Chicago is no one’s idea of a tropical paradise. Nonetheless, you can experience such a lush landscape year-round at the Garfield Park Conservatory’s Palm House, featuring more than 70 palm trees from around the world under a 65-foot vaulted glass ceiling. (In 2019, the largest of those trees — the Scheelea palm, which had called the conservatory home since 1926 — was removed when it finally outgrew its confines, though you can still see its offspring.) The Palm House is the largest room in the conservatory, which also features outdoor gardens, a desert house, and a fern room that takes visitors back to prehistoric Illinois. And while the entire facility is worth exploring, there’s nothing like visiting the Palm House to get into a summertime state of mind — especially on the coldest of winter days. 300 N. Central Park Ave., East Garfield Park