The settlement is really cool. I was just there for the Naper Days fest, volunteering at the stage beer tent right before the Gin Blossoms played. I'm not sure who they've had in the past, but I don't think they expected the crowd that showed up, and came close to running out of beer (I think one of the kinds of beer did go dry). I haven't seen everything in the settlement, but just walking around is really cool to see the old buildings and an old buggy/wagon. You actually feel like you were there when they settled in the area. To think that a huge town of 150,000 people surrounds the settlement now is pretty darn cool. read more

I brought some out of town guests to the Naper Settlement on a Sunday afternoon. It was my first time visiting and I wasn't sure what to expect exactly. There's a pretty nice permanent exhibit in the basement of the entry building. I especially enjoyed reading about the bad blood between the residents of early Naperville and Wheaton. It's not everyday that you see the phrase "thieving Wheatonites" twice in the same room. I may have to start sprinkling it into everyday conversation. The blacksmith shop was very cool, with an impressive re-enactor crafting right before your eyes. I also found the print shop to be pretty interesting. There were a number of young people in period costume milling about and playing games of the 19th century. A high-school aged dude rather persistently asked, "would you like to pack a trunk" -- "umm, not really" -- "are you sure?" -- "yeah. I'm sure." He then asked my companions if they would like to pack a trunk. They demurred as well. I hope he was able to find the assistance he required to begin his journey. Sunday was some sort of special day in which Culver's provides custard and toppings to make a custom sundae. Nice. Finally, the mansion tour (which begins every half-hour) was interesting. The well-preserved home showed a glimpse of what life was like for the well-to-do in Naperville back in the day. The beds seemed about two feet shorter than I would have required, though the docent suggested that they slept propped-up in the manner of reading in bed. Overall, the Naper Settlement was a worthwhile way to spend an afternoon. read more

Tour the Buildings, Meet Historical Characters! It is one thing to see local history. At Naper Settlement you are immersed in it. Costumed interpreters in period clothing portray historical characters and answer all of your questions. There are living history programs for school groups and Scouts. Time your trip for a special event like Spring Fever, Civil War Days, Oktoberfest, or All Hallows Eve if you can. Naper Settlement, in downtown Naperville, includes 26 amazing historical buildings in a beautiful 12 acre park. (See photos.) These buildings were moved here from the area and carefully rebuilt and beautifully restored. Note that this is a fairly large outdoor museum se expect to do some walking. Check out the nearby Riverwalk and Millennium Carillon if you have time. From April through October admission is $12. Winter admission is $5. Don't miss the Print Shop, Blacksmith Shop, Fire Station, and the Martin-Mitchell Mansion. Check ahead for the many special events, reenactments, summer concerts, and hours at napersettlement.org. read more

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I've been here a few times. I loved it the first few times. Then I grew up. This place is a fairly authentic representation of what Naperville was like in the 1800's. I guess. I'm a bit of a history nut, and upon my first time visiting after I graduated highschool I was a bit appalled by the lack of the "dirty" spots. It made Naperville seem entirely perfect for the entirety of it's existence. I also found out that the buildings are actually mostly transplanted. In order to centralize the historic buildings and monuments of Naperville's heritage they destroyed Naperville's heritage. It's definitely a good place to take kids (probably 15 and under) for a bit of a history lesson. But to someone who's concerned about vetting their claims and authenticity: pass. Also: the Civil War reenactors... not that great. Won't fool a US History Major or a Civil War Buff. But to those of us who are not obsessed with the war, it works well. read more

I will never bring my family to Naper Settlement again. I drove all the way from Darien with a 1 year old and a 5 year to go to their splash pad, which I had pre-registered for on their website. Even though their website says 4 and under are free, they refused entry to us because I did not have a ticket for my 1 year old. I understand limiting capacity but there were maybe 20 people in the whole place on a Tuesday morning. Very disappointed in their service and they should consider updating their website to be more clear that infants require a splash pad ticket. In addition, the woman at the front desk told me they were sold out for today but when I got home, I could have easily added another ticket for the splash pad. Why couldn't she have given me that option at the front desk???? read more

This little village of ye olde times gone by can be a lot of fun. There are events, concerts, and sundae socials around the year that make visiting so much more fun. Great little reenactments. Lots of people like to get married in the chapel. They recently remodeled a few things so we need to go back soon. Check their calendar for hours and seasonal special events. They have a great program for volunteers and especially for children. Don't miss art displays in the main building. read more

This place keeps getting better and better with a number of capital improvements to the grounds (summer 2011) and out buildings. This is something to put on your bucket list if you are a history buff or just looking for something interesting to do. Everything is kept up and is in perfect condition. They have special events (check website) and rent out parts of the facility for picnics and weddings. read more

It's a darling little site. Everyone was so friendly and knowledgeable. The tour guides were engaging and interesting. The grounds are beautiful and there are plenty of places to sit and just enjoy the view. It was really cool learning about the history behind the buildings and the mansion in particular was truly beautiful. Highly recommended! read more

**Christmas Market Review** I wanted so badly to love this market. I had high hopes considering they got rid of the Oakbrook market and moved it to Naperville. More space! How could this be bad? Parking wasn't free, I still needed to walk far to the market from my spot, and man was it busy. Nothing screamed Christmas. I didn't see any entertainment wandering the crowds like in the city. They had Christmas lights up, and a few little cash only stands with long lines. You couldn't poke your head in to see the shops. After touring the settlement for only a half hour, my kids asked to go home. They spent most of their day playing on the playgrounds (which we could have done at home). All in all if you want the real deal, I recommend making the trip to the city. read more

ALL HALLOWS EVE...great idea but such a disappointment. They sold way too many tickets. Only open 6 to 10 and the lines were 30 to 40 minutes long. We were there the full 4 hours and only able to go in 5 haunted attractions out of 22. I would go again if they extended the time until midnight or 1:00. Not enough time and too many people. I can't even give a rating because most of my time was spent standing in line. read more

Planning my wedding ceremony there. LOVE IT! Awesome historical church, tons of history. Even gave me a great deal on my wedding price. I won't go into the gory details. (totally not their fault but still went waaaaay above and beyond to help me out). I'll re-review after the actual ceremony but so far, couldn't be happier read more

Entering Naper Settlement is a trip back in time--a time when people worked very hard for what they had. It is a different world from what we live in. I strongly recommend taking children here to show them the meaning of hard work, sacrifice, and life without modern technology. Naper Settlement is a reconstruction of an old 19th century town (how Naperville used to be). As you visit each building in the town, you find actors and actresses playing the roles of different workers--school teacher, blacksmith, postmaster, etc. The volunteer actors and actresses do a fantastic job recreating the period in their mannerisms and costumes. They also convey an incredible amount of information; I've learned so much from them. Even on a day when they may not be present, the buildings are still fun to explore--just to see and imagine how challenging life must have been without modern conveniences. You can also get a great sense of the class differences back then--compare the log cabin to the mansion, for example. Also, the gift shop contains a lot of neat, historical books and gifts. I cannot imagine not loving this place, especially if you are into 19th century American history. read more

All Hallow's Eve: Village of Disappointment I went with my mom and sister to All Hallow's Eve and it wasn't quite what we expected. The event was oversold, and you had to wait in ridiculously long lines for each attraction, and most of them didn't even seem to last two full minutes. Almost all the attractions were way too dark inside and there were almost no opportunities to take pictures. The Mummy Tomb was so pitch black that I almost tripped and fell. The main attraction this year was the H. H. Holmes Murder Castle at the Martin Mitchell Mansion. The line was winding around the park when we arrived around 6:30 so we decided to wait a while and check out other things so the line could thin out a bit. Around 9 pm we were in line for the Torture Dungeon, and a woman told us that the mansion had already closed. The paper said the event ran from 6:30 to 10:30 and it was barely 9 pm. Around 9:15 we went to the mansion and they had closed off the line and weren't letting more people in. We also found out the event closed at 10, not 10:30 and the extra 30 minutes were for shooing everyone out. The guy at the mansion line told us to buy a membership so we could come the next day to see the murder castle. I told him we paid good money to see these attractions, not to listen to a sales pitch, and this event was all we cared about. We never go to Naper Nights or Civil War Days. They said if we came back around 9:30 they might be able to let us in. We went to see the fire show to kill 15 minutes. It was quite amazing, but each stunt went on a little too long. When we back to the mansion, the guy still said no and continued telling us to buy a membership. I told him I was going to write a bad Yelp review and he begged me not to, but told us that he wished he could let us in, but if he did he'd have to let everybody in, even though we were the only people standing outside of the closed-off line. We finally gave up and went to the Sweeny Todd attraction, which was pretty cool. After that, it was about 10 minutes to 10 and we thought we could see the Salem Witch Trials, but that had already closed down. One of the actresses told us the Log House Death Tour was still open, so we joined a short line at the back door of the Log House. We stood there for a few minutes, wondering if anyone was still inside the house. I finally decided to go around to the front and see if anything was going on. I found a girl in period dress sitting in a chair in front of the house, poking at her phone. I asked her if the attraction was still going, and she said "Nope, it's over", then turned her attention back to her phone. She didn't even bother to tell the group of people who were waiting that the house was closed. I had to go tell them myself. Unless they put a limit on their ticket sales, and keep the attractions running until 10 or 10:30 like they promised, I don't recommend going. Also, little children in bad zombie make-up jumping out of the dark aren't exactly scary. Neither are teenagers in black cloaks and cheap plastic masks telling you you're in the underworld. I'm not a fan of serious horror, but this wasn't quite spooky enough for me. The Harry Potter mini play was great, but a group of kids sitting behind us kept whooping and shouting and ruined it for everyone. This is a very poorly managed event. Step it up Naper Settlement, or you'll have to change the name from "Village of Fear" to "Village of Disappointment." read more

All Hallows Eve - Village of Fear We've seen the ads for several years, so decided to go this year (2016). We bought tickets online for 4 - so with the added fees, that's $65.00 for our family. We got there right at the opening time of 6:30 and the place was already jammed. Long lines for most attractions, especially the "H. H. Holmes' Murder Castle", which was designed by a former Disney Artist and heavily advertised. We figured that line would get shorter as the evening progressed, so we looked at other attractions. The "World of Reptiles" was really cool. The "Fire Show" was so-so. The "Zombie Maze" was populated with children in make-up, jumping out to scare us as we wandered through. "Mummy's Tomb", "Torture Dungeon", "Insane Asylum", and "Sweeney Todd" were all 2 to 3 minute scenes acted out by various characters. The Harry Potter play was especially good, taking place in the Chapel with appropriate atmosphere and costumes. Unfortunately, there was poor crowd control during the performance and too many preteens out on their own thought it was funny to catcall, make noises, and otherwise interrupt the actors, making it difficult to hear anything. We got back to the Murder Castle at 9 PM, dedicating the last hour of the event to standing in line to see it, only to be told that this attraction was already closed! One whole hour to go before closing and the main attraction was already unavailable! The nice person telling us this helpfully suggested that we buy a membership so we could come back the next day and stand in line again. Really??? In a few words; over-hyped, over-sold, underwhelming. read more

What a gem in downtown Naperville! We're members so we visit a few times a year, but this time we came with the granddaughter to see the sheep. It was a special exhibit enthusiastically carried off by the volunteers and guests. There was a dog! It rounded up sheep! There was pretend sheep shearing! (involving shaving cream, popsicles and wooden sheep), we made sheep puppets! (cut out figures glued to popsicle sticks) and on and on - the little one loved it in all its simplicity. I loved walking around enjoying a lovely autumn afternoon with my family, which is a great deal of the appeal of the Settlement. Fun all year round. read more

Huge fan and going again for the 20th something time next week and can't wait! Weather its the newly remodeled museum, the excellent staff, or grounds its a must if you live in Chicagoland and an out of towner looking for a rich history and fun day! read more

Naper Settlement is a great place to spend a leisurely family afternoon. Included along with the obvious history lessons are loads of activities to keep the kids interested. There are many events throughout the year (including free sundaes on Sundays during the summer!). Add to that that Naperville residents get free admission, and you really can't beat it. I highly recommend checking it out! read more

I love all the activities held at the settlement and its fantastic staff of volunteers, but most of all I love Century Chapel. It's one of the most beautiful chapels in the state. An extraordinary wedding ceremony venue. I'm thrilled to be a minister invited to officiate weddings ceremonies at this location. read more

Seriously, how many towns in this country do you see have one of these. This is a great education for children and wonderful place to visit and have fun as an adult. read more

We held our wedding ceremony here, and it was absolutely a perfect experience. From booking, Becca, an employee with the settlement, was SUPER accommodating and helpful with my MANY stupid emails filled with questions. She answered promptly and was just fantastic. But what really made this an amazing experience was the week before my wedding. Andi, a coordinator with Naper Settlement, called me early in the week to iron out every detail. She took all my programs, bubbles, and everything else we needed for the ceremony and held on to them so I wouldn't worry. She conducted our rehearsal because our officiant was unable to attend, and she was patience, accommodating, and FLAWLESS in her organization of our ceremony. She liaised with our ceremony musicians and our photographer to ensure a perfect day. Even though it was rainy, she kept me calm and collected the entire day, and even stood with me right before I walked down the aisle, calmed me down, and talked me through every step. She was nothing short of amazing. The chapel was IMMACULATE for the ceremony - clean, organized, perfect. The whole Settlement looked gorgeous for photos, and employees stayed out of my photographer's way. I booked Naper settlement purely for nostalgia reasons - my parents got married here in 1982 - but it ended up being one of my favorite wedding decisions. The staff here are miracle workers and the chapel is gorgeous. This ceremony was worth every penny. read more

My family loves Naper Settlement and we are Season pass holders for many years. This review is strictly about All Hallows Eve and not the grounds during normal business hours or any other event. We have gone to All Hallows Eve in the past and learned about the intense lines that you have to wait in to see an exhibit. I never liked that, but since it was free for us, we lived with it. This year, we decided to be smart and get their extra early to try and combat the crowds. We also brought my elderly cousin, so we thought the earlier the better. We arrived at 5:30, one whole hour before doors opened and we were second in line at the visitors center and were feeling happy about it. When 6:30 came and we were let in, we were shocked to see that the park was already completely full. My daughter ran ahead to get to the mansion, as we know that is the most popular attraction and get us a place in line. When we caught up to her, we were dismayed to find out that the wait at that point was 45 minutes!. Where did all these people in front of come from? I asked a worker nearby if there was a VIP entrance or something that we weren't aware of and she brushed my off saying that people must have ran faster than us. I am sorry, but that is a complete lie and doesn't make any sense, because all that was in front of us was a man and his young child. Nobody came in before us except them and the park was completely full as son as we exited the visitor center into the park. I would like an explanation on how this is possible, so I know for the future. We were only able to see two attractions because of your lines in 2 hours in the park. That is ridiculous. read more

Regarding 2016 Christkindlemarket. Poor planning. Closed one beer tent on opening day for special event. Went 11/26. 40 min wait for tickets. One table for selling tickets. Looked for manager to see if anyone is getting more cashiers but was told none available. Hey Naperville, Chicago Christ. gets way more people but doesn't have this level of disorganization. read more

My husband took our three kids there during spring break. The woman talking with them told them, RUDELY, not to go into any buildings - that even if they saw people in the buildings, they were not allowed to go in. Why did they charge my family full price and not allow them to participate in the experience? Why did the person have to be horribly rude and not explain why they were not allowed in any buildings? read more

The Naper Settlement All Hallows Eve night was pretty lame for adults. The Edgar Allan Poe expedite was amazing! I would high recommend going to the Edgar Allan Poe next year! The actor truly captured Edgar's amazingness! read more

We visited Naper Settlement on the last day of our Chicago trip in mid-October 2011. HUGE mistake! There were at least 20 school groups there. We got to squeeze ourselves into exactly one building the entire time we were there. Otherwise they were all too packed with school kids for us to do anything more than just walk by and look. I'm sure the insides of the buildings were nice and all, but who the heck knows? Not us, that's for sure, since we didn't step foot inside any of them. The staff at Naper Settlement needs to schedule their school groups better as to avoid and completely gridlocked day. We won't be returning. read more