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.

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.

It was super enjoyable. Learned a lot of history about the city of Chicago. Max is so energetic and…read morejust good time! You won't regret it. Take the tour.

Review for the WALKING TOUR: went with my family. The stories and the locations were not the only…read morehighlights, but the skill and presentation of the storyteller as well. Sophia was amazing, engaging and was full of energy/passion. We saw a deal at Groupon for $28 and we decided to take a chance on the activity. You don't go in any buildings, except one - the Palmer House Hotel. It was a good place for a break in the tour, though no scary stories were told about it. My feedback for the tour company is to add more stories if possible, I feel like there could be a little bit more added compared to the other tours I've been on. Parking: Use spot hero beforehand to find the best deal closest to Hoyt's tavern (meet up spot). Picked the spot near Dunkin Donuts for $10.99 and 5 min walk away. FYI: The tour does NOT circle back close to where they originally started. We ended the tour about 20 min walk away. So just keep that in mind. We were fine with it and even got to stop by one of our favorite Gelato places in Paris, Amorino on the way back. Discovered they have a store here along the walking tour.

This didn't exist when I grew up, but it's a favorite stop when visiting home with my family. On…read morethis last trip, we all came by for a walk in the snow. We then took the kids, (my son, niece and nephew), inside to check out the animals that are taken care of here. From owls to alligators, we even got a tour of the "venomous" room where they house the kind of snakes that will give you nightmares. It's all free, but be sure to leave at least a small cash donation in their bin so they can continue doing what they do.

Never returned my call. I heard it through the grapevine that they are out of business and no…read morelonger a venue that can be booked for weddings. However, they are still being advertised.

Not sure which caterer of the four that Cuneo allows but the food at a recent wedding was inedible…read more We chose the beef medallion option and we couldn't cut the meat. It was like hard rubber. Sadly our whole table left the meal. They served it with broccolini that was steamed plain with no salt or seasonings. The potato patty had so much sage in it that it was inedible. We saw others at different tables having the same issues. We just know the bride and groom had to pay a pretty penny for this unacceptable food. Such an embarrassment for the family. Definitely stay away from the Loyola Cuneo Mansion for a wedding. Hopefully they will make needed repairs and add some fresh paint to the exterior of the building. It must be noted that the ballroom was lovely and the tables were exquisitely dressed.

Well, on this hot and muggy Sunday, we decided to have an atypical weekend visit to the shady Grove…read moreto do our almost daily walk. We typically only visit here on quieter weekday mornings. We were pleasantly surprised and fortunate to find the Blacksmith Shop open and that is the case only on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 3pm. Alec was the blacksmith on duty and he provided some insights into his craft as well as a walk-through of their various iron products, both functional and decorative. He is one of five volunteer blacksmiths on the staff here and really enjoys his time here. Thanks for the tour Alec!

What a great surprise. Needed a little down time and a chance to relax. The Grove provides just…read morethat. Free parking and no cost to walk around. The paths are easy to walk and the native prarie plants along with wild life is spectacular. The period building are relics from a very different era that look perfectly in place in woods. Will look to see what programming they have.

Amazing tour! So many great shots, hidden gems and information! The stop at the oriental institute…read morewas a great add-- I have never signed up for a walking tour and I'm glad I did! Update*** here are some pictures I managed to snap along the way.

I went on the Saturday at 10am tour led by Joe. Super impressed by the Hyde park areas offerings…read more So many hidden gems joe showed us along our tour that I would've never discovered! I love finding unexplored and new areas in Chicago that I've never seen. This tour really opened up my eyes to how beautiful the Hyde Park area is! I've been to this area and always wanted to know the history behind the statues and such. My tip- book on eventbrite. They are running a promotional right now. My biggest recommendation is bring a water bottle and comfortable shoes. You make a stop for a bathroom break which is where I filled up my water bottle. Affordable and interesting I wouldn't miss this If you want to learn more about the history of the Hyde Park /south side area of Chicago. I also had lunch at a spot joe recommended. It was delicious! If you go on this tour- ask for Joe.

The Laurent House is such a beautiful story of love, determination, dedication and perseverance…read more Really enjoyed the personal biographical information about the Laurents that bring this modest, yet gorgeous Frank Lloyd Wright home to life. The Foundation and its docents have done a wonderful job as caretakers of this unique story and historic building. Only recommendation would be a little better coordination of tours, if running on the half hour. It is a small space.

Such a cool and well preserved piece of architecture. One of my favorite tours, and the property is…read moresmall so it's very digestible and easy to really take in all the details. The guides are really knowledgeable

I'm embarrassed to say I was unaware of this beautiful museum so perfectly preserved in the…read moreNorthwest suburbs of Chicago. This is a stunning house/museum located in Schaumburg, Illinois, just minutes from my house. This mid-century modern house was masterfully planned and built by architect Paul Schweikher in 1938 in a former farm field. The grounds are beautifully manicured and maintained. As we turned on the (somewhat obscure) driveway, we were immediately transported back in time. Truly magical. Our docent went out of his way to engage us with not only the details of the house, grounds and construction, but entertained us with stories of the former owners and their friends. You don't want to miss this experience. We will definitely be checking out some of the events planned for this lovely, preserved genius home!

A really beautiful house and a fantastic tour. So glad I went. I didn't know this gem existed a 9…read moreminute drive from my childhood home!

Very friendly staff and even if I can't find something when I'm there it's always a great…read moreexperience. Prices are high for some stuff but they have good weekly deals if you use them to your advantage.

It was clean employees are the friendliest but the prices weren't the best! Everything else was…read moregreat