I can't believe I haven't reviewed this museum yet, I've been here 2x now but it had been a while…read morein between so it was so fun to see the different friends that I didn't get to notice last time. When driving by it's a rather unbecoming home that is actually the home to over hundreds of sock monkeys. You can either come in and enjoy the activities like build a sock monkey, or shop around and visit the longest resident sock monkey. Or you can go upstairs and visit the museum for a small fee and learn all about the history. You also get the opportunity to complete the scavenger hunt which is no small feat once you start staring at them for a period of time. We had a great time and can't wait to come back and see the new sock monkies that still have yet to be displayed!

I wasn't sure what to expect from this museum but it was so fun! I made my friends do the…read morescavenger hunt so we were searching for monkeys for the better part of an hour. I learned so much and had such a great time. The team working was so passionate and even though I can't say I thought much about sock monkeys before this visit, I am now a fan!!

On a recent fresh air walk, I was drawn to the Stupey Cabin. For those who don't know, it's the…read moreoldest building in Highland Park built in 1847. It's been moved from another location, saved by the town, and resurrected from it's older self into a fresh updated version that stands tall and proud right near City Hall. In a time when so many of us are seeking hope and strength, there's something very peaceful and majestic about this little cabin on the lawn. There are park benches for resting, tables for picnicking, and a nearby rose garden (not yet in bloom). The cabin is currently not open, but you can schedule a tour...hopefully when the COVID-19 ban is lifted. I'm pretty sure this little log cabin has survived its share of national pandemics.

Stupey Cabin sure isn't stupey(d). It reminds me of The Little House on the Prairie. Except this is…read moreLittle House on the North Shore so our prairie kids corn cob dolls probably had Lacoste polos. Anyhoo it was built in 1847 and is Highland Park's oldest freestanding structure. One room house with a fireplace, spinning wheel for yarn and wool, butter churn, a bed . . . the usual jive that Amish folks still use today or that come with kids Kirsten American Girl doll. To get inside you need to arrange for a showing. Of course there's the Annual Stupey Cabin event every June 1st where they have cabin tours, a ho down, people jamming, BBQ picnic, petting zoo. It seems like EVERY YEAR they hold this fundraiser to SAVE the cabin (sotto voice "That's what the definition of 'annual' is beeyotch. Every year") I mean its a tinyass wood plus sized shack, how much money to they need to collect each year? I mean it should be fine now, LOL. So next time you are in the area take a gander. It's nice to have a respect for history in Highland Park and a respect for such a tiny house here!

definitely has some paranormal activity on the property have actually got some on video very…read moreinteresting

I have passed this house a couple of times and was amazed by how cute the house was. I wondered who…read morelived there and what the importance of the house was. The presence of the house seemed intriguing. It had a welcoming presence it. A few months later, my mother was researching Underground Railroad sites in Illinois and we found out that the Mother Rudd House in Gurnee, Illinois was one of the sites. We decided to go to this historical site, which was amazing and full of history in the Lake County Illinois area. The Mother Rudd house was a place that housed travelers in the 19th century, was a place where community events were held, and was a safe haven for slaves who were seeking freedom. Mother Rudd was a mother of 13 children, yet still was able to care for others, including people in her community. The house was amazing with great artifacts and memories that go back two centuries. The hosts were friendly and gave a lot of information about what the Mother Rudd house was used for, and what the Gurnee community was like long ago.Several families donated artifacts from their family history to help one understand legacies of Lake County history. It was great to see others interested in history and restoring historical landmarks. I would encourage young and and old to visit this house and take a stroll down memory lane. It's best to call and schedule an appointment ahead of time.

Our daughter was invited to the Media Preview of "Alex Ross: Heroes & Villains" special exhibition…read moreat Bess Bower Dunn Museum of Lake County in Libertyville before it opened to the public, and we were thrilled that she invited us, her parents, to join her. It was our first time visiting the museum, and it left a lasting impression. The Dunn Museum, operated by the Lake County Forest Preserves, recently expanded with a brand-new 3,000-square-foot gallery designed specifically for large-scale exhibitions. Alex Ross's special exhibition is the first one to be unveiled there. I found the new gallery very spacious, comfortable, thoughtfully designed, and professionally executed. Renowned for his use of gouache to paint incredibly lifelike portraits of Marvel and DC icons, Ross has elevated comic book illustration into the realm of fine art. The exhibition showcases 100 stunning portraits, each reflecting the unique personality and attitude of the character, which naturally shapes their pose. The portraits form two larger-than-life murals that fully immerse visitors, creating a perfect backdrop to step into the world of comics and pose with your favorite characters. We were so grateful and pleasantly surprise that Alex Ross was present at the Media Preview. Although he is such an iconic artist in the comic world, he is so friendly, warm, and down-to-earth. We were absolutely delighted to meet and chat with him. The museum's slogan is "Arrive curious. Leave inspired." That was exactly how I felt. I have only had casual exposure to the comic universe through superhero movies like Superman, Batman, and Spiderman, and I did not know much about the artists behind the scenes. However, after seeing Ross's work up close, I came away a true fan of Ross, with a newfound respect for his comic art! Although this is a ticketed special exhibit to the public, $5 - $10 in addition to the general admission, it is well worth the price and special trip to see it. The exhibition runs from June 29 through February 16, 2026. Go see it if you have a chance! We did not have time to explore the museum's permanent exhibits, but we certainly look forward to coming back. We did stop by the gift shop, which is well-stocked with comic books and merchandise that fans will love. There are even Heroes books and Villains books signed by Alex Ross available behind the counter for $100 each. Alex Ross: Heroes & Villains is the Dunn Museum's second exhibit featuring the celebrated artist's work, following 2019's Marvelocity: The Art of Alex Ross. This exhibition also supports the Preservation Foundation's "Every Acre Strong" initiative, which raises funds to help maintain and protect Forest Preserve lands, making sure they stay healthy and thriving for generations to come.

Our daughter invited us to the media preview of Alex Ross: Heroes & Villains at the Bess Bower Dunn…read moreMuseum in Libertyville. I didn't know what to expect. It was my first time at the museum, but I walked away seriously impressed. The new 3,000 square foot gallery is well done. It's spacious, comfortable, and designed to showcase large-scale work the right way. And Alex Ross's art? Incredible. His portraits of Marvel and DC characters are lifelike, powerful, and packed with personality. The layout includes two massive murals that completely pull you into the comic world. Best part? Ross himself was there. The guy is a legend in the comic world, but down-to-earth and genuinely kind. It was a real pleasure to meet him. I've only scratched the surface of comics through the usual superhero movies, but seeing Ross's work up close gave me a whole new appreciation for the art behind it. I walked in curious and left a fan. The exhibit runs through February 16, 2026. It's a special-ticketed show with an extra five to ten dollars on top of regular admission, but it's absolutely worth it. We didn't get to explore the rest of the museum this time, but we'll definitely be back. The gift shop is great too, with plenty of comic merch, including signed Ross books behind the counter. If you're into comics, art, or just want to see something unique, go check it out.

Although the space is small, they've managed to stuff as much history as they possibly can into…read morethis building. Make sure you look up and down at each exhibit as you're sure to miss some items if you're not looking carefully. With that said, the amount of general historic items are limited here compared to larger nearby museums such as the one in Arlington Heights and Deerfield, so many of the items on display are specific to famous buildings around Wheeling and the schools. As Wheeling was founded in 1894, the items you'll find here are newer than other places in Illinois. You can get through all the displays fairly quickly here, so you can make this a quick stop anytime you're in the area.

I obviously went in the wrong entrance cause I found myself wandering around the basement for 45…read moreminutes looking for the exhibits lol. I had some adjustments to my medication made kind of recently and sometimes I get confused for no reason at all. Once I made it upstairs I learned all about the history of Wheeling and I took advantage of the free coffee. The secuirty guard cut me off after my fourth cup and suggested that I had drank enough lol. Anyways it was a great journey back through time and Wheeling has some very interesting roots.

What an Experience!…read more Visiting Halas Hall with my brother and nephews was such a great experience! Everything was so organized from start to finish, beginning with parking at Hawthorne Mall and taking the coach buses over to Halas Hall. As soon as we arrived, there were people greeting us left and right, and of course, plenty of security to keep everything running smoothly. There were so many activities, giveaways, and food and drink options available. They also had plenty of restrooms, and the entire campus was extremely clean and fully staffed. The owner was walking around interacting with everyone, and there were plenty of designated areas to sit or stand. The field was really nice, and having a DJ playing while the team practiced made the atmosphere even more fun! They even had a store where you could purchase Chicago Bears merchandise and memorabilia. There was truly something for everyone. I had such a fun time spending the day with my brother and nephews. I definitely can't wait to go again. And the best part? This entire experience was FREE! You really can't beat that.

Had the opportunity to attend a meeting at Halas Hall and it was a treat…read more There are several buildings and beautiful grounds , including practice fields. There was so much history and it was great to see the Super Bowl trophy. Cameras are not allowed in many areas, but I was grateful to see many areas within the building. They should offer tours.

I've been wanting to visit the Mitchell Museum since I learned about it about a year ago. It's a…read morevery small museum--you might pass it and not realize what it is, or maybe think it's a church or something. In two stories, they tell you a bit about the history of Native Americans the US and Canada, with a particular emphasis of the history of Native peoples in the city and region. The museum is about 45 years old and one of the few that focuses exclusively on this population. I spent about an hour and a half viewing the exhibits. The various exhibits introduced various indigenous groups (Plains, Woodlands, etc.) and how those groups lived. There were displays of the crafts, both ceremonial and utilitarian, that each tribe was known for, and they were careful to share in most or all instances how those crafts and traditions changed pre- and post-contact. Upstairs there was a section that talked about the presence of American Indians in Chicago and the near region, from explaining the atrocities that the government perpetrated against them to simply explaining the origins of well-known Chicago areas such as Portage Park, Sauganash, and Caldwell Woods. When I visited, there was an exhibit about missing and murdered indigenous women (MMIW). Long ignored, indigenous women are by far the most endangered when it comes to the murder or disappearance of these women. Women on reservations are ten times more likely to end up part of the MMIW, and in just the last few years (2019, I believe) over 5,500 indigenous women were missing or murdered. Too long this has been a crisis that has been ignored by majority culture. Although the exhibit as a whole was very powerful, Nayana LaFond's contribution to the exhibit was especially moving. She paints images of MMIW that have been provided to her by family or friends of the missing women. She explained that she hadn't intended for it to become a project, but once she started receiving dozens of requests for paintings she couldn't turn down some and not others. The Mitchell Museum will be doing some programming soon, and I think that part of that programming in May will be related to MMIW education and causes. There's a small parking lot in back--probaly enough for three to four cars. But when I was here (on a Tuesday in April), I was the only one here for most of the time so I think parking won't be an issue. For an adult non-tribal member, entrance was only $7 (2023). There is a lift (not an elevator) from the main floor to the lower level, but I'm not sure if there's any way to ascend to the second floor besides the stairs so you may want to inquire about that if climbing the stairs would be difficult.

Wow, this place is the local hidden gem I thought it was.  I tried to come here a couple of years…read moreago, but it was closed due to Covid.  It's a quiet, unassuming place but for just a modest $5 admission ($5 for seniors, and $7 otherwise), you can see a lot of neat American Indian artifacts, artwork, history, and information.  I really enjoyed my 75 minute visit, and that's maybe all you may need (1-2 hours) to peruse their two floors.  You can look at my photos for an idea of what's there, but I had 2 notable personal highlights.  One was seeing a map of North America that showed the names of 1200 tribes(!) and their locations, and that was quite impressive I thought.  Most you wouldn't know, but many of the famous ones you would, from movies and what not.  The other highlight was meeting and chatting with Josee Starr, the staffer that initially greeted me.  There were actually 2 friendly staffers - her and a fellow named Joseph Gackstetter, but I met Josee upon entering and she was the only one there at the time.  After my milling around, I finally got up my nerve to ask her if she was at least partially American Indian as she looked the part, and yippee-yayaay, she told me she was 99% American Indian and 1% French (fur trader French).  Very cool, and she has tracked her genealogy back 9 generations!  I only really knew of one other full native American in my life (an old work colleague), so this was a treat.  I also took the opportunity to give her fellow staffer Joseph some hell for being just a regular Caucasian working here (lol, and he took the kidding in stride).  I highly recommend this place for some cultural enlightenment, and also as a great place to educate youngsters.

Wow! Over the last few years and especially this summer I've visited quite a few local historical…read moremuseums and this is another one that really stands out as truly excellent. In addition to having some unique items and very nice looking exhibits, the tour given by two volunteers was done very well. Kevin provided an excellent tour of the Applebee House and Donlea-Kincaid house, giving plenty of information about where the various items were from and providing plenty of background about the family and how different items were used. He was extremely knowledgeable about all different questions ranging from the ornate decorations, to the different tools used, challenges faced in different time periods, and how to best preserve all the different items available. Michael provided a great tour of the Blacksmith Shop, with an amazing set of stories about all the different items, how they arrived at the museum, how to restore different items, and about various other topics. He is clearly a history lover with an immense amount of knowledge and a passion for teaching others. He is also excellent at getting others interested in history with his amazing ability to help people relate historic times to modern times, and thoroughly explain anything that is asked about any part of the museum. Definitely worth a visit to learn a lot about local history and historic artifacts. The quality of preservation and the completeness of several collections is truly amazing.

This was a gem to run across. It's easy to miss on Lake-Cook Road. There is a parking lot in the…read moreback between the two houses. It is hard to find the entrance to the museum but once you get there it is very much worth the effort. We were given a tour by two very knowledgeable and enthusiastic tour guides. They gave us personal attention. There are so many stores and artifacts that an hour and a half want nearly enough. Highly recommend is you live in the Barrington area or like history.