Labyrinthine Possibilities
Renew your soul and calm your mind by walking through one of the numerous Chicago-area labyrinths. You can choose from those in the Greater Chicago area, in the surrounding suburbs or in rural areas. Many of them are nestled in surprising places; some are surrounded by beautiful natural landscapes and others are in backyards, churches, or busy public places.
A labyrinth is a complex and circuitous path leading from a beginning point to a center and back again. One type of labyrinth, a maze, has repeatedly dividing paths, some of which may be dead ends while others may double back on themselves. The traveler has no assurance of ever reaching the goal — the center of the labyrinth. A second type, a meander, has a single, undivided path leading through the pattern to the center. The two best-known types of meandering labyrinths are the seven-circuit Cretan pattern found in Egypt and named from Greek mythology and the eleven-circuit pattern used in the medieval cathedral in Chartres, France and in other churches.
Some people walk a labyrinth purely for entertainment, and the maze variety is constructed for just that purpose. Other labyrinths are constructed for their artistic qualities with builders using elaborate patterns and beautiful materials. In the Middle Ages, walking a cathedral labyrinth was equated with going on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and was, therefore, seen as a devotional activity. Today, labyrinths most often are used for walking meditations, to focus the mind and to put the walker in tune with a greater reality, which the labyrinth represents.
When walking a labyrinth, the traveler creates his or her own experience. Thus, for a meditative experience, you must walk it as a meditation. For a symbolic experience, you must walk it with its symbolism foremost in your mind. If you don’t know the symbolism of a particular labyrinth, consider its numerous paths as a reminder that many sacred paths and spiritual traditions exist, and they all have a common goal — to connect with Something Greater/God/ Universal Energy. You also may want to walk the labyrinth to receive an intuitive or divine answer to a question or clarity on a situation or concern.
To walk a labyrinth, simply follow the path to the center without cutting across any of the borders. Once in the middle, pause for a few moments of reflection, then reverse and retrace your steps.
Notable Illinois Labyrinths
Provena Wellness Center at St. Joseph’s Hospital, 100 S. Hawthorn Street, Elgin, 847-622-8289. Located on Hawthorne near Larkin, across the street from the bank, this mulch and fieldstone Cretan labyrinth is thirty-six feet in diameter. Open sunrise to sunset.
Earth-Wisdom Labyrinth, Elgin Unitarian Universalist Church, Highland Avenue, Elgin, 847-888-0668. Located three miles west of the intersection of Randall Road and Highland Avenue on the right side of the road. This stone and plywood Chartres labyrinth is ninety-four feet in diameter. Open sunrise to sunset. Call to register large groups.
Naperville Riverwalk, 630-552-3408 (Marty or Debi Kermeen). Located in downtown Naperville at the corner of Eagle and Jefferson, this exact Chartres replica is forty-two feet in diameter with inlaid brick paving stone. Open twenty-four hours.
Theosophical Society Labyrinth, 1926 N. Main Street, Wheaton, 630-665-0123 (Quest Bookshop). Located just west of the intersection of Geneva Road and Main Street in Wheaton, this is a classic Cretan labyrinth located a half block south of Quest. It is fifty feet in diameter with round grey walking plates and river pebbles as the walls. Open twenty-four hours.
Resurrection Center, 2710 S. Country Club Road, Woodstock, 815-338-1032. The labyrinth is behind the building towards the pond, just to the right of the fire pit and to the left of the statue of Mother Mary. It is sixty feet in diameter, with inlaid brick and grass Chartres design. Call for directions and to make sure it’s in suitable condition for walking.
St. James Cathedral Labyrinth, 65 E. Huron, Chicago, 773-506-6064 (Judy Mason). Located between Rush and Wabash on the terrace between the church and the diocese office building, a block and a half from Michigan Avenue, this Chartres labyrinth is thirty feet in diameter. It has an all-deck surface, with acrylic resin and fiberglass. Open twenty-four hours.
St. Charles Episcopal Church, 994 N. Fifth Avenue, St. Charles, 630-584-2596. Located about 1.25 miles north of Route 64 (North Avenue) on Route 25. The labyrinth is behind the church. It is forty-two feet in diameter. Its in-ground Chartres pattern is made of granite cobblestones laid in a bed of sand and finely crushed limestone. Open twenty-four hours.
Franciscan Sisters Retreat Center, Portiuncula Center For Prayer, 9263 West Saint Francis Road, Frankfort, 815-464-3880 (Sister Kathleen Ann). This Chartres design labyrinth is fifty-four feet in diameter. It features a white limestone screen with center rosette of blue limestone screen on asphalt. A meditation garden surrounds the labyrinth. Open twenty-four hours.
St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, Deerfield and Wilmot Roads, Deerfield, 847-945-1678. Located at the northeast corner of Deerfield and Wilmot Roads, one mile north of Lake Cook Road, and two blocks east of Highway 94/294. Enter the church parking lot and proceed to the far north end — behind the houses that are to the left. This labyrinth, which is eighty-four feet in diameter has the Chartres pattern mowed into the grass with fieldstone walls. Open sunrise to sunset.
Carbondale Labyrinth, 913 S. Illinois Avenue, Carbondale, 618-549-7387 (Hugh Muldoon). Located at just north of the Interfaith Center, at the corner of S. Illinois and Grand Avenue, this Chartres labyrinth painted on cement has a thirty-seven-foot diameter. Open twenty-four hours.
Prairie Labyrinth, 20112 Hebron Rd., Harvard, 262-248-1916 (day, Mary Klein, or 815-943-4765 evening). Located four miles north of Harvard going on Route 14, then right on Hebron Road one-third mile to the Labyrinth sign. Cars can park right on the shoulder of the road. To create this labyrinth, 110 feet in diameter, the Chartres design has been mowed into restored prairie. Open sunrise to sunset.
Mowed Labyrinth, First Presbyterian Church, 777 25th Avenue, East Moline, 309-755-1595 (Pastor Eric Nielsen). The labyrinth is eighty-four feet in diameter, with the Chartres pattern mowed into grass. Open sunrise to sunset.
Chicago Park District Labyrinth, 300 N. Central Park, Garfield Park Conservatory, 773-638-1766, ext. 20 (Eden DeGenova). Located on the west side of Garfield Park Conservatory, this is a Cretan labyrinth, forty-five feet in diameter, with crushed gravel path and grass borders. Open 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Cenacle Retreat House & Spirituality Center 29 W. 012 Batavia Road, Warrenville, 630-393-1231. Located between Butterfield Road (56) and Route 59. Please come inside to sign in and out. This is a thirty-foot diameter Cretan labyrinth. Open 8:00 am to 9:00 pm.
Labyrinth Garden, Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 911 Second Avenue, Rockford, 815-963-4815. The Labyrinth is twenty-three feet in diameter. It has a Cretan design with inlaid paving stone walls and mulch paths. Open twenty-four hours. — Nina Amir Lacey
Morton Arboretum
The Morton Arboretum, located in Lisle, Illinois, is home to more than 41,000 plants representing 3,300 plant types from around the world. The Arboretum, situated on 1,700 acres of woodland, specializes in trees, shrubs, and vines.
Established in 1922 by Joy Morton, founder of Chicago-based Morton Salt Company, the Arboretum’s goal is to collect, study, and display plants from around the world, and to teach people to grow their own plants in ways that enhance the environment. During a visit there, nature enthusiasts can hike more than twelve miles of trails, or view the landscapes from the warmth of their cars on eleven miles of paved roads. The Arboretum also offers one-hour tours on an open-air tram service daily in the warmer months, and on weekends in winter when weather permits. Gardeners can get help with their own tree and shrub issues from experts in the Plant Clinic and the Sterling Morton Library.
This month the Morton Arboretum will host WinterFest!, a winter family fun extravaganza, Saturday, January 19, and Sunday, January 20 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Visitors can see the Hans Christian Anderson story "The Snow Queen," performed by the popular Theater Hikes acting troupe. Adopt-A-Husky will offer sled dog demonstrations, and the Science Institute of Columbia College will present a virtual fossil hunt. Other WinterFest! activities include an Ice Age Adventure Trail, ice carving demonstrations, and an indoor educational "Tracks, Scats, and Skins" exhibit. Visitors to WinterFest! can even try on snowshoes for a guided snowshoe tour.
The Morton Arboretum is located twenty-five miles west of Chicago in Lisle, Illinois, on Route 53, just west of I-355 and north of I-88. The Arboretum is open daily from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, daylight savings time, and 7:00 am to 5:00 pm central standard time. Admission is $7 per car. Call 630-968-0074 or visit www.mortonarb.org for more information. — Molly Birk
Chicago Botanic Garden
For more than a century, the Chicago Horticultural Society has been spreading its love of gardening throughout the Chicago area. In 1972, the society found a permanent home at the Chicago Botanic Garden, where it carries on its mission of collecting and studying plants and providing educational programs for the public.
The Chicago Botanic Garden, located in Glencoe, Illinois, is home to twenty-three uniquely-themed gardens featuring Midwestern plants. From the Japanese Garden to the English Walled Garden to the Naturalistic Garden, visitors can always find a favorite. Situated on 385 acres, the Botanic Garden also offers a wide variety of educational programs year round. Research at the Garden focuses on evaluating the success of ornamental plants in the natural environment and introducing new selections of plants into the landscape. Researchers also study endangered plants in the hopes of preserving Midwestern species.
The Botanic Garden will host a variety of events in January and upcoming months. The WinterGreen Festival celebrates the beauty of winter with indoor and outdoor activities on select weekends between January 19 and March 10. Visitors can take brisk nature and garden walks, then come in from the cold for indoor horticultural displays, food demonstrations, art exhibits, gardening classes, special lectures, and musical entertainment. The Zimmerman Lecture Series, sponsored by the Woman’s Board of the Chicago Horticultural Society, will feature gardening experts from across the country. The series will take place on January 13, February 10, March 10, and April 7, at 1:00 pm. The art exhibit "The State We’re In" features the work of contemporary artists who have captured the beauty of Illinois’ natural landscape. This exhibit runs January 19 to April 7.
The Chicago Botanic Garden is located at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, Illinois. The Garden is open daily from 8:00 am to sunset. Admission to the garden is free. Parking fees and select event activities apply. Call 847-835-5440 or visit www.chicago-botanic.org for more information. — Molly Birk