What Happened to Chicago O’Hare’s Aeroponic Garden?

September 5, 2014

Fresh greens between flights? Chicago O’Hare’s Urban Garden gave airport food a memorable growing story. 🌱

Chicago O’Hare International Airport became home to an unusual indoor garden in 2011: 26 vertical aeroponic towers growing herbs, greens, vegetables and edible flowers inside the terminal.

The project connected food production with nearby airport restaurants and gave travelers a surprising sight along the way. Boarding passes, luggage and a tower full of lettuce—not your everyday combination!

A Look Back at the Original O’Hare Garden

This article describes the original airport growing project. Older airport and travel pages still reference the Urban Garden, but we haven’t independently confirmed its current operating status or an official closure date.

If you’re hoping to visit, check directly with the airport before planning around it. The story below explores how the original installation worked and what it demonstrated about growing food in unexpected places.

Jump to a Section

Looking for something specific? Jump directly to the section you need.

✈️ The O’Hare Garden 💧 How It Worked 🥬 Crops & Restaurants 🌿 Why It Mattered 📋 Your Farm Project 📚 Continue Learning

What Was the Chicago O’Hare Urban Garden?

The O’Hare Urban Garden opened in 2011 through a collaboration involving the Chicago Department of Aviation and HMSHost, an airport food and beverage operator.

Instead of planting across traditional soil beds, the project used 26 vertical aeroponic towers in approximately 928 square feet in the Terminal 3 rotunda area.

The towers brought food production indoors, close to the restaurants that could use the harvest. They also made growing visible to travelers passing through the airport.

Chicago O’Hare Airport indoor aeroponic garden with vertical growing towers — O’Hare’s Urban Garden brought vertical food production into the airport.

How Did the Aeroponic Garden Work?

Aeroponic growing allows plants to develop without traditional soil. The plants are supported in growing ports while their roots receive water and dissolved mineral nutrients.

At O’Hare, seedlings were started separately and then transferred into the towers. Planting spaces were arranged vertically, making use of height as well as floor space.

Suitable grow lights supported the indoor crops, while the irrigation system circulated nutrient solution through the towers.

The Growing System Was Only Part of the Plan

Like any farm, the project needed people to plant, monitor, maintain and harvest the crops. An indoor setting changes the growing environment, but it doesn’t remove the need for plant care.

For anyone considering a similar setup, water quality, lighting, airflow, equipment access and daily responsibilities belong in the plan alongside the towers themselves.

From Growing Towers to Airport Restaurants

The garden grew a mixture of leafy greens, herbs, vegetables and edible flowers. Crops reported in the original project included:

Bibb lettuce
Basil
Oregano
Thyme
Habanero peppers
Green beans
Edible flowers

Plants growing vertically in Chicago O’Hare Airport’s aeroponic garden — The garden combined herbs, greens, vegetables and edible flowers.

A Short Journey to the Kitchen

Historical accounts connected the garden’s produce with airport restaurants including Tortas Frontera, Wicker Park Sushi & Seafood, Blackhawks Restaurant and Tuscany.

Some ingredients could be grown, harvested and used within the same airport complex. That close connection between growing space and kitchen made the project an example of local food production in action.

It also offers a practical planning lesson: talk with the people using the harvest before choosing your crops. A kitchen’s needs can help shape what you plant, how much you grow and when you harvest.

Why the O’Hare Garden Caught People’s Attention

Most travelers expect departure boards and coffee shops. A working garden invites a different kind of pause.

The installation showed that food production could take place inside a terminal, using vertical space and an indoor growing system rather than a conventional outdoor garden.

For visitors, it made the growing process visible. For restaurants and other organizations, it offered an example of how growing space could be integrated into an existing venue.

Vertical aeroponic growing towers at Chicago O’Hare International Airport — The original installation demonstrated growing in an unconventional setting.

The idea extends to schools, restaurants, resorts and community projects: start with the space you have, then consider what it would take to grow there successfully.

Could a Tower Farm Fit Your Space?

You don’t need an airport terminal to explore vertical growing! A Tower Farm can be planned around a greenhouse, suitable outdoor space or an indoor setting with the right supporting equipment.

The best starting point is your purpose. Are you supplying a kitchen, selling crops, teaching students or growing for a community?

Review your space. Include growing conditions, utilities and room to work around the towers.
Identify your harvest needs. Decide which crops are useful and what quantities you want to produce.
Plan the routine. Assign planting, daily care, harvesting and maintenance.
Build your budget. Include equipment, site preparation and ongoing operating costs.

Living Towers can help you work through the system options. If you have a space in mind, we can help determine how many towers will fit. If you know how much of a particular crop you want to grow, we can help estimate the tower count needed. We can also explore a setup around your budget.

Visit our Tower Farm Planning Guide for the steps, or explore our Tower Farm systems.

Ready to talk about your space? Contact Living Towers and tell us what you have in mind. 🌱