Cantigny Park is basically therapy with better landscaping. One of my favorite things about this place is that it somehow manages to be both incredibly family friendly and peaceful at the same time. There's tons of space for kids to run around, explore, and burn off energy without feeling crowded or chaotic. And if you need a little reset yourself, there's always a quiet corner waiting for you. Whether it's a walking path, a bench, or just a peaceful stretch of the gardens, it's one of those rare places where you can step away, clear your head, and just breathe for a while. Beautiful grounds, relaxing atmosphere, and something for everyone. I came for a walk and left feeling lighter. Cantigny really is a little escape hiding in plain sight. read more

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A nice short trip from the city with family friendly atmosphere. Walking grounds, gardens and museum to check out. read more

Cantigny - Museums Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

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Cantigny is beautiful in all seasons. It's become a favorite place for my daughter and I to go with the grandkids. There is something to enjoy for all ages. Last year, they had a row of swings suspended from the trees near the parking lot. It was always a highlight of our visits. In 2026 there is only one swing and it's near the tanks, so there is a wait to use the swing. Cantigny is a bargain because they charge admission by carload instead of individually. Admission is only $6.00 on weekdays, and Wednesday is free if you register in advance. read more

September update: Still so many beautiful flowers in bloom. We enjoyed hearing Jeff Reiter the now retired Communications Director talk about his book "Words On Birds". There was also live musical entertainment in the garden. read more

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We had a great time visiting with family at the Cantigny Cocoa Cabanas a few days before Christmas. There are only a few cabanas by the outdoor skating rink & they are cute A frame structures with a fireplace inside & a fire pit outside with seats for 10 people. Each cabana has a server & you order foods & drinks (alcohol & non-alcoholic) & the hot cocoa is free. Kids & adults alike will enjoy this experience. Cabanas are $100-$300 for a 2 hour period & there is a $150 minimum food/beverage purchase. The kids had pizzas & chicken tenders & fries & adults had beer, espresso martinis, margarita & mules. It's pricey, but worth it for a holiday splurge for groups of 10. The kids ages 6-11 loved it. read more

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Loved the theme of "Wicked" for the experience! Listening to the music from the movies and the choreographed displays while walking thru the park was breathtaking! Add the smell of fires burning, the fresh snow, and the laughter of children - and i was transported to my childhood in MN. My only feedback was that there were areas that didn't get cleared, so they were inaccessible to the public. As they were listed in the attraction, I was disappointed to not be able to experience them. Especially when there was nothing at the beginning letting us know that parts were closed. read more

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I have been to Cantigny many times over the years and have never been disappointed. We visited during the Tulip Sip and Stroll. There is not an admission fee, but parking was $16. It is less expensive during the week. The tulips were in full bloom and gorgeous. There were many opportunities for photo ops. The grounds are well maintained . The museum is a great place to indulge in history and when done , visit the tanks located on the outside grounds. We do not come here often enough to enjoy the grounds. read more

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I had a wonderful experience here. My best friend got married here and the staff and experience was amazing. From a bridesmaid standpoint evening honestly went off without a hitch and that's saying a lot because usually you expect something to go wrong on a wedding day. The food was amazing and rose garden where the vows were exchanged were perfect!! read more

Beautiful park to walk thru, they also have great festivals and concerts. The flowers are gorgeous, great place for pictures.

If you pre register your parking online, Wednesday's are free admission. A beautiful way to spend the day. read more

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Very disappointed. Drove 1.5 hours one way & 3 hours round trip. Had double checked closing time before going. I was turned away as they had a private event that day that was not properly updated on their website. I was not the only one turned away. Cars in front of me had the same thing happen to them. Poor customer service & poor/inaccurate advertising. I checked with them & they said they will not reimburse me for wasting my time/ gas for another future event. read more

We went here for the Christmas light display the day after Christmas and enjoyed that it was not terribly crowded despite the unseasonably warm weather. The lights were pretty and the mansion was nicely decorated as well. The lighted trail is fairly short, but really has some nice features, There were a lot of places to buy food and beverages; while we didn't partake in any, the prices seemed reasonable. The ice skating rink seemed to be included if people brought their own skates. We are keeping this light display on the list for future years! read more

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This is a large, beautiful park with many different gardens. It was once Joseph Medill's and then Robert McCormick's estate and it also contains a military museum with a lot of history related to McCormick's old Army division. It's deceptively huge (check out the scale model inside), but if you only want a shorter walk they have paths near the visitors center that bring you around and back. read more

A beautiful place to visit. Well manicured, clean and friendly staff!!! Wide variety of concerts during the summer months. Great entertainment! read more

Close to home but feels miles away from civilization. Opens the mind to beauty and peace while wandering the gardens. The museums are outstanding for the young and old. A while ago they had a showing of the 103rd Airborne Division and that was really cool to experience all the equipment. I hope they can bring that back again. read more

Love coming here with the family. Nice and easy parking, and then you can explore and hang out all day. Kids love the parks, we love their live music. We attended the vendor fair they had- nice food trucks and staff was very kind read more

We just went to the Red Oaks farm table last night. It was held outside at 6p. There was about 75 people at a single long table. Was a 5 course with wine and cocktail. They have these events once a month and this was the last of the year ans was" smoke" theme. Great night-time setting. Champagne pre dinner. The best of the courses was the smoked salmon and the short rib. Was a fun event. Plenty of wine and food. All of the paired wines were delicious. The staff was super efficient and friendly. All dishes and wines were described as theycome out. Would be worth checking out again. read more

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Recently had my daughter's Sweet 16 photos taken and was blown away at how beautiful and clean this park was! It's HUGE! Very great spot for photos and also just for a nice summer/fall day with the family. Can't wait to go back for their fall festival! read more

Cantigny - Museums Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

We had our wedding here this past weekend. The employees did a great job over the last 12 months planning and organizing the wedding. Jessica and Phoebe were great and did a fantastic job taking notes and letting change/customize details as we needed. The wedding was perfect, the food was great, and the decorations/layout couldn't have been better. There were a lot of positive reviews by our guests. Our wedding and reception were held in the Red Oak Room. The weather was perfect, and we had the opportunity to mingle on the patio. read more

How have I overlooked Cantigny Park after all these years of driving past it. This place is an ever evolving work of art in so many ways. Parking here was free on Wednesday, my wife took me here to visit. There's a park too for the kiddos and really clean restrooms. There's truthfully so much to do and explore, vast events too and I only wish I had time to see this place at night and actually visit the museum because those were the only things I couldn't of crammed into a few hours of being here. The flowers here are incredible and I'm jealous of how wonderful they bloom here under the care of their groundskeepers because my flowers that are similar aren't doing as good. So many beautiful pieces of art, nature, sights, photo opportunities, trails and history all fused into one spot! The tanks here are absolutely beautiful, they have a new exhibit that opened outside the war museum which was great. Highly recommend visiting whenever you can! read more

This place is absolutely stunning! Everywhere you look there is a beautiful view. There are so many gorgeous spots to walk around, sit, have a picnic at, etc. The grounds are very well maintained. The staff does a fantastic job of keeping the entire park clean and looking breathtaking. There are multiple gardens within this park that have different types of plants, flowers, herbs and veggies. These are to look at only. There are signs everywhere to say to not pick them or eat them. There are also tanks within the park as this is a park that was founded by a military vet. Lots of history and information here. It took about an a hour and 30 mins to walk around the entire park however I can see myself spending a full day here. It's so tranquil and beautiful. Tip - go during the week if you're able to. Parking is $5 during the week and gets up to $30 by Sunday. Oh! They are also dog friendly as long as you keep your fur baby on its leash =) read more

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My first time to Cantigny Park. It's a huge facility, immaculately clean! We attended a concert by Modern English, a Beatles tribute band. Seating on the grass, bring your own blankets and lawn chairs! It's a very sunny field, with shade around the periphery. As a result, we were kind of far from the band, but the acoustics were good-we were able to enjoy the music. My only negative comments are about the traffic backlog at the entrance, and lack of parking assistance-send the cars to the overflow lot on entry if the main lot is already full! On the whole, it was a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon! read more

Cantigny - Beatles tribute band. Fun! - Museums Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

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Beautiful park. Great Christmas music. Fascinating art. Delicious food. Lots of fire pits and warming stations. read more

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I love this place. It's like $5 per car until May on weekdays and weekends. Then from May to Oct, it's $15 per car on weekends. The First Division Museum is very educational and kids will find it fun because they created it so that it's more interactive. A lot of photo opportunities. Robert McCormick is worth checking out but it's temporarily closed. Be on the lookout for when it reopens. If you go during the spring/summer/fall, you can get pictures with the flower gardens and sometimes they'll do special exhibits. Plenty of parking available. Make sure you check out the tanks. They do have a place to eat but I haven't tried. read more

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I am new to Wheaton, (very familiar with cantigny park) but I couldn't wait to go to this Christmas celebration. It is the first time they have done this since 2020. There was an outdoor show, and different Christmas tree themes is various rooms inside of the mansion that sits off of Roosevelt. Can't think of the name. Very well done! It is beautiful and the tickets were very affordable. We walked past the coco cabins SO CUTE. The ice rink looked adorable. Can't wait to go back for skating. When you purchase tickets online it mentions a $10 parking option but we entered scanned our tickets just fine. Unless I missed something. There are hot coco stations, that even offer s'mores kits. Inside there are snacks for sale as well. Again, everything was very reasonably priced. I've gone to too many Christmas lights where you pay an arm and a leg to get inside, and everything else is just as pricey. Staff was so nice, short lines yesterday, I highly recommend purchasing tickets in advance for a quick, seamless entry. It was wonderful! read more

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Large well-maintained private park with huge emphasis on WWI and associated massive dedicated museum. Parking fees have become excessive along with many park events. This really goes against the wishes of Col Robert McCormick who established his foundation from his fortune and estate with the specific goal of providing the public with free access to the park and events for educational purposes in perpetuity. The park is trying to become a high end Morton Arboretum that stages and sells upscale performances, dinners, and events. Col. McCormick would be rolling over in his grave. read more

Wow my favorite place to admire and enjoy nature museums and parks flowers fish and also have pick nicks They have a restaurant inside a gorgeous shop and you can even book this place for weddings. When I am stressed out I come here do a long walk go to the museum and all is free. The only thing you do is pay for parking not bad At all tons of parking and is just peaceful read more

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We attended the Blooze Brothers concert on the lawn. The facilities were beautiful with great sound system and plenty of food trucks to satisfy all your snacking needs. Parking was easy to locate and not far at all from the lawn and bathrooms were indoors - not portable pottys that I usually see at outdoor events. Loved it and I'll be looking for more to attend. read more

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This beautiful park is an absolute sight to behold, especially in late spring when the flowers are blooming and the trees are full of green, fall/winter is not bad either, with the fall colored leaves or the snow covered tanks. If you want to save some bucks, the park is open on Veteran's Day and everything is free... even parking! That time of year is usually cold, so plan accordingly. When it's not cold out, the views are spectacular and it's not uncommon to see professional portrait photographers shooting engagement or family photos around the gardens. The collection of tanks is impressive and even if you're not into military vehicles, you can't help but be awed at the sight and size of these machines! Great photo ops for the kids! The museums are informative and filled with historical artifacts, so there's a lot to read and see. There are even interactive exhibits, like navigating a tank battle. I'd be a little cautious for the little ones (8 and under or so), due to some occasional graphic descriptions and scenes depicted... nothing gratuitous, but be prepared to talk about death and the unfortunate outcomes that war can bring. Lastly, every single staff member we have ever encountered has been kind and knowledgeable. Some or volunteers and just love being there! That's why hosting an event, like a birthday or wedding reception here is so common. Check it out for yourself! read more

Go to their brand new holiday light show! It was impressive, easy to walk through, a lot of "extras" like fire pits, cocoa stops, bars, ice skating, etc. Admission even includes a walk through the mansion, which helps take the chill off if it's a cold night. If you haven't taken your Christmas Card photos, there are numerous places you can do that. read more

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Very accommodating to service dog ‍ me and my wife truly enjoy going here we just recently went to the car show and there was a lot of cars to see we didn't get a chance to see them all but hope to be going to the next event there read more

This place is such a gem, you've got to go and check it out at least once. It's beautiful, and the tanks are fun for kids. I'm glad we have such a space in the suburbs, and look forward to the Christmas events soon. read more

We came to the Christmas light show, the lights were pretty. A little unimpressed for the price. There is a small gift shop at the end of the show, an employee denied us the chance to go quick look at lights close to the shop. A few minutes later she allowed a different group to go back to the light show through the same door. She told us that they were only taking a picture and did not want to go see lights. Definitely not a holly jolly worker you would expect at a light show!!! read more

This review is specific to the 2024 Mother's Day Brunch at Le Jardin. What a horrible Mother's Day experience my mom and I had at the Cantigny Mother's Day brunch this year! First we almost got charged $15 for parking until we mentioned we were there for the brunch and they said we didn't need to pay. If we hadn't mentioned that they would have charged us. I'm 100% sure at least half the people there got charged, and walked in on a whole family speaking to the manager about it. The food was completely underwhelming. Lacking abundance, variety strange and had zero flavor whatsoever; the pasta was drowning in pasta water. The execution of the brunch was terrible, no place to put the tongs down (so either you laid the tongs down in the ice water, put them on the serving table, or do what everyone was doing and laid the well used tongs across all of the fresh shrimp that were just put out!), syrup served in a bowl with a spoon, waffles cold, etc. (the kitchen staff was so kind and phenomenal in restocking the brunch, and when I mentioned that the syrup bowl was starting to get chunks of mysterious things in it, it was promptly replaced with fresh syrup and a new spoon). The icing on the cake however was our server!! The actual worst service I've had at a brunch in my life. Joanna was our server and was completely obtuse. First of all she never told us where the carving station or desert was. It was in a totally different room and one of the maybe 3 times she came to our table we asked where it was and she said she thought she told us. No maam. Once we were done we waited legit almost 20 minutes then asked another server for our check. He brought it to us, she then came over asked if we were okay we told her we asked the other server for our check and she goes "oh that's actually my boyfriend".... Okay. He brings us the check, she ends up taking it with the card, literally 15 more minutes go by as she chit chats with everyone around us, she eventually goes to run the check behind the bar. Takes a full 10 minutes back there, brings the check to us with a full beach scene drawn on it.... We are both extremely patient people, but this was horrible. Worst Mother's Day experience ever but at least we got a laugh out of it, because it was genuinely laughable. read more

Cantigny - Our lovely beach scenery that we waited 10 minutes for her to draw, after already waiting 20+ minutes to leave - Museums Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

Everything about this place was amazing. The art sculptors, the playground, the museums, and the tankers. If my toddler wasn't my the boss of me I would have spent more time in the museums and the garden instead of the playground. read more

Cantigny - Museums Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

$16 to get in and everything was closed everything and didn't even tell us at the gate. Don't waste your time go to Morton arboretum instead. read more

Recently visited to see their Alebrije exhibition and the art was amazing!! We enjoyed walking through the park and learn about all the sculptures and the artists that brought these to life. read more

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$10 per car on the weekend $5 on the weekdays- Are you kidding? It's the best value in town. I really like the flower gardens here and there are multiple of them. In the time of Covid there's just plenty of space to walk around without bumping into people in beautiful surroundings(see pics). In addition The Chicago Botanical Garden (which is in Glencoe Not Chicago- look at the map) does not come with battalion of tanks this does. Before Covid you were allowed to climb the Tanks. As a kid it almost doesn't get any better. read more

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My great great aunt was a caregiver to the McCormick girls. I grew up in Wheaton and had many a day at Cantigny. Playing on the tanks (getting burns from the steel as they sat in the sun) and we had shorts on but still all good. We at one time had a letter from Col McCormick to my great aunt that she and her family could come to Cantigny anytime they wished forever. I have no idea what ever happened to that letter. read more

First time here and my kids loved it! They had a great time climbing the tanks at the tanks park and going around to see all the different installations of alibrijes! They are truly a work of art. There were some areas closed off for a wedding and quince's but that did not deter us. There was also a garden we a small nature pond! That was packed with kids on a hot day like today! We brought some snacks and ate at the picnic area! We ended the day at the park and spent around 30 mins there! My kids definitely want to go back! read more

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