Trickster Cultural Center is filled with beautiful artifacts from our indigenous Native Americans…read more The exhibits are very informational and the staff is very friendly and helpful answering questions. I've come here a couple times to see exhibits and to early vote which is very easy to do here. They offer many special events here with plenty of parking and easy access. They also offer many special aid services.

We live only a few miles from the Trickster Cultural Center and have never been able to go. We've…read moretried to go many times over the years but never looked at their hours of operation. We finally were able to go in on 2/26/22. And, the wait was worth it. We were the only people who were not volunteers or employees that day - we had the museum to ourselves. The building was much larger than it appears outside. You enter into the front room, which is a combination of artifacts, art, jewelry, and a gift shop. There is a room open on the north side which was, for the most part empty. This is their special exhibit room. There were some remaining items from a prior exhibit, which were very interesting. There is also a room upstairs with various items. The most interesting were the quilts and a Native American dress exhibit. Most of the museum is built to honor Native American veterans. This whole theme was fascinating. I fancy myself as an American history buff. Frankly, everything was new to me except for a display case explaining the "Code Talkers." (If you aren't sure about the code talkers - check Wikipedia or see the movie. This was fantastic. There is no entrance fee so you can just enter, but there is a place to leave donations. When you do go, make sure to donate what you can. Much of their funding relies on this.

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!

A really beautiful house and a fantastic tour. So glad I went. I didn't know this gem existed a 9…read moreminute drive from my childhood home!

So we did this while out in Schaumburg, having gone to Enterrium and then axe throwing. THIS was…read moreHILARIOUS. So my husband and I are both 47 yrs old. The oldest folks there. There were youngsters taking the selfie game to the next level. Dressed up. Taking their time for the perfect shot. We are Gen X. That said, we just quickly went through each "scene" and took photos and then edited later. We had so much fun and were maybe there for 30 min. You pay the fee, they give you a ring light and a little remote thing and you use your phone. It's so easy and so fun! No matter what age you are - grab a bunch of friends and do this. The photos turned out great and we had tons of great memories and laughs!

This adorable studio is nestled within Streets of Woodfield and is just a hidden gem experience…read more We came in on a Thursday afternoon and had the entire studio to ourselves for a good hour! The associate at the front desk was super enthusiastic, friendly, and amazing. She guided us through the experience and how everything works. She set the tone by being very high energy, fun and helpful. The neat thing about this studio is that it's not just having your friends take photos of you in front of different backdrops.... It's actually having your friends be in the photos too!!! There is actual equipment such as a camera stand, enhanced lighting, and a clicker button provided to you which helps you take the photos. You can literally take as many photos as you want in an hour, and all these photos are taken with your own phone!! The backdrops are gorgeous, detailed and just so much fun. There was over 20 backdrops to choose from. We genuinely had as much fun exploring the different backdrops as we did taking the photos. We felt very safe in the studio. The associate wore a mask when she interacted with us and was constantly cleaning and sanitizing. All back drops were tidy and neat as can be. They even have changing rooms here!? No detail is overlooked The photos definitely speak for themselves and what a great value to get so many photos and have so much fun. Definitely recommend this as a fun afternoon date or activity with friends in the area.

The museum is free and a nice place to stop in if you have kids and are walking around downtown…read moreWheaton. They have a charming train display on the lower level that children tend to love! The main floor focuses on local Illinois history. It's a small place, and the upper level is currently under construction, but being free makes it well worthwhile even as they spruce things up.

All of you that took pictures inside should be ashamed of yourselves. It's clearly posted…read morethroughout, now go sit in the corner for 10 minutes and reflect on your rebellious nature. Ok, so first of all it's free. But, you can make donations ($4 is "suggested") I like places like this and was happy to make a donation. The building is cool, it was built by John Quincy Adams (distant relative to the former President) as a Library, he lived across the street and gifted this wonderful building to the community. Why only 3 stars you ask? I wanted to click 4 stars.. but when it said "Yay! I'm a fan." I just couldn't. I'm glad that I went once, but that was enough. Many of the displays are specific to only a few families that have made extensive donations of items, this is cool except that I was looking for more specific information on the formation of the towns throughout the county. Also, maybe some juicy gossip.. like the stuff about the how Wheaton became the County Seat.. or how the towns were named.. etc.. and maybe some founder's pictures. The first room on the left is the main exhibit (and to me most interesting) There are some nice period pieces of clothing and family pictures. Quite a bit of information about the trains (and the stations and architects) that run through DuPage County and the Illinois Prairie Path that took some of their places. I spent the most time in this room. It's easy to walk by, but when you first enter the museum, on the right is a display about the building worth looking at.. pictures of the museum going back to the horse and buggy days.. almost missed that because we were engaged with the people at the desk right away. (very friendly) I didn't get the train exhibit in the basement, it was operational (push the button) on the day we were there and held our interest for all of a few moments.. I think you have to know and understand about these things. I was distracted by the placement of the buildings/locations in relation to the tracks, things were out of whack. I know it's supposed to be impressive.. but I was kind of "meh" The second floor used to have a stage and seating. That's been removed but the room is still attractive with it's tall ceiling. It's worth a visit, but I wouldn't plan a day around it.

The website promotes the idea of having several things to do, which we didn't find to be the case…read more We arrived at 10am which is supposed to be tours of the farmhouse, didn't happen. One lady did say that, "someone probably looked outside and didn't immediately see anyone so they skipped it." We did walk around and see pigs, pet the sheep, saw cows. The horses were off under the sheds. A 30 min walk. Tha

Had a great visit at Kline Creek Farm, an 1890s working farm. We were lucky to be there during…read moretheir annual potato-picking event, where you can pick two bags of potatoes--one to keep and one to donate to a local food pantry. We also took a guided tour of the farmhouse and explored the rest of the farm, seeing the animals and learning about life on a farm in the 1890s. It's definitely a hidden gem in DuPage County, and I highly recommend visiting. Perfect outing for both kids and adults!

Went here for Father's Day since fathers were free and it was local plus my kids love trolleys and…read moretrains! It was cool too see what the area had to offer and the staff was very knowledgeable! I do love learning about transportation back in the day but wish that there was more to see and explore. There are 2 trains that you can ride and both take you to Blackhawk where you can hang out until the next train comes. It was a very relaxing ride! If you're looking for something different and local to do, come check them out!

Great museum with great trolley rides. Very charming and…read morepicturesque. Take the kids along for a unique step back in time.

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 Village of Bloomingdale offered a 30 minute Parent-Tot Holiday Storytime that was held at the…read moreMuseum. It was easy to register through the park district and it was free to attend. The museum was decorated for the holidays, with different holiday displays through the last century. They set up chairs, a mat, cookies, and organic chocolate milk for attendees. Very nice touch! The woman running it read at least 5 different stories, brought Jingle Bells to play with, and played Christmas songs. She also let the kids read any books they wanted to after the stories were over. It was a really nice way to promote literacy and get the kids excited for Christmas! If we're still Bloomingdale residents next year, we'll be back!

If you like very small museums or eclectic local exhibits, or are interested in 1800s architecture,…read moreyou may like this place. It won't take you long to visit; there are two rooms and that's it. The place is open only during exhibits and it's free. The docent was extremely friendly, and provided lots of details you will probably miss about the building's architecture - half the museum started as a church. You'll notice the uneven (wavy) floor with lots of pine knots; you might not notice the stones from the foundation were made into small retaining walls outside; some of the original roofing/plastering is left exposed in the ceiling (do look up). The art itself was an exhibit of art by a group of developmentally disabled locals; some interesting stuff there but I wouldn't have made a special trip.

Great place for a rainy day activity with the kids. Various activities to keep the kids busy.read more

This Free Children's Museum is a gem in Palatine. I would highly recommend this place for kids 3-9read more