The courthouse is new, clean and nicely designed…read more Bring cash for they are charging out the wazhooooo for copies of the most sublime info; whereas, this wasn't always the case. Never get info from Window #5 and better yet stay away from her, if you need to file anything or ask a question. She's not the friendliest and she's usually wrong. ATM's in the basement. One is free of charge.

Stay FAR away from this passport office . I scheduled an appointment filled out and brought all of…read morethe paperwork requested all for some guy to not even go through our paperwork and just send us on our way. We asked several times if everything was correct . 3 days later I received a call from the same guy saying we had to fill out an ADDITIONAL form that was never mentioned to us when we made the appointment or when we were in the office. I said fine email it to me and I'll email it back. He said I have to come back to the courthouse to do it in person . Beyond unprofessional and unacceptable.

Well, I hope that if you find yourself here, it's to VIEW proceedings or a trial (versus actually…read moretaking part) or using their legal library. With that said, here are a few tips: You cannot bring ANY food or beverages in, including water. Apparently the thought is that, instead of water, you might have a liquid accelerant in that thar bottle. If you DO bring your water bottle in, you'll either have to empty it in the plants outside of the front doors, or walk back to your car, since McHenry County's Finest at the front won't let you throw it away inside of their garbage cans. (I wonder if there are vending machines somewhere inside, though, because I've seen counsel with food and beverage items..or, maybe the rules are bent for them?) If you're taking part in a divorce hearing, good luck: the judges are known to be snarly. The one my family went in front of actually got pretty theatrical and showed huge favoritism towards a drawn-out trial involving an attorney (versus following through with a scheduled trial that we were prepared for). If you try to do something yourself and end up, say, at the State's Attorney's Office, you probably won't get very far. We actually got quite the run-around from them, so now my family's attorney has to send a letter to get the State's Attorney to act (re: having someone prosecuted for filing false charges with the court). The Police Department wasn't much better at first (the female officer at the front desk was also very snarly...sensing a theme here?), but things improved when we were able to talk to a more head-officer and he took his time out to listen to our issue and explain procedures to us since we were misinformed by others. Some of McHenry County's Finest WERE friendly in directing us to where we needed to go, and did so with a smile. And one carried on a conversation with my brother (who was wearing his military dress uniform). Maybe it's because we were wearing more than our weekend sweats, didn't look shady, my brother's in the service, and we had our 90 year old great aunt in tow? If you're bored and have nothing else to do, though, I gotta say: this is the best free entertainment/people-watching EVER.

There's a snack machine and pop machine but no coffee vending machine. Some hot coffee would be…read morenice. It's cold here. The security guards are cranky.

It's a court house, most people do not want to make a habit of needing to visit on a regular basis…read more Interesting fact about the building, during the civil war it was nearly tore down. Before being built court was held in a blog cabin that was located on the south east corner of Washington Park.

Lots of signs to get to the top of the capitol and staff that make it easy to navigate. The view is…read moreworth the stairs and the visit. The marble throughout are grand and stunning.

While I do not spend much time in State Capital buildings, I would like to spend more time here, as…read morethe Wisconsin State Capital building is absolutely beautiful, a great space to learn about history, marvel at the intricate details of the stonework, look over Madison from the mezzanine level or take in the phenomenal artwork on the rotunda ceilings! The capital building is located in the heart of the city and is a perfect backdrop of any day, no matter the season. While great from the exterior, wandering around inside is way more fun. It is open to the public and free to roam, however you can get guided tours that get you access to the more restricted areas, including the floors. We wandered around for well over an hour and could have spent more time if we had more access. The mezzanine level was the best, as it allowed you to see lots of history as you made the circle indoors, then let you get every angle of Madison and the lake from the outdoor area. Parking is all public and street, so plan accordingly, but if you are staying anywhere in or near downtown, then you have easy access with a quick walk. Overall, the building is gorgeous and the staff were helpful from entry to exit. Lots to see, whether politics or history are your things, it is definitely worth a visit!

Small and historic building that could have a home in any movie…read more This courthouse in the Main Street of Sycamore Illinois, houses their civil and criminal courts, as well as other offices of the estate. Entering you are greeted by a metal detector as with all courthouses, but then you are taken back in time with an amazing staircase that would have been at home in the Titanic, that takes you to the courthouse second floor. Now I was naughty and went a bit too fast and a bit too furious, down the street and got myself a pesky ticket. The ladies at the counter were able to handle the payment in about 2 minutes! Now that's small town America fast service. Imagine what it would be like back in Vegas? I peaked inside some courtrooms and they are charming and the whole building has a sense of a bygone time. You can imagine Bonnie and Clyde style desperadoes having their time in court here. Check it out, but hopefully not with a ticket, or something more, lol!

The ladies working at this facility are very helpful really enjoy my visit every time I go because…read moreof it!! Very nice an help me fill out paperwork!

Super friendly staff that helped me a ton. It's always nice dealing with friendly people when your…read morelike me and have no idea what you are doing at times. Thanks county recorder office!

We visited Woodstock, IL as tourists. We are not residents and cannot comment on local government,…read moreevents or culture. From and out-of-state tourists pov, this is a very charming, historic town that also happens to be the filming location of the movie Groundhog Day. If visiting for movie trivia, I recommend first stop at the Cherry tree Inn BnB. The owner is absolutely lovely and has maps of movie locations in town (you may be able to find these elsewhere in town too). This is the BnB where Bill Murray stayed in the movie. She will give you a quick tour and has a small shop of movie related items as well as a curio cabinet filled with memorabilia. The downtown area around the main square is surrounded by buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. The park has many monuments to soldiers going back to the 1800's. The grounds are well maintained with lawn, flowers, trees, benches, picnic tables and walking paths. Public drinking fountains are available and a large band stand is here as well. There are many, many "mom & pop" type businesses all around the square. Cafe's, restaurants, art centers, books, yoga, clothes, bridal shop, bakeries, and other food stores with plenty of outdoor seating to enjoy the day with your coffee or cocktail. Walk outward from the square down side streets and you'll come across the local, historic movie theater where you can catch a $2 movie (some, not all), church, bank, Moose hall, bowling alley and gorgeous homes from the late 1800's and early 1900's. The neighborhoods are so quiet, some with tree lined streets and beautiful gardens. I understand in summer the town can get busy with tourists, especially on the weekends. Our stop in early June was very pleasant and not at all crowded. Plenty of parking in the square during our morning visit, but I can see how it would fill quickly on a busy day. Whether you live nearby, are a movie enthusiast or just traveling through the area Woodstock is a pleasant town to check out. There is plenty of info online if you want to know more.

The small independent City of Woodstock is located in northwest Illinois about an 80 minute train…read moreride from downtown Chicago. Woodstock began as the 19th century cultural-hub for many of the neighboring towns in the area. Woodstock is an historic Village, built around a picturesque central Square. This original cobblestone square surrounds a park with an old fashioned gazebo for bands. This particular square was chosen out of all others as the main location for the Bill Murray & Harold Ramis movie, "Groundhog Day". Historic Buildings on the square are the old Post Office, the 19th century redbrick City Hall & Courthouse (now called The Public House ) which had a Jail in its basement (now a restaurant), and the towering redbrick Opera House (where young Paul Newman and Orson Welles did their first stage shows). Nearly all of the other buildings on the square are decades (if not over a century) old, all of which have been refurbished to their historic beauty before the many local stores, restaurants, boutiques, and cafés moved into them. The entire surrounding neighborhood of the Old Center of Woodstock is filled to the brim with beautifully restored Victorian homes that are well worth driving past for a look. Overall, the City of Woodstock is worth a visit, even though the Village Central Square, however quaint and authentic, is a little touristy and overpriced.