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.

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!!

The Arlington Heights Historical Museum is also home to the Arlington Heights Farmers Market. This…read moreis a great place to spend a Saturday morning in the summer. My husband and I had a great time pursuing all of the vendors and activities that are available here. We love the cookies, pastries, apples, peaches, and fresh produce that we can get there. I highly recommend the Arlington Heights Historical Museum!

History has always interested me and this is a great place to learn about the history and people of…read moreArlington Heights. The Arlington Heights Historical Museum has beautiful exhibits which tell the story of Arlington Heights. When I visited they had an exhibit on Arlington Club Beverages and the 65th Anniversary of the Arlington Heights Historical Society. Arlington Club Beverages were made at this location for over 70 years. Sodas using the original recipe are available for purchase in the gift shop if you are interested in trying some of the sodas. The five building campus is a must see for any history lover or Arlington Heights resident. I visited on a snowy day. I found the grounds to be easy to walk despite the conditions. I recommend calling ahead to confirm operating hours.

A surprising hidden gem tucked away off the main road, without much indication of where this place…read moreis or what it is for. The museum here is quite impressive, with a nicely designed, brightly lit, attractive display of art, artifacts, and well constructed set of displays. With the spacious layout, it's easy to believe that you're in one of the major museums downtown, except that this place is not crowded at all so you can take your time to really read and learn about Korean Culture. There is also a library, event hall, class rooms, and outdoor sculptures to look at as well. Overall, worth a visit if you're in the area. The center is well maintained and you're sure to learn something, especially with the rotating art exhibits.

I am taking Korean language classes here. I have had difficulty learning a new language in the…read morepast, but here I have been able to learn so much and so quickly!

What a special spot for kids and families!…read more While visiting family nearby, they suggested that we all take our kids to the Kohl Children's Museum for them to play and run around. (It was also a particularly good move because we would be leaving shortly thereafter on our five-hour roadtrip back home -- so great for getting out the wiggles!) This museum is one large floor filled with spaces for kids to play with. There's a play grocery, play restaurant, play doctors office, play mechanic, play water tables, play music area -- even a play bookshop. Everything the kids could touch and learn from. We easily spent a couple of hours exploring everything alongside our kiddos. The trick was keeping an eye on our kids since they were constantly running from one thing to the next. We also visited during a weekend of a freezing cold snap, which meant it was packed with families hoping to wear their kids out indoors. Even still, we were able to play with everything without a long wait. I loved seeing how thought out each area was and all the ways that the kids could interact with everything. If I lived in this area, I would definitely have a membership and visit often!

This place is great with a caveat - your kids need to really be in the sweet spot for it. Like, 2-5…read moreyears old. Also, prices are now up to $20 per person, whether an adult or child. Last time I was here I was amused to see the grocery store was a Whole Foods and the sandwich shop was a Potbelly's, but I guess those sponsorships have expired and everything's kind of generic now. Kids won't care but I thought it was fun. The main draw of this place is the sheer amount of variety they have. Kids can play with toy cars, instruments, water, trains. They can paint, build things, read. They can pretend to be a vet, build a house, grocery shop, run a sandwich shop (oh I guess I mentioned those). There's a whole bunch of little science-y things, and some areas that rotate periodically. Toddlers and young kiddos have a blast, but I feel it'd be hard to keep older kids engaged. It also feels pretty pricy, especially charging parents, though I didn't know you could save a couple bucks buying online ahead of time. Parking is mostly easy but it is a popular place so be prepared to have to do some conflict resolution at times.

The Raupp Museum in Buffalo Grove is out of the way but is well worth the visit. This Museum tells…read morethe history of Buffalo Grove. There is one exhibit that follows the village from its founding to the present day. There are artifacts and displays that the whole family will enjoy. Here you are encouraged to open drawers and explore in the exhibits. Another exhibit features a life size train platform and a general store. This is perfect for the kids. There are rotating special exhibits on the lower level.

Hidden on top of a hill, a little off Mchenry Rd. and Checker Rd. is a small, but well designed…read moremuseum with high quality displays like the ones you see off the Rt 66 museums. This covers a wide timeframe from the Potawatomi Indians all the way through the late 20th century. In addition to Buffalo Grove and other local history, there is also items significant to each time period on display like cameras, food, irons, and various tools and machines. These displays have plenty of descriptions to help visitors understand what they are looking at. Overall, worth a visit if you're in the area. Like other local historical museums, admission is free and there's plenty to learn.

A pleasant surprise as this museum has a good number of well presented rooms and arranged artifacts…read morespread over 3 floors. The staff was very helpful in explaining the history behind the different items as we toured throughout the building. Parking was easy and that was a nice little gift shop available to pick up some very reasonably priced souvenirs. It would be nice if the hours were a little longer as it is only open for two hours each Sunday.

Great museum! Tells a lot of the town's history. Very helpful and knowledgeable volunteers…read more Fantastic treat for history lovers!

It's unfortunate that Deerfield Historic Village has such limited hours as the buildings have great…read moredisplays within them with lots of details about the history and a broad timeframe of history covered between them. The Caspar Ott Log House really takes you back to 1837 with an impressive array of items such as a bed, dresser, toys, chairs, table, and other items from the area. This is definitely impressive in the comprehensiveness and presentation, as well as being the oldest standing building in Lake County. Outside of Volo Auto Museum, I'm not sure if I've seen as many antique vehicles and farm equipment as there is in the Carriage House. It's a really great experience to be able to view these magnificent vehicles up close and see all the unique details that went into their construction. I also enjoyed seeing the large selection of historical farming tools. The Sack House has a wonderful assortment of items from the early 1900's, once again really giving me a feel for what life may have looked like back then with an impressive assortment of art, common household items, fully furnished bedrooms, and lots of signs with explanations The Brand Luther House has a nice visitors center with a neat set of displays that show an eclectic mix of history covering everything from music to Sara Lee. The volunteers here were very helpful in explaining some details in different buildings. Finally, the Little Red Schoolhouse is a neat replica of a one-room school house complete with small desks, a stove, old books and map. Though it was built in 1981, the old furnishings and items really give a feeling of stepping back in time. Overall, definitely worth a visit for any history lover. A great free experience with well designed displays.

The historic village in downtown deerfield is home to various historic cabins which rest on a small…read moreplot of land. The historically society opens the doors to the cabins Sundays during the summer months and pulls out the old wagons and lets you tour the inside of each dwelling. The volunteers are helpful and offer some history for those who inquire. It's not a site I would go out of my way to visit or recommend but a nice piece of history to walk thru if you happen upon it while strolling around deerfield.

I never really spent time here until a few weeks ago, even though we go hiking at Ryerson Woods…read morepretty regularly. It's a cute building with rotating exhibits and they also have scheduled and open crafting hours. My sister and I participated in a wreath making create and sip last night which was so fun and extremely reasonable at $20/per person when they supply the materials. Since their supplies are donated, it was really interesting to see all the different styles of wreaths that were made. We would definitely come back for another craft and sip.

I never knew this place existed until my neighbor told me about Ryerson Woods a few weeks ago and…read moresuggested I go because it was peak autumn. She told me there is a gallery, too. I made it up just in time before they closed for the day. It's a cute building and they have various collaborations. The first time I went their featured art was from the Highland Park Art Center. This past weekend I went back for their Soundscapes exhibit, which is a partnership with various non-profits and focused on art made by veterans and their families. I went to the opening reception, which was free, and included performances/spotlights on the participating partner organizations and some of the artists featured. It was a moving event (especially being Veteran's Day weekend) and a powerful exhibit. This is a great space and I loved learning more about how they support the local community and partner with other non-profits to bring art to the space and make art accessible. Highly recommend. Also, the surrounding area is stunning, so being able to see art and enjoy nature is a double dose of joy.