This is really a 4.5 star review. The building is very new and lovely with cool artwork of local…read moreanimals outside. I wanted more exhibits about the area. The gift shop, however, is beautiful with local artists and sustainable artists represented and the woman working the ash register was absolutely lovely.

They were helpful with maps & state park & beach info. Got some amazing Fluid coffee beans to take…read morehome.

Stopped by for a bathroom pit stop and was pleasantly impressed with the visitor center! The staff…read moregreeted me upon entry and the bathrooms were clean and stocked. There was a nice baby changing area as well and they had paper towels too! If you need to stretch your legs there's a great gift shop bringing you all things from Indiana and also check out the fun graphics/descriptions that line the walls, you'll learn more about Indiana than you imagined. The building itself is neat from the outside--it represents several major industries home to Indiana. Did you know the movie, The Christmas Story is based in a fictional town in Indiana?!?

Oh wow! This is a nice welcome center. I've started to enjoy visiting welcome centers because there…read moreis usually a lot of good information about the area that can be found at these types of places. This one is no exception! The Indiana Welcome Center is filled with friendly people who love nothing more than to help you. There are brochures, pamphlets and literature about the area available for you to pick up. This welcome center has local art exhibits inside, including one about A Christmas Story, a film that was set in nearby Hammond, Indiana. (Although, I think the film was actually filmed in Canada, but that's neither here nor there.) There's also a huge gift shop, with lots of souvenirs, snacks and toys available to purchase. I actually found a tote bag that I didn't know I desperately needed here, so my visit to the Indiana Welcome Center was especially blessed. The restrooms here are large and very clean. At the very least, this is a great place to stop and use the restroom. Before you leave, be sure to see the A Christmas Story statue outside the building. It's a statue of the kid who gets his tongue stuck on the pole. It's an Indiana classic.

Great place to escape this crazy world very peaceful if you just to come and relax...great for…read morefishing or taking a boat out they also have a nice picnic area. It is very well maintained and clean washrooms

The Monee Reservoir, is part of the Forest Preserve District of Will County. The 255-acre forest…read morepreserve has a 46-acre reservoir lake. This was our first time at the reservoir, they had a special fishing event called "Midnight Madness." They have this event three times per year, allowing fishing after dark. They open the park from 7pm until midnight and it's free! It is mostly forest around the lake, but has some nice coves to fish. The lake is 24 feet deep and stocked with Channel Catfish, Northern Pike and Largemouth Bass. I caught only one Largemouth, not many anglers said they caught fish, but it was pretty windy and hot... I released mine and am planning on going back to get him! The park itself is really nice, clean, well kept, has places to picnic, tables and benches along the lake. They have a really nice visitor center and a concessional stand.

Attended the Choose Chicago Open House this year and very happy with my experiences. Able to check…read moreout 5 really cool establishment: Mindworks, Chicago Symphony, Federal Reserve, Wintrust Vault and Red Building (333 S. Wabash). All in all a very good experience. I wish that I would have gotten started earlier in the day. I liked the ventures on the app which allowed me to set up an itinerary. Some locations that I wanted to see were closed on Sunday. Favorites spots were the Federal Reserve and 333 S. Wabash. This event only happens once per year but really a good opportunity to check out over 120 buildings in various neighborhoods for free. Very neat experience and if you love history, architecture or sight seeing then this free event is for you.

This visitor center is a great place to start your visit to Chicago. They have docents that offer a…read morenumber of free tours of the area including a great two hour tour of Millennium Park. They are also knowledgeable about other excellent tours by the Chicago Architectural Foundation and other Chicago highlights. The Chicago Architectural Foundation is a few blocks south on Michigan Avenue and is also very worthwhile.

Quality/Quantity - This is what Indiana is known for! And these are the 3 largest dunes in the…read morestate park! Not an easy hike for me as I was not prepared for it. If only my daughter gave me a heads up. I'm now prepared for our next hike, future Yelp coming. This event was supposed to be for a different day, a weekday. Time permitting, I recommend a weekday to visit. It was an hour wait just to get into the park on a beautiful Saturday. (We were warned by the team at the visitor center, but decided to do it anyway). Few dining choices, but WOW, look at all the beach BBQ set ups. I almost asked to join a few. Atmosphere - What a beautiful day today. The hike got better and easier when we got to the trees with shade. Hiking on the beach was just too hot for me. Well again, I did not dress for this event... 15,000 acres, 50 miles of trails, 300 mile lake. Please see the pictures. Open 7 days a week, Yelp hours differ, check with the park. Swimming hours from 11am to 6pm, well that is when there are lifeguards. Events and activities, see pictures or websites. Public showers and bathrooms - Keep in mind there are thousands of people using these, so the conditions reflect that. Service - Small helpful visitor center, see pictures. Also with a Yelp check-in, you get 5 free postcards. They convinced us to go to the state park rather than the national park. Good thing because I left my annual national park pass in my truck in CA. Price - $12 a car, discount for locals ($7). If you walk from the visitor center, $2 a person, but that is a 2+ mile walk each way, in the hot sun! Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 1986. Next time we will come much earlier and appreciate more of your park.

The Dunes, as we affectionately call them, really proved themselves today. If you haven't visited…read morein the winter, you must. Lake Michigan and the sand dunes are majestic in the wintertime. The bonus of no gate admission was a welcome treat. Although the building near the beach is under construction, the public restroom was available. The new landscaping and building improvements are incredible. It's hard to believe that it's the same place!

Most Chicagoans know of Pullman Train Cars but forget that an entire historic neighborhood exists…read more [Not to mention that many Chicagoans fail to explore or acknowledge that culture and history continues past the South Loop!] This little neighborhood treasure is steps from the Pullman Metra Station and super easy to explore. The visitor's center and museum stands on half of the old Arcade Park (which now only half exists). They take donations to maintain the historic value of the buildings and have a great little "Pullman on Foot" guide for free (a picture is provided in business images). If you prefer something a little more organized, they offer guided tours the first Sunday of each month between May and October. Not to mention, they also have an Annual House Tour the second weekend of October offering an inside look of various private homes. The town was constructed in 1880 in order to create housing and community facilities for the employees of George M. Pullman's Palace Car Company. The neighborhood is architecturally unique with many structures that remain including: Administration Building and Clock Tower, Hotel Florence (under renovation), remnants of Market Hall and its' circular promenade, Pullman Hospital, Greenstone Church, The Greystone Mansion, Arcade Park, Pullman Stables, and various housing projects for executives and craftsmen alike. I hands-down recommend a few sites during your visit: -The fabulous Greenstone Church (the building materials are a rarity and were shipped from Italy). -The abandoned Administration Building and Clock Tower across 111th Street, and it's walking path containing the neighborhood garden and beehives. -Take note of the varied facades of many original, nineteenth-century residences with often maroon and shades of green (Pullman colors) and how the buildings mirror each other from the center of the block. Take advantage of free Chicago ventures such as Pullman!

I've never been here before. One of my MEETUP groups set up an afternoon here…read more We had perfect weather fora walking tour. We were one of 2 groups today. Only about 15 or 20 people per group. Our tour guide wasted a lot of time talking unnecessarily. I walk with a cane and it's very difficult to stand in one spot for 15 minutes. I was expecting a self guided your... I would have preferred it. Disappointed that the HOTEL FLORENCE was closed for remodeling.

Had a great experience both in the house tour & the walk around the grounds…read more (More words more words, darn yelp wants more words, so here they are)

John was amazing tour guide and was very knowledgeable about the history oft the house and each…read moreowner. I'm a fan of Mies and have always wanted to come see this house. We were very impressed by the information we got and the nice video acknowledging native land and how that area changed over history. Was amazing and will recommend!

Midewin is worth the drive from Chicago -- 90 minutes…read more The visitor's center is closed during the pandemic. We followed the signs and went there, thinking we'd find the trailheads. We didn't. We eventually found a man moving grass who recommended we drive north to the Iron Bridge and park there. That was good advice. Not only is there parking, pit toilets, and picnic tables, but the trailhead, and connections to several trails. I recommend everyone start at the Iron Bridge trailheads. We did not see the bison, but we did enjoy a few hours of walking on flat trails. We admired the prairie grasses and flowers, reveled in the sunshine and breeze on this cool day, and just loved every minute we were there. Hikers, remember to wear a head covering. You are on the prairie, after all. Officially, this is a national park, and I brought my national parks pass, but we saw no rangers at all. Nobody checked for park passes or any kind of entrance fee.

If bison, wildflowers, wildlife, & pastures are your thing, you've come to the right place. I'm…read morefrom Ohio and it was my husband's idea to come here. He saw it on a map and said, that's something we've got to do because we live less than 6 hours from it and it's got National in the name... We were not disappointed. I noticed that most people come here for the bison viewing, and that was nothing short of spectacular. However, there are so many trails in addition to that that make this place all the more worthwhile! I especially enjoyed the history, this park was the former Joliet Army Ammunition Plant, and when you walk some of the trails, that becomes apparent in the sense of abandonment that it gives you. However the peaceful ponds and gorgeous wildlife found along the way makes the hike both interesting and fulfilling. The hikes are not strenuous unless you hike in the heat like we did. There are no inclines or anything. You'll be out in the prairie or into the shade of the woods, but more of the former. Just be aware if you hike in the heat, to bring lots of water and sunscreen, as the sun seems to be more brutal in the open plains. The park gave us plenty to do in our 3 days in the area and it was a unique park for us in the sense that it was a prairie and not woods or mountains or beach...when have you ever hiked a trail through a prairie? Try it, you won't be disappointed.

What a fun visit. I wasn't sure what to expect, however the park proved to be a very good visit. We…read morestopped by one of the beaches, interesting to see how the dunes looked like they were advancing in on the parking lot. Sand, sand everywhere! The walk to beach looked like you were going for a walk to the ocean! The beach itself was a pretty beach, the water was a glistening blue. We also took a ranger led hike at Pinhook bog located in the park. The only way to hike in the bog area itself, is through a ranger led hike. This was definitely a very fun and very educational hike! We learned the history (and folklore) of the bog. There were carnivorous plants there- like the pitcher plant!! This hike is definitely worth taking. Another interesting side trip, when in the area, is the 1933 Chicago Word's Fair - Century of Progress homes. They are along the lake. Just a short trip from the park proved definitely worth a visit. There are some very interesting architecture in those homes.

This has been one of the prettiest national parks that's driving distance from me. We were on the…read moreway home from Milwaukee and wanted to see a new national park. What makes this park different compared to the others in the East Coast is the fact it's mainly sand dunes. Some of the hiking trails were the sand dunes themselves which made for a good work out. There is also one of the lakes so it felt like I was at the beach. The only downside was it was too cold at the time to get in the water. If you visit any national parks in the east coast, make Indiana Dunes a priority.

As an update I would have to say I love their new offices! I've now officially done the Heritage…read moreTrail over 12 times and can pretty much recite the script from memory, but still enjoy it every single time! They have done so much work on making this so great! Wholeheartedly recommend this to everyone!

We happened upon the Elkhart visitors center as it was directly across from the hotel we stayed at…read moreon a whim. We were SO glad we did. The docents gave us recommendations for a great family diner to grab breakfast down the street (can't remember the name unfortunately) and also suggested a self guided driving tour called the Heritage Trail. We received a free CD that directs you in about an hour and a half long loop (or all day if you take your time at each attraction) to all of the sights and attractions of Elkhart county and the surrounding Amish countryside. My boyfriend and I are young people and it was exciting and fun for us too so put your notions aside and just do it' It takes you through the major cute towns in the area and also to off the beaten country spots like Bonneville Mill Park (the historic mill is open and active Weds-Sunday) which was a real treat. It goes into historical detail of many of the spots and the directions were easy to follow. The visitors center also gave us coupons and had tons of brochures on local attractions. The quilt gardens were also a great tip from the docent to take a look at. We grabbed delicious donuts at an Amish bakery and wandered for hours around the Shipshewana flea market (open Tues/Weds). Even brought the pup along.