They were closed when we stopped by on our travel down Route 66. Even though we only got to see it…read morefrom the outside and for a quick drive around, I'm good with giving 'em a 5. It's every bit like you'd expect from an 'old prison'. It was built in the 1800's and, of course, when checking out the gate where Elwood picked up Jake in the movie Blues Brothers it looked exactly as expected. Even from the outside there's some good photo ops. Probably won't ever be in the area again, but am sure glad we had the opportunity to see it.

Everything about the staff--helpfulness, knowledge, and professionalism--just shines! I chose the…read moreself-guided tour and enjoyed exploring the grounds and buildings all by myself. Parking was plentiful and the East Gate entrance (the ONLY entrance to the grounds) was fairly easy to find. The gift shop, on the other hand, is completely hidden and if not for a helpful staff member, I would have never seen it! Please, museum crew, improve the signage near the gift shop so you aren't losing money. This museum is a delight and I hope all Blues Brothers fans and others can enjoy it for years to come.

Beautiful Japanese garden and historic home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The home offers tours…read morefor I think $5 per adult. I've been on it once or twice before but can't remember if I enjoyed it, so I'll have to go back someday. I mostly love visiting the gardens. It's free to enter. The garden is small and takes about 5-10 minutes to walk through, but it's so peaceful and a great spot for photos! I love the bridge and admiring the bright green foliage. It's worth the stop if you are nearby. It is very close to downtown Geneva and Batavia, and both towns have plenty of things to do! You can definitely make a day trip out of it. There's also great walking and bike riding paths in the forest preserve.

This is a free museum, but suggest a donation for two dollars for adults and one dollar for…read morechildren. It's beautiful inside and it's nice to see a piece of history. It's a beautiful windmill on the outside and inside and everything is basically made of wood. And you have these really friendly staff or volunteers who teach you about the history of the windmill. There's also a beautiful Japanese garden with many different types of plant entries. It's a great place to take pictures if you're having an event or for a wedding.

I was surprised how much my three elementary aged grandchildren liked this little museum. The…read moremuseum consists mostly of taxidermied animals and preserved specimens in glass jars. But it was all inches away from their eyes. Several pages of Scavenger hunt activities led them around the museum. Exhibits spill out into adjoining hallways, most of them decades old and representing students' projects. We spent about an hour there, fully engaged.

It is very small but alot of animals and birds behind glass that are stuffed. Very inpresses as a…read moreadult.

Small but mighty is the best way to describe the St. Charles History Museum. My husband and I…read morevisited the museum which had a special exhibit on several buildings in Saint Charles that were celebrating significant milestone birthdays this year. They also feature permanent exhibits on the beginning of the village and important people and events in village history. There are just as many things to see outside of the museum as there are inside (like the gas pumps just outside the entrance). There is also a gift shop and a room that can be used for special events. I highly recommend the St. Charles History Museum.

Not a huge museum but this spot does a great job of packing as much as they possibly can both…read moreinside of, and outside of the museum. What it lacks in size, it makes up for in extremely high quality displays with very attractive panels that provide detailed stories and videos to supplement some of the items. This museum also uses the wall space very efficiently, packing plenty of artifacts and information without much space between each item. Though most of the information is in one room, it takes quite a while to read through everything which provides a great sense of important people and buildings throughout St. Charles' history.

This museum isn't very big and can probably be walked through in right around an hour, but it is a…read morehidden gem. The museum is housed in the old Batavia Train Depot (hence the name!) and does a great job introducing the importance of the early railroad on the area. Some of the displays include an original caboose that you can walk through, a very cool reproduced ticket counter, a working Western Union morse code station, Mary Todd Lincoln's bed and dresser (she was treated at a nearby sanitarium after Abe's assassination), and, in the basement, an exhibit on the general history of the area. Check back often, as they have periodic presentations, as well. My kids absolutely loved the one on antique toys and games the museum put on this past summer. It's an inexpensive way to get the family out and about!

This is a great place to visit and learn about local history. From initial settlement, through the…read moreMary Todd Lincoln years, and up to recent history like Furnas Electric, the Depot Museum has something for everyone. There is also an extensive library for people who are researching their families.

This is a real hidden gem in the Western Suburbs…read more If you pre register , Wednesdays are free parking ! Easy to walk on paved trails,the Fall Displays are beautiful especially in mid October. Plenty of parking is available.

Cantigny Park is basically therapy with better landscaping…read more 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.

Except for their events, most of the time there's nearly no on here. Easy parking to go check out…read morethese old trains and trolleys. We've been here for the Christmas trains, it was fantastic.

Went here for Father's Day since fathers were free and it was local plus my kids love trolleys and…read moretrains! It was cool too see what the area had to offer and the staff was very knowledgeable! I do love learning about transportation back in the day but wish that there was more to see and explore. There are 2 trains that you can ride and both take you to Blackhawk where you can hang out until the next train comes. It was a very relaxing ride! If you're looking for something different and local to do, come check them out!

We were back again this year for the rare breeds show. There were a lot of horses this time…read morearound, and we met some wonderful people who raise Red Wattle Hogs, which is an endangered breed. There are only about 2,000 left in the world. I bought some handmade soap, and we ended our afternoon visit with a delightful piece of cherry cheesecake pie. It was a pure pleasure to get out of the city. We LOVE Garfield Farm.

The property managers here are fantastic. We were there taking wedding photos, and they could not…read morehave been more kind and accommodating. The grounds and buildings are beautiful. Take a day trip and check it out! Don't forget your camera.

Fantastic! But I must qualify rating…read more Let me begin by saying I enjoyed my visit to the museum. They have a wonderful collection of several different types of trains (steam, electric, diesel) and an excellent collection of streetcars. You can ride a train and a street car; they have one of each running on different tracks. AND the prices of their food at the Central Diner won't break the bank. I thought the museum was very alive, in the sense that there seems to be a huge staff working on and operating the trains. It felt like a less hectic train yard. Would I recommend visiting the museum ... I hesitate. If you truly enjoy trains, it's an easy yes. If you don't, well, I hesitate to recommend it, even though I really would like you to go visit it. I have only visited a couple railway museums: B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore and the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay. I had a wonderful time at both of these museums, and it is difficult for me to quite put my finger on why I had less fun at the Illinois Railway Museum. I think one of the reasons is that you are always at ground level looking up. You don't get to get in or even have the opportunity for an elevated view of any of the trains, nor do you get to go in the cab of any of them. Because of that, I think I felt less connected to the trains, as so much of them was unseen. The streetcars are low enough that it isn't such a problem. But it would have been wonderful to have a few street cars available to go through.

The trolley conductor Steven was amazing ! So knowledgeable and helpful .. he made the very long…read moretrip a perfect day for all of us . Thank you ! Best place ever . Go there now.