This was the first time that we visited the Elmhurst Art Museum.  Our daughter was invited to…read morepreview the exhibition "Picasso: Fifty Years Later" before it opened to the public, Hubby and I were her guests.  The exhibition focuses more on the influence of Picasso fifty years after his death.  So, other than some nice prints from Picasso, there was artwork from his colleagues and contemporary artists as well.  Interestingly, some of the work from other artists might appear to be even more "Picassoesque" than Picasso's work in this exhibit.  All in all, it was a good show and professionally done.   We met the Executive Director John McKinnon as soon as we entered the museum, who was very friendly and professional, and enthusiastically gave us a brief introduction of the exhibition.  John was also the co-curator of the show.  Katie, the publicist of the museum, was also very friendly and welcoming.  She talked about how proud the artists must have been to be able to have artwork exhibited alongside Picasso's art, and that the Director John even improved the air system in order to meet the requirements of the lenders of the Picasso collection!  I like that both John and Katie are very passionate, enthusiastic, and professional about what they do!   The museum itself is rather small.  It's very clean with professional setup.  It would have been nice if the rest of the museum was opened to explore when we visited on the preview day.  However, nothing was opened except for the Picasso exhibit, even the small gift shop was closed.  There is a sculpture named Skycube in the museum courtyard that is worth visiting.  It is a great spot to take interesting selfie.  All in all, Elmhurst Art Museum provides a good opportunity for art museum-goers in the suburbs to visit without driving all the way to the city, and you don't need to worry about parking, as it provides ample free parking as well!

We didn't end up going inside because of a rain storm, but we did enjoy the art on the outside of…read morethe building. Located next to the Elmhurst public library. They have a beautiful outdoor setting. The building is welcoming and from the outside looking in, it looks like a great place to explore some local artists creations. Hope to come back one day and see more.

The nature center is a great place to see some animals and other exhibits. The forest is much…read morebigger than it looks from the street and has nice flat paths. We saw several deer and chipmunks. Great place to go for a hike.

Well, on this hot and muggy Sunday, we decided to have an atypical weekend visit to the shady Grove…read moreto do our almost daily walk. We typically only visit here on quieter weekday mornings. We were pleasantly surprised and fortunate to find the Blacksmith Shop open and that is the case only on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 3pm. Alec was the blacksmith on duty and he provided some insights into his craft as well as a walk-through of their various iron products, both functional and decorative. He is one of five volunteer blacksmiths on the staff here and really enjoys his time here. Thanks for the tour Alec!

This museum is even more impactful to me than the big Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. For…read morehistory buffs, this is very well laid out, and I am sure they'd approve. For those who grew up isolated/protected from the dark and tragic stories of human history, this museum will open your eyes and hearts to the truth in a way you can slowly and understandingly absorb. It is truly excellent, and the staff are knowledgeable without a guilt-trip attitude towards visitors. Start with a long pause at the memory wall/fountains outdoors (weather permitting) to quiet your soul and prepare for the exhibits inside. For me, after going through the interior, I like to stop again at the outdoor memory wall before heading to the parking lot, and say a prayer.

I spent Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day here in 2025, wanting to avoid news of the inauguration…read more Though I'd been at the museum for special events, like lectures, I'd never visited the main exhibit. The volunteers at the desk were super friendly and helpful. When I mentioned it was my first visit, they gave suggestions on how to maximize my time. The exhibit is put together incredibly thoughtfully. Walking through the chronology with photos, artifacts, and videos from Chicago-area family was powerful. I recommend really allocating time to read and observe everything, as the story unfolds completely. I was frustrated by other patrons who were having conversations about the worst road trip they've ever been on. There weren't staff in the exhibit, so I addressed it myself and asked them to step outside to continue the conversation or to be more respectful. They were appropriately embarrassed. I'm not sure if it's normal for their not to be volunteers or staff, but it would have been helpful had that situation escalated. I participated in one of the VR experiences where the audience can ask questions of a survivor, whose answers are the result of hundreds of hours of interviews. Not only was the experience amazing, but it was humbling to think of survivors spending all of those hours relieving their experiences so that generations can continue to learn directly from them. I will definitely be returning - there was more to see and do - and I'm grateful for the volunteers and staff who maintain this experience.

This was something my wife really wanted to do when we went to Chicago a couple weeks ago during…read moreSpring Break, and I am glad she did because I absolutely loved it. We got the home/studio tour and our guide, Marie, was phenomenal. We also paid extra for the self-guided tour of the neighborhood which comes with a map of about 10 homes or so and a device you carry to play pre-recorded information about each home. I think we paid about $40/person and I consider that a fair price.

A friend of mine was visiting from out of town and is a huge Frank Lloyd Wright fan and when he…read moreplanned his trip, he definitely wanted to add this to the itinerary, so we took a little half day trip to Oak Park. The day before we booked 10:20am tickets as that was the first option available. Make sure you do so beforehand so that you are guaranteed a spot! We booked for a Monday so unsure how crowded or sold out it might be on a weekend. Our tour started around 10:30 and I just want to note that the tour at times felt a bit rushed inside and not organized. We had Ron as our tour guide who is very knowledgeable and you can tell is very passionate, however I felt like he was a little bit aggressive and slightly borderline rude at times with his commentary. It was subtle, but enough to raise our eyebrows a few times when looking at each other. Besides that though, we enjoyed the tour and it was great to truly see the space where Frank Lloyd Wright spent much of his time. Afterwards, we had already paid for the self-walking tour that provides you with a listening device to walk through the neighborhood and check out other homes that he designed. We really enjoyed that separate piece of the tour since it was a beautiful sunny day out and we could move at our own pace and comment amongst our friend group without feeling rushed. There's only two bathrooms in the gift shop that sometimes have a line outside when different tours come in and out, so just something to note. They have a nice little gift shop with interesting and unique things to purchase. I'd recommend this to all Frank Lloyd Wright fans for sure! I'd imagine your tour experience varies depending on who tours you, but either way it it is worth it.

Very cool art instillation in downtown Elmhurst…read more I'm guessing they change the colors of the umbrellas during the year. It was lovely to come here on a warm day and see this and walk around the area.

Great little walk through whimsical art throughout downtown Elmhurst…read more We enjoyed the colors on one of the hottest day of the year

My husband and I were in Elmhurst looking for something fun to do and the Elmhurst History Museum…read morefit that bill. This is a really neat museum. While detailing the past, it has some current innovations like a large movie screen where you can select different videos on the village's history to watch. The museum features many artifacts from the permanent collection as well as a timeline of village history. While we were there the rotating exhibits were being changed. For a fun day with history, I highly recommend the Elmhurst History Museum!

Ah memories! This is a fantastic exhibit located in the Elmhurst Museum of History…read more You will discover the evolution of the retail industry and brick and mortar stores going back to the 1800s with artifacts,images and memorabilia . Relive the days when people would get dressed up in their Sundays Best for lunch at the Walnut Room located in Marshall Fields. Look at the Sears or Montgomery Wards Holiday catalogs See a re-creation of a Holiday Window from Marshall Fields. The exhibit is open thru Jan 28,2024. Admission is free.

Absolutely stunning house full of surprises and loaded with detail. Our guide Larry, was top-notch…read moreand explained the architectural theory behind many of the home's features. Lots of bang for your buck here and the grounds are beautiful!

I'm embarrassed to say I was unaware of this beautiful museum so perfectly preserved in the…read moreNorthwest suburbs of Chicago. This is a stunning house/museum located in Schaumburg, Illinois, just minutes from my house. This mid-century modern house was masterfully planned and built by architect Paul Schweikher in 1938 in a former farm field. The grounds are beautifully manicured and maintained. As we turned on the (somewhat obscure) driveway, we were immediately transported back in time. Truly magical. Our docent went out of his way to engage us with not only the details of the house, grounds and construction, but entertained us with stories of the former owners and their friends. You don't want to miss this experience. We will definitely be checking out some of the events planned for this lovely, preserved genius home!

We attended Trickery on Saturday 04/18/26. Aaron was adept at working with a diverse audience to…read moreinclude them and maintain control of his performance in a very intimate setting. Because it's BYOB you'll get the 20-somethings that feel they have to get loaded beforehand and then act the fool while attending (do you hear that "Neil"? No one wants the focus on you acting like it was your first experience with alcohol) but Aaron was skilled at bypassing them without causing tension or escalating bad behavior. Aaron's attitude is one of someone who has worked hard to make this little venture work, and he deserves respect and recognition for his obvious commitment and work ethic. His act included variations of tricks performed by other magicians, with his own twists. He is an expert at sleight of hand and distraction, which is considerably more difficult in a room about the size of an average residential living-room. He had an appropriate sense of humor aligned with an audience coming to Boystown, an overtly gay neighborhood in Chicago (if you're not familiar). However he wasn't garish, flaming, flamboyant, or offensive; he managed a perfect balance of innuendo humor and audience engagement without being cheap or ingenuine. The snarky one-liners will likely go over your young kids' heads (although bring them to an early show, your 9 year old doesn't belong in Boystown at 10 pm on a weekend), and he carries himself with class avoiding the use of profanity or graphic terms. Again, I can't overstate that his tricks were amazing, impressive, and captivating - as magic should be. You leave the show shaking your head and wondering how it's done - which truly makes it "magic". You would be hard-pressed to spend $36.36/person for an hour of live entertainment that can match Aaron's performance. Pro-tip: If you're driving there you will need to use an app to reserve parking, as there aren't garages like downtown Chicago and every street is filled with so many signs there's no way you will return and find your car not-towed or not-ticketed. Chicago does this on purpose to generate revenue; you'll see "street cleaning" on Tuesday from xx hour to xx hour, no parking when snow is over 2 inches OR any time from Dec 1 through April 1, loading zone, 15 minute stopping/standing with flashers, no parking, residential permit zone only, bike lanes, bus stop restrictions, etc. If you find street parking and think you've beaten the system, think again. Nobel Prize Laureates, Rhodes Scholars, Ivy League PhDs, Mensa members - you can meet them all at Chicago Central Auto Pound retrieving their vehicles. Stephen Hawking couldn't drive, but if he could and he parked in that neighborhood all the quantum mechanics in the world wouldn't make his towed car reappear from the Chicago Parking space-time continuum. The nice thing is if you do reserve parking and give yourself enough time you can walk to many, many restaurants and bars in the area that are open even after the 10 pm show ends. Thank you Aaron for a wonderful experience, you made my wife's birthday memorable for both of us.

We were at The Trickery last weekend for a magic show - our age group ranged from teens to senior…read morecitizens and we all had a blast. The highlight of our weekend in Chicago. Aaron and Steve are truly amazing magicians and performers - highly recommend!