I am a very big fan of this barn. I have been taking lessons here for the past 3 years, and plan on…read moredoing so longer. They have great horses for lessons, the staff and volunteers are very helpful and hard working.

Recently held my nieces 8th birthday party here. Everyone in attendance had a great time! The…read morestaff was wonderful and informative. I definitely recommend hosting a child's birthday party here because all of the entertainment is provided.

Wonderful girl scout experience! The girls were able to groom, tack and ride the horses. The…read moreowner was absolutely experienced and great with the kids. So much information about horse care, riding and general knowledge. Excellent experience!

WOW Sunset Knoll is an outstanding place for beginner riding lessons. The owner is very nice,…read more She made my daughter feel very secure on the horse and gave her one on one attention. We had a blast, then they taught her how to groom a horse .Their barn is very organized and fun for kids. I would recommend this ranch for riding lessons, Five STARS!!

Great place...great friendly staff running the facility with plenty of activities for…read moreeveryone...looking forward to family night and horse camp this year for my daughter...keep up the great work

Excellent place to get started with your horseback riding experience...for all ages. They have…read moregreat friendly rescued horses and certainly make the experience memorable. I would encourage them to add an element of what it is like to keep a horse on their trail rides to encourage and intrigue first time riders.

This is the 2nd year we have had Sarah's ponies out to our Autumn Fair Fundraising event. Her…read morestaff, once again, was phenomenal. Nicole was very communicative with me and she was able to get the pony wheel and petting zoo set up quickly and efficiently with her staff. Thank you!

Ken and his staff at PEC are some of the best in the industry. Ken's knowledge of the horses and…read moreriding instruction continues to amaze me. The community at PEC is a fun and family friendly environment. I cannot thank PEC enough for the wonderful care of my horse and everything they have taught me!

Still great place to board and for lessons, but they discontinued trail rides. The surrounding…read moreforest preserves sadly make riders feel unwelcome as peds, bikes don't want to share the trails. It's a shame so many people fear horses

I've been riding here for the past 6 years and I loved it, every horse is well mannered and some…read morepeople are as well. I have quit at this barn because of fat shaming by a lady, which I will not name. Because of this, I have lost all confidence in riding. I also do not recommend camps, any of them. Prices go up while everything stays the same or even becomes worse.

Well today was our granddaughter's (ages 11 & 13) first riding lesson at Windy City Arabians…read more Neither had ever ridden or spent any time around these beautiful animals, and both were a bit anxious. But within minutes the trainers had them brushing, tacking, and leading their own horse into the spacious arena. There they wasted no time instructing them on how to saddle up and off they went, each one being led by their own trainer. They were taught balance, posture, posting, and building confidence in general. About half way into the lesson they took the girls in the middle of the arena for further detailed instruction while the more proficient students rode the perimeter. By the end the girls were all smiles; riding on their own! They can't wait for their next lesson! We are all completely impressed with Windy City's Learning & training center's technique. I will be recommending them to all who might be interested in a "riding lesson" that is that, and so much more! One last thing......Grandparents, this is the best gift ever!!!!

So we did not end up sending our baby here…read more But nonetheless, I wanted to take this opportunity to write a great recommendation for Nikki and the rest of the staff. Earlier this year, we were looking for a daycare solution for our six month old. We heard great reviews, and so we came by for an in person tour and paid a deposit here. The staff was so welcoming, and it was evident that they really cared about taking good care of the kids. Additionally, there coronavirus protocols were spot on. They took great care to enforce a 100% masking policy, and it sounds like the vast majority of the staff had also been vaccinated. I loved that even though it looked like a commercial building instead of a school, they had different rooms for the different aged kids, kitchens, security cameras EVERYWHERE, and even outdoor space. We felt welcomed and Nikki answered every question we could have possibly had. Another endorsement is that she sends her own kids there! Anyway - we wish things would've worked out - it's purely a matter of distance and proximity - but we would've been thrilled to send our kid here. Thanks Nikki and the team!

We enrolled our son at Kiddie Academy of Darien nearly a year in advance while I was pregnant…read morebecause we knew how competitive childcare openings are in the area. We completed the enrollment agreement, paid the enrollment fee, signed all required paperwork, and received written confirmation that his enrollment was finalized with a scheduled start date of August 17, 2026. As we got closer to his start date, I reached out to introduce our son and check on the waitlist for an earlier opening. That conversation is when I learned that our confirmed August start date had been pushed back several months. I was told an email had been sent months earlier, but our family had somehow been left off the distribution list. Here's what makes this unacceptable: no one ever contacted us to let us know our confirmed enrollment had changed. We only found out because I reached out. Had I not, we would have continued planning our return to work under the assumption that our son was starting in August. I emailed both the center director and management outlining my concerns and asking for a resolution. I followed up when I received no response. Neither email was ever acknowledged. Instead, the only communication we received was an automated message informing us that Lucas's start date had been changed AGAIN. Mistakes happen. Ignoring families after those mistakes happen is a choice. Childcare is one of the biggest decisions parents make. Families arrange maternity leave, work schedules, and finances around confirmed enrollment dates. The complete lack of communication and accountability throughout this process was incredibly disappointing. Thankfully, we found another daycare that welcomed our son sooner and has been proactive, organized, and communicative from day one. Looking back, I'm grateful this happened before our son ever started because it showed us exactly how communication is handled when something goes wrong. If you're considering Kiddie Academy of Darien, I would encourage you to look at the many other excellent daycare options in the area before making your decision.