The Morton Arboretum & CSO music

Last week we went to a concert. It was performed by The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and that particular day to salute John Williams - one of the most popular and successful American orchestral composers of the modern age. He is a winner of five Academy awards, seventeen  Grammys, three Golden Globes, two Emmys and five BAFTA awards from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. He is best known for his film and ceremonial music, for such films as Jaws, E.T., Schindler's List, Indiana Jones series, Star Wars trilogy and many others.

The best about it was that it was an open air concert at The Morton Arboretum. It is an outdoor tree museum located about 25 miles west of Chicago in Lisle.
We went with our friends, had a picnic dinner and just enjoyed the evening with music under the stars. It was a wonderful atmosphere and the weather was perfect.

About The Morton Arboretum

The Morton Arboretum is an internationally recognized nonprofit organization dedicated to the planting and conservation of trees. Its 1,700 acres hold more than 222,000 live plants representing nearly 4,300 taxa from around the world.

Situated on the rolling Valparaiso moraine and bisected by the East Branch of the DuPage River, The Morton Arboretum is planned and planted to nurture and display trees and shrubs in environments conducive to their growth.

The Arboretum offers extensive educational programming for all ages, conducts leading research on tree health and tree improvement, breeds and introduces hardy and disease-resistant trees and shrubs for distribution throughout the Midwest, and presents nature-related activities year-round for people of all ages and interests.

The Arboretum was founded in 1922 by Morton Salt magnate Joy Morton. Arboretum grounds offer an oasis of magnificently tended trees, 16 miles of hiking trails, 9 miles of roads, and 900 acres of natural areas including the prototypical, restored 100-acre Schulenberg Prairie.

Also on the grounds are the Visitor Center and Plant Clinic, The Arboretum Store, Ginkgo Restaurant and Café, four-acre Children’s Garden, one-acre Maze Garden, an environmentally-friendly parking lot, and a paved walking trail around restored Meadow Lake.

The Arboretum houses the renowned Sterling Morton Library, devoted to the literature and art of botany and horticulture.