indicates a low impact experience
**Indicates the availability of an American Sign Language interpreter

 

The Morton Arboretum acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

Accessibility

Each month the Arboretum will offer a low-impact hike, designed for guests with differing mobility needs. These hikes cover a shorter distance (approximately half a mile) at a slower pace and stay near paved paths wherever possible to avoid chipped trails and grassy areas. Additionally, some Walking Play performances will offer American Sign Language interpretation.

Low-impact hike dates and performances with ASL interpretation are as follows.

House on Pooh Corner

Saturday, July 20**
Sunday, July 28*
Saturday, August 17**
Sunday, August 18*

*Indicates a low impact experience
**Indicates the availability of an American Sign Language interpreter

The Grimmest of Tales

Saturday, October 19**
Sunday, October 20*

*Indicates a low impact experience
**Indicates the availability of an American Sign Language interpreter

View the Accessibility Guide for more detailed information.

Rebooking Information

To rebook your tickets for any 2024 performance, please contact tickets@mortonarb.org with the following information:

  • Order number
  • New requested booking date for any 2024 Walking Plays
  • Phone number and your name in case we need to contact you

There will be a $5 surcharge per order. We require at least 24 hours’ notice to allow time to update your order and send new tickets. Rebooking is based on availability. If an event date is sold out, we are not able to move your tickets to that date. Sending your request by email helps us process requests in a timely manner.

If the event is canceled by The Morton Arboretum due to inclement weather, all ticket holders for that date will be emailed with specific instructions on how to rebook their performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Accordion List

  • Fall and summer weekends are popular days for visitation. Please allow up to 30 minutes to park and get to where the hike commences (Thornhill Shelter, Parking Lot 21).

  • Restrooms will be located at the Thornhill Shelter, where event check-in is to take place.

  • No, we do not offer any chair rentals for this event. For a more enjoyable hike, we recommend you bring a portable chair or blanket, a water bottle, sunscreen, and insect repellant.

  • The Arboretum will do its best to hold this event rain or shine. However, there may be times when a potentially dangerous weather forecast or unsafe ground conditions prevent us from moving forward with the event. The event will not move indoors.

  • All weather-related event updates will be communicated through the Arboretum Facebook page, website, and email. All of these will be updated approximately three hours prior to the show start time.

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