I attended my niece's wedding here and it was the most gorgeous venue I have ever seen in my life…read more Grand main dining area with cozy spots all over. It felt very personal and can I just say- you will never find another backdrop for pictures such as this place. We all enjoyed staying locally in Evanston as there were plenty of nice things to see in the area.

The Halim Time & Glass museum has been hosting events such as birthday parties and weddings for a…read morewhile now. We are going to celebrate my wife's 60th birthday party here in May. Working with Jessica, in the events department, has been wonderful. The location is beautiful, and our guests are free to explore the floor used for the party at no additional cost. The only part of the process that I still don't comprehend is that we can't take home the leftover food. Jessica claims it is due to liability issues. Not sure what liability they are referring to... If I hosted the event at Maggianos our we would be able to take leftover food home. Jessica mentioned the staff will thoroughly enjoy our leftovers. Makes me wonder if that is the reason for the policy? I'll update this review in a few weeks after the event. I'll let everyone know how the event went and how the food was...

Coming from the I.E./L.A., it was hard for me to wrap my mind around a large vibrant Mexican…read morecommunity outside of the Southwest. Growing up in a pre-social media era, I knew the the Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and Dominicans claimed major metropolitan areas on the East Coast (NYC and Miami), but I never associated Mexicanos in the cold AF Midwest and East Coast. My god, I'm grateful for discovering the Pilsen neighborhood and this museum. I represent the third generation-guero faction of my Mexican American family, but I grew up surrounded by the cultura, with a deep appreciation for the culture. And this museum, much like Placita Olvera, gave me the "feels." It's in a super residential neighborhood. I guess you could say the same thing about LACMA, but it just feels different here, and in a good way. All the "Fuera Ice" signs in the area around the museum made me proud of Chi-City. I don't see these signs around LACMA, but I could be wrong. Nevertheless, if you're visiting from out of town, I strongly encourage you to stop by here and chill. Spend some time here. Check out the graffiti murals around 18th street. Soak in all the exhibits. The good. The bad (colonization). And the ugly. The continued racism and othering of a community that fights and dies for this country, that takes care of this country's kids, that handles this country's landscaping, that builds this country's neighborhoods and cities, that feeds this county's people, con sabor, and so much more--con todo!

It's mediocre the expos are whatever Chicano Expos (not for everybody)…read more The store sale cheap souvenirs at high prices it doesn't represent the real Mexican art Also it's very focus in Dia de Muertos, Frida, Virgen de Gpe the Mexican art it's very extensive every state has its own art it should have more variety Over Priced Cheap Art

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.

AMAZING butterfly room. There's sooo many butterflies I was surprised. We were able to watch them…read morerelease a few too. Sometimes they will also land on your arm. It costs money to get into the museum, then an extra $5 to go to the butterfly room.

We had a wonderful time exploring the Nature Museum with our two kiddos (2.5yrs & 5.5yrs old)…read moretoday! There was tons to do - water play (in multiple areas), living & taxidermy creatures to see/learn about, two play spaces to get the wiggles out, and of course the beautiful Butterfly Haven. We went on a weekday around 11am during spring break and it was moderately busy, but there was no line to get in. We paid extra to visit the butterfly haven (100% worth it!). The 1st exhibit included water play, which our kids loved, but def bring a change of clothes for when they get wet. There is another water play zone on the 1st floor next to the play area as well. The highlight of our visit was the Butterly Haven. It's very beautiful and I honestly could sit there forever watching butterflies flutter around. They release butterflies daily at 2pm, but we didn't see that. We also enjoyed the digital interactive butterfly exhibit, where kids color a butterfly on paper, scan it, and it appears fluttering on a giant digital screen. Street parking was full, but there is a small lot across the street from the entrance and it was $24 to park. It was a short walk to the entrance. The gift shop is super cute and has snacks/drinks, but nothing fresh-made (mostly pre-packaged options). They have tables & high chairs near the entrance for snacking/resting. Also family restrooms, stroller parking, & an elevator. Super kid/family friendly and we'll definitely be back!

Donald E. Stephens Convention Center…read more Nice. Very large. Some area is clean. Nice venue. I like how the parking across the street has a skywalk and it's fully covered and heated/cooled. Nice. Came here for collect-a-con which is very huge. Park on level 1c and use skywalk. Highly recommended

I've been to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center multiple times both as a vendor and an…read moreattendee, and it's always been a really solid venue. One thing I really appreciate, especially during Chicago winters, is the skyway bridge from the parking garage directly to the convention center. Not having to walk outside in the cold makes a big difference. The location is great too. It's very easy to navigate, close to a lot of good food options, and right near the entertainment district and the outlet shopping. There's usually plenty to do before or after an event. They host a wide variety of events here. I recently went for the World of Wheels show, and parking in the garage was $20 that day. I'm not sure if it varies by event, but it at least gives you an idea of the price. Overall, it's a well located and convenient convention center that works well for both vendors and attendees.

I missed this at our last visit, so I made it mandatory on this one…read more It is a very interactive space, so it is great for kids and adults alike. Front desk staff are polite and helpful. They provided a discount for educators with my wife being a music educator at a prestigious music school. There were numerous authors I am fans of that were featured here. But Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett are my favorites. I have read essayist EB White's work as well. Of course, Roger Ebert material is here too. You could try to write a story with fill-in blanks and see how close you are to the original. You can use an old skool typewriter for "fun and games" of the technology of the past. It is fairly priced for what it is and should take you about one (1) hour or less. I even got a complimentary book marker for a cool author.

This was my first time visiting the American Writers Museum, and I came here as part of a field…read moretrip. The museum is quite large and well laid out, with a lot to explore. If you enjoy reading or writing, this is a museum you'd likely appreciate. It's a good place to spend time learning and getting inspired by different writers and literary works.

Evanston Summer Sounds was a lot of fun! Evanston has a summer concert series that they host from…read moreJune through September, each week a different band. It's held near Fountain Square and they close off the street for a couple blocks. I brought the baby to see Ida y Vuelta, a band I really like, and it wasn't crowded at all. There are no seats or anything besides the curb, so if you want to sit you'll need to bring your own chair (and are encouraged to do so). It's a short evening, this year from 5-7, but an enjoyable one. There were a few food trucks and a couple booths selling some food as well, a couple community/non-profit organizations, and a booth or two selling some sort of merchandise. I really enjoyed this little evening concert, as did my little one, and I'll keep my eye on the schedule for next year too.

Came here to check out the museum and scope more information about fair trade. Lots of information…read moreabout fair trade when it comes to food, clothing and textiles. Enjoyed learning about fast fashion and the cost to the environment. The museum has lots of items for sale to include coffee, oil, spices, clothing and jewelry. Items were reasonably priced. All in all a good educational experience.