Wow! Over the last few years and especially this summer I've visited quite a few local historical…read moremuseums and this is another one that really stands out as truly excellent. In addition to having some unique items and very nice looking exhibits, the tour given by two volunteers was done very well. Kevin provided an excellent tour of the Applebee House and Donlea-Kincaid house, giving plenty of information about where the various items were from and providing plenty of background about the family and how different items were used. He was extremely knowledgeable about all different questions ranging from the ornate decorations, to the different tools used, challenges faced in different time periods, and how to best preserve all the different items available. Michael provided a great tour of the Blacksmith Shop, with an amazing set of stories about all the different items, how they arrived at the museum, how to restore different items, and about various other topics. He is clearly a history lover with an immense amount of knowledge and a passion for teaching others. He is also excellent at getting others interested in history with his amazing ability to help people relate historic times to modern times, and thoroughly explain anything that is asked about any part of the museum. Definitely worth a visit to learn a lot about local history and historic artifacts. The quality of preservation and the completeness of several collections is truly amazing.

This was a gem to run across. It's easy to miss on Lake-Cook Road. There is a parking lot in the…read moreback between the two houses. It is hard to find the entrance to the museum but once you get there it is very much worth the effort. We were given a tour by two very knowledgeable and enthusiastic tour guides. They gave us personal attention. There are so many stores and artifacts that an hour and a half want nearly enough. Highly recommend is you live in the Barrington area or like history.

They make amazing shows. Just had a great time watching comedy dance recently. Love them!read more

I went to see the Elgin Symphony Orchestra play a great Star Wars program a few days ago. Although…read morethere seem like a really long will-call line to get into the theater, the process went quite quickly, and there are plenty of ushers to get to our seats. There's not a bad seat in the house, and the sound system is set up really well. I highly recommend going to a concert there and supporting a great local orchestra! Plus, it's right next to the river and the beautiful Riverwalk, which is a nice pre-or post concert activity.

My sister hosted my baby shower here over the weekend, and it was seriously PERFECT. Such a…read morebeautiful venue, very spacious inside, very reasonable pricing and everything was in pristine condition! (Picture perfect)! I believe booking was a breeze (according to my mother and sister) and the owner was incredibly helpful, friendly, answered all of their questions and checked in on us prior to when the event started and afterwards! I love how you're able to bring your own food and drinks (non alcoholic - but they do have a bar area that can be rented), and supply you with tables, chairs, tablecloths and black chair covers. This was such a beautiful experience and I know we will be renting this place in future for other events!

My Niece had her wedding here on 8/15/2021 and what amazing owners.. it wasn't even the owner job…read moreto take care of our family.. But when I say Team work Mrs Linda knows how to handle business.. She and Staff are very professional and gets the job done.. If you're looking to rent a awesome place to have your event dnt hesitate to reach out to Mrs Linda you want be disappointed... I'm here visiting from Ms and was it worth it Yes yes yes .. Mrs Linda Thank You Thank You and Staff

Went to see a band playing oldies and they were great. A little crowded but that's a good thing…read more Very entertaining and reasonably priced. Beverages and snacks available. Wine, beer, water etc., general seating.

Off square music is a wonderful musical community of live shows and open mics and all forms of art…read more There is a solid core of performers here and a welcoming spirit amongst the performers which many are regulars. They take this venue seriously and honor those that choose to share by having the best experience possible..sound is fantastic if you are performing.. Wonderful music venue

This amphitheater is perfect for outdoor theaters and concert theaters and concerts. You can bring…read moreyour own chairs, blankets and food but to get a good spot, come early. Parking can be hard to find but there's plenty if you don't mind driving around.

Tucked behind a skate park, church parking lot annex, and community swimming pool lies this neat…read morelittle outdoor amphitheater. It's not at all visible from street view or the main path... in fact, you actually have to walk down what looks like a maintenance path to a storage building to find it in Palatine Community Park, but once you're there, it's pretty cool. You can check the Park District website for performances, but don't expect anything too grand. Lots of stuff for kids and some battle of the bands stuff, but it's nice to have in the area for the youth population , and I like it because most days there's absolutely nothing going on here, so you can set up shop for a picnic, play frisbee, or just yell loud enough on stage to hear your echo... which is fun for both kids and adults, in case you're wondering. If you've got a kid who's in to acting or making their own plays, this would be the perfect place to take them and their friends on an evening or day that nothing is scheduled to play in the open-air amphitheater. I come by here a few times a week and there's never anyone else over here even trying to use the area... which could roughly fit 150-200 people via picnic-style seating.

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.

My camera club went here one blustery night in November. We got full-access to the place. I ran…read moreinto James up in the attic and he was a wealth of information. There is a ton of gear here. Some of is seems bone-stock and much has been restored. Plenty of cool stuff. You do not have to have an interest in firefight to find this place cool. Not juts for kids, either.

Spending a day in Elgin looking for something to do brought us to the Elgin Fire Barn No 5 Museum…read more I don't think I've ever been to a fire barn/house/department museum before, but as museums go this one was done well. It's not very big, but they've packed a bunch of information and displays in. Dale asked if we wanted to wander about ourselves or have a guided tour and we chose guided tour. Between Dale and James I don't think there's anything in the museum they can't tell you about. Everything you ever wanted to know about the history of fighting fires in Elgin. The displays are all very well done and everything is very well taken care of. If you're in the area and looking for an interesting place to spend an hour or two definitely stop by the Fire Barn Museum. If you're not in the area but interested in fire fighting the trip will be worth it.

We did go back to see our friend Liz who bartends there. The hospitality was much better since she…read morewas there. Atmosphere is great. Saturday nights they have a DJ which makes the place fun. The food however unfortunately is nothing memorable and needs improvement. The staff is pleasant and we believe they are moving in the right direction. If the menu improves I can upgrade from 2 stars to 4. We aren't gamers so based on that we visit based on food and drinks menu, atmosphere and hospitality.

Dimitri was the absolute best! had a great time there. first time it was awesome, definitely going…read moreback