The Anderson Japanese Gardens is a 14-acre group of Japanese gardens located in Rockford, Illinois. The gardens are in a 13th-century "pond strolling" garden with several waterfalls and ponds, streams, rock formations, winding paths, and a sukiya style tea house and guest house (built by Masahiro Hamada). The "Garden of Reflection" is a contemporary Japanese-inspired garden, with bronze angel sculptures by Carl Milles. Plantings include Japanese maples, cloud pines, azaleas, magnolias, and rhododendrons.

The gardens are home to many species of colorful fish, minks, and ducks. In the "Garden of Reflection" beetle traps hang over the water to encourage these fish to surface for food. Professional photography is only permitted after hours with management approval, but amateur photography is encouraged. There are also many forbidden paths that lead up to the Anderson home.
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http://andersongardens.org/

Location:
Burpee Museum of Natural History
737 North Main Street
Rockford, IL 61103
t 815.965.3433
f 815.965.2703

http://www.burpee.org/

Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum is a treasure trove of a time gone by. Rockford, Illinois businessman Robert Hall Tinker built the home in 1865, perching it high on a limestone bluff overlooking Kent Creek. His inspiration came from an 1862 tour of Europe where he fell in love with the architecture of Switzerland. Today the Cottage is one of only a handful of Swiss-style homes remaining in the United States from the 1800s.

Tinker surrounded his Swiss Cottage with trees, vines, winding pathways and flower beds. A three-story Barn housed cows, chickens and in later years the family car. On the backside of the Cottage, a suspension bridge crossed Kent Creek and linked the Cottage with Mrs. Tinker's property on the far bank. In 1906, after the railroad bought her estate, Robert Tinker planted elaborate gardens at the end of the bridge.

The Tinker family, the sole occupants of the Swiss Cottage, left their home to the Rockford Park District and their household belongings to trustees after seventy-five years of residence. Filled with original furnishings, artwork, diaries and household items, the Cottage is a rich time capsule of life a century ago.

http://www.tinkercottage.com/

Explore every season in the Heart of the Arboretum District: majestic colors of fall, hundreds of blooming crabapples in spring, butterfly gardens in summer, and snow-covered evergreens in winter.

Klehm is open:
November 1 to March 31
9 am - 4 pm Monday through Saturday
Closed Sunday

April 1 to October 31
9 am - 4 pm Sunday through Thursday
9 am - 6 pm Friday and Saturday

http://www.klehm.org/

On the west side of North Second Street, Sinnissippi Greenhouse and Gardens is the home of the community holiday tree and the Rock River Recreation Path - everyone's favorite place to walk, push a stroller, jog with your dog, test your in-line skates, or wet a fishing line. Along the path you'll see the Rock Men, The Sinnissippi Crab Sculpture, the Symbol, the Inlet Markers, and Suspended Motion and Flame sculptures.

The Sinnissippi Lagoon is the home of two female mute swans: Pride and Joy. View the grace and beauty of the swans as they drift across the water. During the winter when the ice is safe, the Sinnissippi Lagoon is open for free public skating.

The Sinnissippi Gardens feature an All-American Rose Selection (AARS)-Accredited rose garden, a 32 ft. floral clock planted each year with thousands of annuals, and an annual garden planted with colorful bedding plants. Don't forget the peaceful, shaded perennial garden.

http://www.rockfordparkdistrict.org/home/facilitiesandattractions/sinnissippigreenhouse/

Award winning La Paloma Gardens is designed to be a combination of unfolding outdoor spaces that coax the visitor to stroll leisurely, take a moment to sit and pause while anticipating the next vista. The numerous resting spots provide a different “garden picture” with every turn of the path.

http://lapalomagardens.com/index.html

A Partner in Excellence of the Illinois Arts Council, Rockford Art Museum impacts the quality of life for people of all ages through visual arts programs of collection, exhibition and education. From its beginnings as the Rockford Sketch Club in 1888, to incorporation as the Rockford Art Association in 1913, RAM boasts a rich history that reflects the past, present and future of the Rockford region.

Located in the heart of downtown Rockford inside Riverfront Museum Park for the Arts & Sciences (a Rockford Park District facility), Rockford Art Museum offers 17,000 square feet of exhibition space within its three galleries. A non-profit, public museum, RAM is supported by memberships, individual and corporate contributions, and grants from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and Rockford Area Arts Council.

Rockford Art Museum members enjoy free admission to the museum, subscription to the quarterly publication, RAM Store discounts, invitations to opening exhibition receptions and special events, including RAM galas.

call 815.968.2787

http://www.rockfordartmuseum.org/