The Redfield Estate is a beautiful venue for a wedding. We were very excited to tour the grounds for our upcoming wedding. My fiance and I drove and walked around ourselves before calling to make an official tour appointment. We liked what we saw and we were ready to book this as our ceremony venue. The next day, I called and spoke with Carol and booked an appointment 3 weeks away. I let the staff know what our wedding date was and they said they had that date available. I had 2 phone calls to confirm our appointment and in neither of the calls was I notified that our wedding date was already booked by another party. We drove out from Chicago and so did my mother for our tour only to find out that our date was booked. We spent 2 minutes there and left. It is very unprofessional to not inform a wedding party that their date was already booked. Not only did we waste a precious free Saturday, but we wasted weeks in our ceremony venue search. A phone call or an email could have saved us time and frustration. read more

Disclaimer ... I have friends who work here. That being said, we have enjoyed coming to the Grove for many years now. It improves with age. The new Robert Kennicott Archives Building is really cool. It was built with a lot of attention to details and a very artistic eye. The log building that houses the animal collection is my favorite. I wish I could live there. I love to sit and watch the turtles. It is like therapy. The nature trails are well managed and full of visual wonder. This is a place where keeping your eyes open can really pay off. Wildlife is abundant and the flowers pepper the landscape. There are all kinds of programs for children as well as adults, including Civil War reenactments during the Summer. If I had kids we would be spending a lot of time here. You sure don't need kids to enjoy this place though, just unleash your sense of wonder and you will love it. read more

This is a hidden piece of heaven! I came here because I was feeling down but as soon as I started walking around I found it lifted me up completely! Not only was there beautiful natural greenery, forests, and little romantic settings but also houses, a school house, a green house, and a few more buildings which brought me back to the 1600's ! There are also a few little lakes and open fields! You won't believe how big this place is! I would recommend taking a walk mid afternoon, and wear bug spray! Don't be scared of the bugs! It just means it's a truly natural environment! I also recommend good walking shoes :] Enjoy! read more

Not many people that I know, know about The Grove. There is a log home with some exotic animals inside, a building with fish, turtles, an owl and some snakes inside. There is a long nature walk that is beautiful, with prairies and natural ponds. Occasionally they have craft fairs and other events where you can buy stuff, and get yummy food. I definitely recommend going to the Grove. If it's for an event, or just to walk the nature trails. Beautiful!!! read more

How I forget this place in my list of favorite locations to enjoy herb? Pretty amazing place to get lost for a few hours- skipping stones, walking the trails, checking out the animals and rare flowers, etc. It's one of the few places I can think of that's close enough to Chicago to be fairly accessible but (meta?)physically far away enough that your forget about the concrete and asphalt from which you came. read more

This is the best place for a sedate weekend field trip with your kids and stroll around under the trees. On pioneer days you see black smith demonstrations and historical reenactments and candle making and music and food and all under the shade and while walking In a relaxing location read more

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There isn't much more to say that's already been said. Carol is amazing to work with. She was SO helpful in planning our wedding. Everyone loved the landscape at our wedding (we had the ceremony and the reception at the Grove) and we got so many compliments on it. It was truly an amazing day and the Grove was the perfect backdrop for it. read more

There is a nature preserve and a museum on the grounds here. Learn what it was like in the pioneer days of the 1800's. There are a few log cabins on the grounds, gardens and a greehnhouse on the over 100 acres of property. Inside the visiting center you will find all sorts of giant fish and reptiles in glass houses and tanks . There is an owl that they have in his own area that greets you before you walk thru the trails. Glenviews version of Walden. read more

The Grove - A giant catfish and his friends - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Glenview, Illinois

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Wow !!!! I can't believe I was raised in Chicago & lived quite close to this place & never had visited or even knew about it !!! What a wonderful place to visit & take the kids , just make sure you are aware in the humid weather of the pesty critters , & be prepared !! My favorite part are the great walking / hiking trails & all the cool things to see like the turtles , fish & interested artifacts !! Steve Swanson the Director is Very helpful & does a great job!! This would Be an Awesome Location to have an event !!! Since the grounds are so beautiful! read more

This place is a national treasure. From the Indian settlement, to the cabin, to the doctor from Louisiana's main house, and all the beautiful trees and greenery, this is the place to go in the summers in northern Illinois. It is such a peaceful and relaxing feeling. read more

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Super enjoyable place that is free and has a lot of educational activities for kids. We have been here during each season and you can enjoy it with kids anytime; spring time the walking trails are great and you can have a small picnic as well; summer time is great for walking through and seeing turtles, snakes, etc.. Be careful walking the trails in the summer because there are a lot of mosquitoes. The indoor activity center is nice and the gift shop has some cool affordable stuff!! read more

What a beautiful hidden gem! We would always drive by it on our way to TGIFridays and I'm so glad my husband convinced me to go check it out! It's got so much history, a nature center and plenty of room for trail walking. It's perfect for families and best of all- it's free! Our favorite little nature escape close to home. read more

The Grove - The marsh in the grove. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Glenview, Illinois

This local historical site is excellent! I have been to the grove over a dozen times with my nieces, and they enjoy it every time. It's great to take a look at local plants and animals. Our trips usually last around 30-40 minutes, and we typically explore some of the trails and then the exhibits indoors (some live, some not). While they do have special events, I haven't been to any as an adult (but did have a birthday party there as a child!). It's a great way to spend some time looking and learning for free! read more

Came here with my nephew today. Was very nice. Clean and lots of place to walk. Nice scenery. Will try to go back on pioneer day this Saturday. Should be lots of fun. Will edit afterwards with my thoughts. read more

Although I live in the area, I had never come here before but decided to come for the holiday festival. Since it was a nice day, I also had an opportunity to hike all of the trails. It is not huge but there is quite a bit to see. Inside, two of my favorite things were the turtle tank and the 100+ year old turtle that lives in another tank with lots of different kinds of fish. As others have noted, kids will love this place; there's a lot for them to see. The staff are very nice and they try hard to answer any questions you might have. If you haven't been, definitely put it on your agenda! read more

Picture perfect outdoor wedding venue - "just like a Hollywood movie" according to our guests! We hosted a summer wedding here in July. Mother Nature blessed us with THE most perfect summer day. The Grove provided the ideal venue. Ceremony space on the lawn is breathtaking. The land slopes gently so everyone can see the bride and the groom. The main house is comfortable for about 60 IMHO. You can comfortably seat 100 in the pavilion. The pavilion is wonderful. It is a newer stone structure with a fireplace. Our photographer is perhaps the most unbiased opinion, and al she could say is "oh my god" every time she looked through the lens. If you want to do a classy outdoor DIY wedding in Chicago, this venue is the best. read more

My daughter had her 7th birthday party at the Grove. She had a tea party at the Kennicott House. It was so wonderful. And, mothers and daughters alike said that it was the best birthday party they ever went to. The party assistants gave the adults a tour of the house while another party assistant gave the girls lessons in tea etiquette and made corsages. All for $100!! Way better than a Chuck E Cheese party any day. Also, the entire place is beautiful . We love to just go there exploring. Don't miss out on this gem! read more

Beautiful trails and a fun nature center for both adults and kids to enjoy.

This is not a family friendly place. The guide was inappropriate with my daughter. My daughter left in tears.

My cousin got married here on a super humid July evening, and it was perfect. Now you're probably thinking, wait what? Humid? July? The suburbs?? You must be hitting the crack rocks hard dude. Well not tonight bitches. The house and grounds are beautiful and the set up for the ceremony and reception were perfect. It also happened to just cool down enough to make the humidity bearable, but unfortunately the mosquitoes worse. I guess a few red welts are the price you pay for an awesome small outdoor wedding. I don't really know how an indoor wedding would work at the estate though, that place is teeny tiny. Good enough for serving dinner and the dancing portion of the wedding I attended, but I couldn't see all the guests somehow cramming in there in the winter or something and there couldn't have been more than 60 people there. read more

Very nice and educational place for the family to visit and see animals. It's true you do need to spray yourself with bug spray to keep away the mosquitoes but, it's a park so, what do you expect? Good for a lazy Sunday morning or afternoon. I like this hidden little gem. read more

Went to a reception here- one if the best I've ever been to! I felt like I was in downton abbey!

This is by far my favorite of the near Northwest suburban nature centers and trails. Beautiful buildings and beautifully maintained trails. Great for kids. Bring a picnic and sit on the Kenicott lawn and let the kids run wild. And it's free! read more

Amazing wildlife and right in the heart of Glenview. Wonderful location for a wedding or funeral. Very sacred. Take a walk in the woods or go see the turtles and other animals in the sanctuary. Great for kids! read more

I love the Grove....it is a personal reflection I am offering. My brother, Tom worked there. He loved being close to nature and learning about restoration and preservation. He worked hard. A couple days before he was scheduled for heart surg., at Northwest Hosp., he invited me to jump into the work vehicle and we toured. At one point he jumped out to lift a large leaf and under it was a colorful shoot. He was excited about this. Huge and endangered trees are being protected there. The Kennicot House is lovely. Once I visited when the workers dressed up as Pioneers. I was impressed with everything I saw, except for perhaps the large turtle. I would give him a bigger tank. I will always, always cherish that day when Tom shared some of what he loved there. Keep up the good work. Larna, Norridge, Illinois read more

Went for pioneer days. Love it. Rich in history and natural beauty. Will definitely be back.

I love this park! I often come here just to enjoy the nature's beauty and to relax. If you are near, by all means stop to visit this place.

Lovely place to get some inspiration. My grandmother came to the city and I took her there, she loved it. Great place!!!

I have to be honest....the last members of my family to own the Kennicott estate were my great grandparents. My mom grew up spending countless evenings and holidays at the Grove. As a kid I went to the grove many times as a kid, we even went there on a 4th grade field trip. My brother donated his turtle to the main tourist building...I've always assumed that sally girl had a great life amongst the other turtles at the grove. The grove is a historical landmark based on the naturalistic findings of John Kennicott who was a naturalist and explored Alaska. His findings convinced the US to acquire Alaska. The Grove is comprised of two main houses, the Kennicott house and the Redfield Estate. The Kennicott house is available for guided tours. The Redfield Estate is available for rent for weddings and receptions. You can also have a tent on the lawns. The Grove also has a tee pee, and small cottage where you can practice churning butter (at least when I was ten you cold practice churning butter). Every year around the holidays they have a craft fair which is in the Redfield and the Kennicott houses. It's fun for me to explore the Kennicott house because my mom's name is engraved in different walls and furniture, along with her height. It's fun to explore my family history at the Grove. read more

Came on a weekday afternoon and checked out the indoor reptile exhibit with my toddler. What a great way to spend an afternoon! Even better, it's a free experience, but they appreciate donations. Excited to go back and spend more time during the warmer months! read more

The Grove is a National Historic Landmark for the buildings. It's also a local treasure for short hikes/long walks on level trails, birding, and observing the many creatures they have at the visitor's center. Turtles? They've got those. Great huge snakes that swim in the water? Check! Seriously large snapping turtle that could take the hand off an unwary noodler? Yup. I think this place is great for all ages. We regularly walk here to bird. Even in the off seasons, it's easy to get over 20 species here, and upwards of 35 during migration. And that's without a high-powered scope. In years past, I had birthday parties here for the kids. They do a great job with that, as well as school or Scout field trips. They also have clean bathrooms and a cute little gift shop. Many special events are held throughout the year, check their calendar. This place is also a wedding and special event venue. Stop by. You won't be disappointed. read more

Don't bother. This place is filled with mud holes and "natural" swamps and dead trees and is infested by mosquitos in the summer. Additionally, I live in a neighborhood near this place, and every year our power goes out because they refuse to cut their 150 foot trees back, and the wind blows down a limb which falls over a power line. It usually takes several days to restore power. Last year, our neighbors roof was penetrated by a falling limb (not a dead one) during a storm, causing about $100,000 worth of damage. The Grove is the worst neighbor EVER. read more

A scenic getaway. The staff/volunteers we met at the log cabin and blacksmith's were exemplary. Great for kids and the grounds were well-maintained. We aim to come back several times before the Winter is upon us. read more

This is a snobbish place which is pretty much geared towards making money rather than offer an area for people to come and visit for free to enjoy nature or visit historic sites. The parties or reservations take precedence over general population's enjoyment of these facilities and this area. It is unfortunate that historic sites are on these grounds as access to them is diminished by the way this place is run. It's too bad that historic sites are being used this way and help generate money for the people who run this place. It's suppose to be open to the public and not be a business as it is. So far, twice I tried to visit after reading reviews only to turn back without seeing anything. First, to my surprise, they were charging people, even children, at the door to enter while none of the information about them charging you to enter the facilities was posted on their website. After my call to complain, they said that they will include that information on their website from now on when they have special events. I see that they have included it now for their next special event. This wasn't the only surprise, however, that I learned about once I made my way all the way there. The second time I went when they did not have a supposed special event whey they charge you money to enter, I was chased out of there because I entered with a dog. I said that there is nothing on the website saying that dogs are not allowed on these grounds and I was told that it states so at the entrance. Well, I didn't even see that sign when I was entering and then checked the website again to see anything about dogs not being allowed there and there was nothing. In addition to the surprises I mentioned thus far, you might also be in for a surprise of no or scarce parking once you get there. Since they rent out spaces there for special events, there are usually large groups of people gathering there and having their ceremonies. There will be signs indicating that a private event is taking place. So again, this is yet another way for the organizers there to make you feel unwelcome. If you do decide to stay and walk around, be prepared for all of these surprises and the unwelcome feeling that you get when you are simply not allowed to wonder around the area everywhere. Hey, if you didn't pay to be there, why would you expect to feel welcome at a place like this??! So in all, I do not recommend for you to visit there. I will certainly not go back and waste more gas money and my time. read more