Arboretum, Art, Botanical Garden, Children's, Culture, General, History, Historic House, Library, Military

Located in Wheaton, Ill., this sprawling, 500-acre park is where families wander through nature, get lost in history, play golf at an award-winning course, attend a big band concert, tag monarch butterflies, make a snow globe, take classes, introduce children to the age-old custom of afternoon tea, attend a wide variety of special programs and events --in short, spend quality time together.

In addition to vast formal gardens and picnic and camping grounds, Cantigny offers two history-rich museums: the Robert R. McCormick Museum and the Cantigny First Division Museum, fascinating for children and researchers alike.

Botanical Garden, Science

With "wows" around every corner, the Chicago Botanic Garden is a 385-acre living museum featuring 23 display gardens, including Evening Island, Fruit & Vegetable, Japanese and English Walled. Ths mission of the Chicago Botanic Garden is to promote the enjoyment, understanding and conservation of plants and the natural world.

Art, Science