We rented the Woman's Club of Wilmette for our wedding reception on 9/22/12. We thought the price…read morewas fairly reasonable for wedding reception sites in the area. We wanted a site that was more special than a plain banquet hall and we wanted freedom to make the event our own. We did not want to be in a "wedding reception factory" type place where you have guests from three other weddings filtering in and out of your event. The WCW has a sort of vintage charm. The main room is pretty, with large windows, an ample wooden floor, wooden paneling on the walls, and a large stage. We comfortably fit a wedding with 160 people into the main room. The lights were nice and low for our nighttime reception; I was worried that they would be too bright but they were not. We had our DJ on the main stage. There is a middle room with doors that lead into the main room. In the middle room we set up our bar, photo booth, and candy buffet. Next to that room is a sitting area with lots of couches. There was also a separate room in which the bridal party put their purses and there is a coat room. The women's bathroom is nice. My caterer said that she really liked the size of the kitchen. It was nice working with Mark, who is the site coordinator. There were a couple of areas of the club that could use improvement. The men's bathroom is not aesthetically pleasing at all. The carpet in the middle room is also not a pretty sight, so keep the lights low in that room or cover up the stains with tables or something. Overall, I am happy with the WCW as a reception venue. I would recommend it to someone on a very tight budget who wants something in the north shore area without having to go to a generic banquet hall.

We rented the Woman's Club for our wedding ceremony and reception. It was a great venue - close to…read morethe Linden stop on the L and the Wilmette stop of the Metra - still technically public transit accessible! Easy parking too. Far less expensive than venues closer into Chicago, and as nice or nicer than many we looked at. Joan at the Club is great to work with and Mark who runs the facility is easy going as well. This is just the sort of laid back and easy to work with venue you want to have for a big event.

A perfect wedding venue. I fell in love with the Women's Club of Evanston the moment I walked in…read morefor a tour. It is a gorgeous old mansion with deep roots; the manager (Gretchen) is kind, reliable, and so easy to work with; the preferred caterer we used (Catering by Michaels) was raved about by our guests; and the gift of bringing your own alcohol was huge. Our guests kept commenting on the uniqueness of the space, how great it was to have a pianist playing during our cocktail hour on the first floor, and how joyful and bright the ballroom looked. It was honestly beyond anything I imagined. A few extra things of note - our guests stayed at the Graduate Evanston which is barely a block away (no shuttles needed!); there is a huge parking garage across the street so nobody was looking for parking; and have I mentioned how beautiful the space is? I wish I had a reason to throw a huge event again - I would go back to the Women's Club every time. Huge thank you to Gretchen and her team!

My husband and I had our wedding at The Woman's Club of Evanston in October 2025, and we truly…read morecannot recommend this venue enough. The space is gorgeous on its own -- not a blank slate at all -- so we didn't need nearly as many decorations or flowers as we did at other venues we considered. Our guests raved all day about how beautiful and unique the building was. One of the biggest advantages is that the entire venue is yours for the day. There are no other weddings or events happening at the same time, which makes everything feel calm, special, and centered on your celebration. We had a Sunday brunch wedding, held our ceremony downstairs (very cozy and intimate), and our reception upstairs in the ballroom. The flow between spaces was seamless, and the ballroom floor is amazing for dancing. The sound system was excellent -- speeches and music were crystal clear. Gretchen was wonderful to work with throughout the planning process. She provided vendor recommendations, kept us on track to meet deadlines, and answered all of our questions. We used J&L Catering for our food and Schaffer's for alcohol, and both were excellent and the liquor from Schaffer's was a significant cost savings. Another huge bonus: so many essentials are included with the rental, such as tables, chairs, silverware, and plates. At other venues, those items can be surprisingly expensive to source. Logistically, this location is hard to beat. There are several hotels and great restaurants within walking distance, making it incredibly easy for our out-of-town guests to enjoy an entire weekend in Evanston. Our local guests appreciated that parking is free in Evanston on Sundays and close to the venue. There are also plenty of bathrooms on the same floors where all the events take place -- a small detail that makes a big difference for guest comfort. Finally, it felt meaningful to support a historic building and philanthropic organization rather than a large hotel chain. Overall, we highly recommend The Woman's Club of Evanston as a premier wedding venue in the greater Chicagoland area. We couldn't imagine having celebrated anywhere else.

Wow, what a cool place! I've never seen anything like it. They had so many different seating areas…read moreincluding an outdoor patio, a room with picnic tables and vintage cars, a bar area with high tops and open windows, and a fourth section with picnic tables, stage and bar. Since Pride Bingo was going on in the latter, we chose a spot there. Service was outstanding the entire evening! They had plenty of staff who were actively busing tables and who were available if we wanted additional drinks. Being vegan, I ordered the nachos and warm pretzels. Both were absolutely delicious! Bingo night was fun. They had fun interesting prizes for each game as well as a raffle at the end for $100.

I'm not much of a beer drinker and rarely make it to the bars these day (#old), but my first…read morethought when walking in was how have I not been to an event here. It's spacious and a super cool venue, which was used for my daughter's high school fundraiser last weekend. I visited Double Clutch twice within one week. The first was a meeting held at the venue right before the event where everyone got to enjoy some beer (except those of us who don't love beer and opted for water) and some of the food that would be served at the event the following weekend. I munched on some turnbuckle pretzels, fried buffalo bites and cauli wings- all were pretty good! A few days later we sold out with a 300 person event, although honestly we could have fit way more in the space because there was plenty of room to move around. The band Go Ask Your Mum was playing lots of fun 80s and 90s hits, there was a buffet of the food we had tried a few days beforehand and the bar was busy. I opted for wine, which was good. The acoustics here aren't great, which i noticed during the meeting and during the event. The band was fun to listen to, but i could hardly hear anyone i was speaking to. But that's really my only complaint since it's a great space!

Great service and fantastic prices Very knowledgeable owner…read moreand very helpful Recommended

Whether you are a wine expert or not, this place is excellent! The staff is extremely knowledgable…read moreof the nuances of various wines. The selection is vast, and while there are expensive, aged wines, there are also many great selections under $40. The store is also very well organized, so if you are looking for a certain type of red wine, country of origin, etc., you will quickly be able to find what you need. If not, the staff quickly point you in the right direction. Love this place!

We could not have found a more perfect venue for our wedding on July 12, 2025. From the moment we…read moreshowed up for our tour and met with Monique, we knew Kenilworth was the place for us. The venue is beautiful, historic, and well-maintained, yet the pricing and contract requirements are completely reasonable and fair. We felt comfortable and at home from that very first visit. We also found an excellent caterer (Catered by Design) from their preferred catering list. Monique was a dream to work with--so organized and punctual yet laid-back and flexible. We received so many compliments on the venue from our guests. While we opted to have both our ceremony and reception indoors, Monique allowed us to open up the lawn and patio to guests for cocktail hour, which was absolutely stunning and a huge hit. I would recommend Kenilworth to anyone looking for a wedding venue!

Hosted a large birthday party of over 100 people (mostly children) for my daughter's 4th birthday…read more Michelle was very accommodating and had great communication throughout the process of planning and execution. Her floor plan worked out perfectly with all of the various types of entertainment and food. We used the stage, outdoor area, and their bar package. It was the perfect space for our event! Would highly recommend!

I learnt about the Winnetka Community House when we went to the North Shore Art League for the…read morefirst time to attend the opening reception of their new exhibit -- "Summer Open".  The art league is located on the second floor of the Winnetka Community House.  The Community House was completed in 1911, and it has been expanded several times since.  That's why it was interesting for us to enter a historic building that's over 100 years old, but discovered a modern extension where the art gallery is after climbing a flight of old-fashioned stairs. Apparently, the center hosts many performing arts programs that include dance, theater, music and more.  When we were viewing artwork of the exhibit, a friendly elderly actor of the center greeted us while taking a break on a comfy couch.  We could hear music rehearsal in the theatre when we passed by. They also have education programs, youth sports programs, a full-service fitness center, classes and lectures -- all kinds of activities that help enrich lives of residents of not just Winnetka, but of the broader North Shore. When I read their Yelp reviews, I learnt that the center is even a popular weddings and events venue!  It is truly a versatile community house! As a privately supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Community House is not funded through tax dollars.  It's good to know that donations are 100% tax deductible.

If you have high expectations for your wedding venue, this is not the place. I left feeling very…read moreunderwhelmed with both the space and the service. We had a tour scheduled with Sahra, but it was moved to a different time, which seemed like it may have been to accommodate another group. When we arrived, the front desk gentleman was very kind, but we ended up waiting about 20 minutes while Sahra continued speaking with the previous tour group. She clearly saw us waiting but didn't acknowledge us or apologized when she eventually came over. Once the tour finally started, it felt very rushed. The entire walkthrough lasted maybe 15-20 minutes, and there wasn't much opportunity to ask questions before she quickly moved on to the next area. At the end, I asked if she could send photos of the space set up for weddings so we could better visualize it decorated. Her response was, "I won't remember, just email me--I had three tours today." We were the third tour, which made the comment feel dismissive. What stood out even more was that the previous group had asked about placing a hold on the space and did not receive that same response. Overall, the experience felt unprofessional and unwelcoming. After touring around 20 venues, this was by far the most disappointing experience. As for the space itself, it felt very small and somewhat outdated. The bridal and groomsmen suites were essentially small conference rooms. In my opinion, the venue may be better suited for smaller events like a bridal or baby shower rather than a full wedding. Unfortunately, due to both the service and the space, I would not recommend spending your time touring here.

Solid brotherhood nice old temple in heart of northshore. Worth a look and they rent hall for great…read moreparties very cheap. I was at a birthday party last year and had a blast

Classic building with a storied history A large hall and stage, perfect for special events…read more Excellent private parking lot.

I haven't had the privilege of seeing any of their adult productions (hopefully soon), but this…read morereview is for their student workshops. I thought it would be fun for my daughter to take a mid summer break from her beloved summer camp and do a week long theater camp. Music Theater Works had come highly recommended and when I saw the first week was Annie (my personal fave) I signed her up...and asked 3 of her friends to join her. She's been in a few shows with a local theater group called Skyline, but I had a feeling this was going to be at a different level...especially since at 8 years old she would be one of the youngest in the group. The student workshops are for kids ages 8-13. I told her to expect a small part (to avoid any disappointment) and to just have fun. Day 1 she came home absolutely delighted that she had scored the part of Annie along with other girls in the cast (they assign several people to the bigger roles to make it manageable to learn in a week). She loved the singing, the dancing, the games...all of it! Day 2 she came home in tears that her Annie part was way smaller than she had expected and she was "not going back and certainly never acting again." After a very long night I convinced her that quitting wasn't an option and sent her on her way the next day. I was hopeful that "the sun would come out tomorrow" ;) I have to give a shoutout to the Workshop Manager, Anya, who took time out of her busy evening to talk thru the issue with me and went out of her way to make my daughter feel better the next day. Day 3 turned out to be a much better one and she had the nerve to ask (after hours of crying on Day 2) if she could do another show this summer. Days 4 and 5 she came home happy, but absolutely exhausted. Who knew that an indoor theater camp would be more exhausting than day camp in the heat? Day 6 was showtime. They had a 2.5 hour rehearsal and then put on a 5 star production (45 minutes long) of Annie for their family and friends . I couldn't believe what they had accomplished in just a week and somehow every single kid (in a cast of 40) knew all their lines, dance moves, etc. -------- Overall, this turned out to be an amazing experience and one that I hope she does again next summer. I actually wish they taught a kids workshop year round because it was such a terrific experience. A few suggestions to make it absolutely perfection: * Give the actual parts when you give the kids their roles to avoid the disappointment that happened to my child (and a few others). * Mic the kids! We were lucky enough to be sitting in the 2nd row so could hear the kids, but those sitting in the back mentioned they could hardly hear anything. I can imagine it's difficult to mic 40 kids, but they were there 2.5 hours early and it's a shame so many parents missed out on hearing their kids. * 40 kids is too many. They mentioned several times that Annie is their most popular show and by far the biggest, but 40 kids didn't allow for all the kids to be on the stage at once (for the bigger dance #s). It also meant there was more downtime in the beginning of the week when everyone was learning their lines/songs, which may have contributed to the day 2 issues. My daughter did mention if she does it again she would prefer a smaller cast so that she could get more stage time, but think they should cut off enrollment after 30 kids for all shows. The good news for anyone looking for a week long activity for their kids is that there is space remaining in the 4 other shows this summer (Fiddler on the Roof, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang & 42nd Street). Your kids will have the best time, learn new skills and you'll be so proud of what they accomplish in such a short time. Thanks to the amazing staff at Music Theater Works.

I've seen 3 Music Theater Works productions over the past year and have loved them all. My Fair…read moreLady, Made & Gypsy were all great. I typically chaperone large groups on dress rehearsal day. General admission seating only, but we've never had an issue. Looking forward to their Duke Ellington show in October and Peter Pan in December 2017. I highly recommend.