St. Charles: Christmas Village and Train Display

St. Charles -- The Christmas Village and Train Display at St. Charles Free Methodist Church delighted my boys when we stopped by on the day after Christmas. A layout of more than 10 tracks and 100 houses (according to their website) gives visitors plenty to see. Familiar friends from the island of Sodor zip around one hillside, while the wintertime village is encircled by model railroad cars of mid-century vintage, both diesel and steam. Local landmarks such as Blue Goose Grocery and a Saints-North Stars football game appear as well. 

The Christmas-themed display remains up for guests of all ages on Saturday afternoons in January, 1 p.m. till 6 p.m. The church is located at 214 Walnut Street, St. Charles. 

Railroad Roadtrip: Trains in Wisconsin's Northwoods

At the Minocqua Museum

Northern Wisconsin -- Ah, the Northwoods: a vacation paradise of forests, lakes and trains.

For families who head Up North on their summer vacation, a day away from the cabin can include a whistle stop at local museums with charming model train layouts and retired railroad cars. More avid railroad fans can even enjoy the rare opportunity to ride an operational steam train. This being a tourist paradise, the non-train lover will be rewarded for coming along for the ride with fun sites to see and things to do at the very same spots.

Main-level layout at Minocqua Museum

Large layout at the Minocqua Museum

MINOCQUA

My family  recently returned from our first Northwoods vacation in several years. We knew our week in the woods would include a few train stops, but the first was a chance discovery. During a morning visit to Minocqua we were in need of rest rooms and turned to the Minocqua Museum in our time of need. Lo and behold, what should we discover upon entering but a delightful model train layout on the main level and an even larger layout in the museum's basement. Both illustrate the area's history as towns grew up around railroad lines thanks to logging and tourism industries in the late 19th century. My boys were captivated by both layouts and appreciated being able to operate some of the trains with the push of a button. As is so often the case at small museums, the  engineer on hand, who had built both layouts, was eager to share his love of history and trains with our family. (For my daughter, who was less entranced with the trains, other exhibits fascinated her, including sitting in the Cameron automobile and playing teacher in the schoolhouse exhibit.)

LAONA

The Lumberjack Steam Train
Laona, Wisconsin

The very next day, our family headed in the opposite direction to little Laona, Wisconsin for a ride on the Lumberjack Steam Train. Despite our many visits to train museums and countless train rides, this day marked our first family experience with a real, running steam engine. In truth, it was the dad of the family who was most excited to finally experience the puff-puff, chug-chug! According to the museum, the "Laona & Northern Railway was incorporated in 1902. ... It is the only logging railroad engine left in Wisconsin operating on its original line." The engine itself, a 2-6-2 for those of you who count wheels, was built in 1916.

Playground at Camp 5 

View from the caboose cupola

On our ride from the Laona station to Camp 5 (a site listed on the National Register of Historic Places) we sat in the Open Car. Thanks to the Plexiglass shielding we were able to enjoy a view of the engine pushing us backwards to the camp without experiencing the grit that would have been a feature of steam travel in days gone by. Two coach passenger cars were an option for riders as well, as two -- yes, two -- bright yellow cabooses. The ride lasted not much more than 10 minutes, but it wound through beautiful woods, across level crossings and a lake-side bridge, finally ending in the picturesque Camp 5. During our two-hour visit, our middle-child was rewarded for her train tolerance with a visit to the Animal Petting Corral where she and her brothers were able to pet kittens, hold bunnies, and get close to goats, pigs, chickens and a calf. Everyone enjoyed also wandering through the forestry museum -- nothing like seeing the real tools of actual loggers to put that Paul Bunyan Cook Shanty breakfast into perspective. Of course, no matter where we go, the kids always like the park the best, so the playground next to the "Choo-Choo Hut" cafe could have entertained them for hours. When it was time say goodbye to Camp 5, the kids skipped over the passenger cars in favor of a caboose seat, willing to wait 20 minutes in the cupola to hold their places up high and mastering the art of small talk with other kids doing the very same thing. After we returned to the station and spent some time gazing at the train from the safety of a conveniently placed swing set, we pulled out of the parking lot with a send-off blow of the train whistle and a wave from the locomotive's engineer.

Cabooses!

After disembarking from the return trip,
 children took turns tooting the steam whistle

RHINELANDER

"Steam Hauler" for pulling sleighs loaded with logs

Our final train trek took us to Pioneer Park in Rhinelander. According to the museum docents who welcomed us, most kids head straight to the same place mine dashed upon entering the grounds: the Rhinelander Railroad Museum and Model Railroad. Its focal point is the circa 1890 Soo Line depot, which features four rooms of railroad memorabilia, including telegraph equipment that my 2-year old found most compelling. The Rhinelander Rail Association operates the model railroad layout on the lower level, providing a glimpse of the community's history as the rail lines and town centers would have appeared in the early twentieth century.   

Model train display by the Rhinelander Rail Association

Part of a mural outside the Firebarn. 

Outside the depot, visitors may inspect the 1925 narrow gauge steam engine and a passenger car from the Thunder Lake Lumber Company, a caboose from the Soo Line Railroad, a signal tower, and many other equipment pieces. Kids can walk through the caboose, but at this time the passenger car is being restored and is not open for inside visits. Due to the age of the equipment, climbing on the locomotive is also forbidden, however, a museum brochure points to the cow catcher on the front of the engine as a fine place for posed photos. (While there, take note of the narrowness of the narrow-gauge tracks: just 36 inches apart, compared to the 56 inches between the rails of standard trains.) 

"Number 5," a narrow-gauge locomotive

This museum also features several additional exhibits depicting the varied history of the region and diverse interests of guests. Other sites include a sawmill, one-room school house, Civilian Conservation Corps camp building, restored fire engines, blacksmith shop, boating museum, logging displays, and a gift shop. Aside from the trains, my kids were most engaged by the school house with its sand table and collection of rubber stamps -- apparently children across the generations enjoy spending their free time at school in similar ways. 

After visiting the Hodag in the gift shop -- Babe the Blue Ox isn't the only mysterious creature of the northwoods -- we were begged yet again to head for the playground next to the museum for some running, climbing, and sliding. It was the end of the line our train adventures. We needed a day of playing in the woods and the lake before saying "All aboard" to the family van and heading home.  

Soo Line Caboose from the 1880s

Geneva: Model Railroad Display at Swedish Days

Geneva, Illinois -- Chicago's LGB Railroad Club returns to the Geneva History Center June 17 through 22 with the club's display train layout and other activities in honor of the 65th Swedish Days festival. The train is a large scale layout. The center will be open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and admission is $3 for adults and $2 for children. 

The Geneva History Center is located at 113 S. Third Street in downtown Geneva across from the old courthouse. 

St. Charles: G-Scale Model Train on Display

According to releases appearing in local papers (I saw it in the Kane County Chronicle and the Chicago Tribune) a G-Scale Model train will be on display in the greenhouses of the Wasco Nursery and Garden Center during Fathers Day weekend. According to the release, the train will be set up in the greenhouse and among the plants. A "Live Steam Train" will be featured as well. The event is planned for June 13-15. Wasco Nursery is open 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.on Saturday and Sunday. Oh, and this is a free event! Count us in! 

St. Charles: Christmas Villiage model train display

St. Charles, Illinois -- Take a look at this video from St. Charles Free Methodist Church, which is inviting the public to its "Christmas Villiage" train display. To see the display in person, stop by Friday, Dec. 20 between 6 and 8 pm., Saturday, Dec. 21 from 9 a.m. until noon, and Sunday, Dec. 22 from 11:30 a.m. until noon. The church is at 214 Walnut St., St. Charles.

Huntley: Holiday Train Display at Sun City

Huntley, Illinois -- If your Thanksgiving travels are going to take you out toward Huntley in the next few days, consider stopping at the Sun City community for a look at their holiday train display. The Kishwaukee Valley & Eakin Creek Model Railroad club is presenting a layout with multiple gauge trains and hosting a drawing for Lionel trains. Trains will be running most days from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. now through Nov. 29. Find the display at Sun City's Prairie Lodge Social Lounge. A map to the community is here and further details are right here. 

Sun City Huntley is located at 12880 Del Webb Boulevard, Huntley, IL. 

Clintonville Station Revisited

Valley Model Railroad Association, you have a new fan. My family stopped by the group's open house this evening after dinner, as a surprise treat. It was, according to my seven-year old, "the best thing ever." We had attended the open house once before, but it's been a year or two, so it took a few guesses for him to determine where we might be going. It wasn't long before "Is it a train station?" led him to "Oh, is it the one with the model trains inside?" Bingo. We had one happy boy. 

The HO layout of the Valley Model Railroaders fills most of South Elgin's Clintonville Station. Built in 1902, most of the building once held power generating equipment for the area's electrical railroad lines. In the 1950s, the machinery moved out and the club moved in. They've been there ever since, creating an expansive world of track and scenery.

My kids spent at least a happy half-hour staring at the rolling stock ambling through miniature towns, countrysides, and rail yards. True to their personalities, different aspects of the layout intrigued each of my children. The oldest looked for his favorite engines and absorbed the logistics of moving the trains. Miss Middle Child focused on the diorama aspects of the display: details such as curtains in house windows and the path sunbathers must have taken to the beach. The truck-crazy toddler loved seeing any train move past him, but he couldn't understand why the diggers and dumpers weren't actively moving, too. Just when we parents thought we would be able to call it a night and head home, an offer of driving a train was presented. Bedtime had to wait; our young engineer had a train to run. His first experience operating DCC (with sound and lights!) was an unqualified success. Upon arriving home, he brought over a stretch of his Lego train track and began explaining to me why a track can't be too steep and showing me what grade would be best. So, thank you to the Valley Model Railroaders for sharing your hobby with a curious little boy and giving him new ideas for engineering at home. 

South Elgin: Clintonville Station/Valley Model Railroad Association Club

South Elgin -- My household is about to embark on a whole week of of Thanksgiving vacation, which means that finding out-of-the-house things to do with the kids will be a priority for the next few days. One excellent choice for weekend family fun is a visit to the the wonderful old Clintonville Station in South Elgin. What was once a stop on the Chicago Aurora & Elgin Railway is now a model railroad haven on the Illinois Prairie Path. The Valley Model Railroad Association, tenants of the building since 1953, will open its' doors to the public this weekend to see the club's HO trains in action. Visitors will even have the chance to run some of the trains and participate in a raffle. The open house runs Friday, Nov. 22 through Sunday afternoon, Nov. 24.  Check the club's website for full details. 

The public is welcome to visit Valley Model Railroad throughout the year, as well. On Friday evenings (with reservations), guests may bring their own trains to run on the club's track. Church or scouting groups, as well as birthday parties, are also welcomed with a tour of the building and railroad activities. Contact the club for information and reservations. 

Clintonville Station is located at 33W519 Kenyon Road 
South Elgin, IL. 

Birthday shopping in the model kit aisle

On the wish list ... for next year

Just before Halloween, the kids and I were in Hobby Lobby for costume shopping, when we were sidetracked by my son's preferred location in the store -- the model kit aisle. (Revisit that moment here.) Today I was back looking for birthday party activity ideas -- "Can it be an Egypt theme, Mom?" -- when I stopped in the same aisle for present buying. The beloved Big Boy locomotive kit is still there, but, honestly, I'm just not ready for the many, many, many pieces. So, it's going to be a Power Trains birthday, and I'm thrilled to report, not only does Hobby Lobby stock Power Trains, but they also accept the 40-percent off coupon from their weekly ad for them. Joy! There's hope that my budget may survive the Christmas season! 

Hobby Shop Happiness: Train Toys for Bigger Kids

The Union Pacific "Big Boy"
at the National Railroad Museum
in Green Bay Wisconsin

What do you do when your children are too big for the Thomas the Tank Engine and Chugginton toys, but still LOVE trains? Two words: hobby shop! We're in the middle ground for kids who love trains -- too big, strictly speaking -- for the train toys that first became beloved in preschool and not quite old enough -- especially when there's a curious toddler in the house -- for real model railroading. That doesn't keep me from being dragged over to look at model trains at every possible chance by that discriminating second grader.Our mission to Hobby Lobby yesterday was to secure the pieces needed for a King Tut Halloween costume -- a departure from many years as a train engineer! Never fear, the first love is always near and dear to his heart. While I was looking for the materials we needed, he asked to look at the model kits aisle. Three happy discoveries were made:

• Our local Hobby Lobby, after a period of limited model train items has "new model trains, Mom! Look at this! Look!" Guess we weren't the only ones feeling the loss. 
• They are also stocking Power Trains, which is the perfect toy to bridge that age and ability gap between all things Thomas/Brio/Chuggington and all things N Scale/HO Scale/G Scale. 
• Amid the model car kits, my future engineer was thrilled to finally discover (how long has he been searching for this?) the Revell Big Boy Locomotive model kit. And suddenly, the money being saved in the piggy bank has now been redirected to a purchase of that very kit. Sure, it's for ages 10 and up, but he's ambitious. (And I'm not about to discourage saving up dollars or interest in history.) 

Soon, we got back to our shopping purpose, but not without looking at the very same aisle one more time before we left, just to be sure those wonderful things were still there. 

The Big Boy in real life!

Oak Lawn: Southland Model Railroad Show

This weekend, go see some trains for a good cause. Harold L. Richards High School in Oak Lawn will play host to the Southland Model Railroad Show this Saturday and Sunday. Proceeds from ticket sales support "music programs, including biennial trips to Disney World and the purchase of equipment and supplies at Richards" For your $6 admission ($5 for seniors and free for kids under 12), you can expect to see the "largest HO layout in Chicago" as well as displays from at least a dozen model railroad clubs. The Will County Model Railroad Association promises to fill the school's gym with 7,000 feet of model railroad layout. Other exhibiting clubs hail from all over Illinois, as well as Indiana and Wisconsin. Other activities include Lego train displays and kids' activities, such as train races. There will even be a ride on train to enjoy. Guests will also be able to shop from numerous vendors on site at the event. 

The Southland Model Railroad Show happens Saturday, Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 27 from 11 a.m. till 3 p.m. H. L. Richards High School is located at 10601 S. Central Ave. Oak Lawn, IL.  

Lombard: Prairie Scale Model Railroad

With a child who claims to be too-old for Thomas and Chuggington, I'm now on the lookout for train activities suitable for the slightly older set. It has been a pleasant discovery to realize that the many, many model railroad clubs in the area are eager to share their love of the hobby with the public, including youngsters. (They do proudly call it "The world's greatest hobby.") It turns out an easy way to provide a train fix for any age group is to find a local railroad club and look at their schedule for an open house. Most have them regularly. This weekend, try Lombard's Prairie Scale Model Railroaders. They house their layout in an old bowling alley, so before I even see the trains I'm intrigued! This month's open house happens Saturday, Oct. 20 from 7 till 10 p.m. at 3 E Ash Street, Lombard. Check their Facebook page at the link above for more information and other open house dates. 

Mundelein and Highland Park: Spooky Train Run

Get in the Halloween spirit this weekend with a visit to Mundelein as the North Central O Gaugers present their Spooky Train Run at the Fremont Public Library. Trains will be running 9 a.m. till 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12 and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13 on the library's second floor. The youngest guests are welcome to also visit the wooden train table in the youth services department's program room from 10 till 4:30  for their own train-driving fun. The monthly Friends of the Fremont Library book sale will be taking place during this time, too.

The O Gaugers will put on another Halloween-themed  run October 26 at the Highland Park Public Library. "Spookytown" is an eagerly anticipated annual event. The library promises that some visitors will have the opportunity to drive a train and earn a "NCOG Honorary Jr. Operating Engineer" certificate. Trains run from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Highland Park's library friends group book sale will also be open for business on this day.

(As an aside, I have to say how absolutely delightful it is to know that there are so many other families who also love spending a Saturday watching trains and picking out books!)

The Fremont Public Library is the North Central O Gaugers home base, so set aside future second Saturdays of the month to visit the layout in action. (They do take off in November but will be back in town Dec. 14.) Club members also take their traveling layout to other libraries throughout the area, so check their detailed website for a calendar of events. While you're waiting for Saturday to get here, also check out their numerous videos of past layouts.

If the northern suburbs aren't right in your backyard and you're wondering if it's worth making the trip, note that the O Gaugers received a 2012 Honorable Mention from model railroad company MTH's Blue Comet Awards. The awards recognize clubs who excel in promoting the O-gauge model railroading hobby. Only eight clubs from around the nation (and Switzerland!) were honored, so it's safe to say, a drive to see one of the O Gaugers' layouts will be worth the effort.

Schaumburg: iHobby Expo

As real autumn weather slowly arrives in Chicagoland, it's time to think of indoor weekend activities for the family. Keep your eyes open for (or your search engines pointed to) hobby shows around the area. For example, this weekend's iHobby Expo in Schaumburg features a free ride-on Thomas train and model train layouts in addition to plenty of other activities, such as model building and racing. Kids under 10 even get in free. (Adult admission is $12. Seniors pay $10 on Sunday only.) The show happens from 10 a.m. till 5 pm. today (Oct. 6, 2013) and tomorrow at the Schaumburg Convention Center. 

Glencoe: Chicago Botanic Garden's "Trains, Tricks & Treats"

I have a special place in my heart for the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe because it was there that my husband asked me to marry him. We were there the day after Christmas for that special event, but it's always a treat for us to visit in any season to see how the plants of the many gardens change with the seasons and the special events featured in such a beautiful setting. Autumn is a can't-miss time to go. 

In honor of Halloween, the Chicago Botanic Garden is decorating in especially spooky fashion in the delightful Model Railroad Garden. On October 19 and 20, young ghosts and goblins may visit in costume and trick or treat amid the train tracks.  "Tricks, Trains and Treats" happens from 10 a.m. till 5 p.m. and full details -- there is an entry fee -- can be found at http://www.chicagobotanic.org. 

If you can' t make it to the Model Railroad Garden for the Halloween treats, be sure to visit before October 27, when the garden closes for the season. 

Expect fall color and spooky scenes during
the Model Railroad Garden's
"Trains, Tricks & Treats"
at the Chicago Botanic Garden

Lisle, or maybe Wheaton: Always have a Plan B

Do you remember that old jingle, "Phone first ..."? That tune popped into my head as the kids hopped out of the car at The Museums at Lisle Station Park and shouted, "Mom, there's a sign that says it's closed." Hmm. You know, a note taped to a window that briskly says, "Sorry for the inconvenience" doesn't really appease a car-load of kids, especially the one who had his heart set on seeing the model railroad layout on the inside of  the farmhouse. So, I can't report much about what Lisle has to offer our young train fans other than the small museum campus has this to tease when the doors are locked: an 1881 caboose and a depot from 1875. (The other structures are a farmhouse, tavern/inn and a blacksmith shop.) Nice, but not quite enough to call the afternoon a success, so on to Plan B. 

We moved up the road a bit to another model railroad display, this one at the DuPage County Historical Museum in downtown Wheaton. The majority of the museum's basement is given to an HO-gauge layout with over 2,000 feet of track and numerous small-scale recreations of local landmarks. Again, we weren't there on quite the right day. Selected Saturdays throughout the year members of the DuPage Society of Model Engineers run the trains for visitors. Alas, we arrived on a Tuesday afternoon. Thankfully, one train can be activated to run independently by the push of a button and there are plenty of scenery details to study from the large viewing windows. There's also a kid-sized train play table and displays on the history of railroads in DuPage County.

A train zips through it's miniature Wheaton landscape

Upstairs, exhibits detail local history, including a current exhibit on the Civil War. My kids liked the station allowing them to sniff the smells familiar to solders. (Conveniently, they had just been listening to the Magic Tree House book Civil War on Sunday on our ride to the museum. Can't beat audio books for keeping young travelers entertained!) Downtown Wheaton is a stop on the Union Pacific-West line, meaning it could be a destination on a Metra ride if you plan ahead. If not, enough Metra and UP trains zip through to give kids a look at the big engines they've just seen in miniature.

Getting back to Lisle, assuming the museums are open as scheduled on another summer afternoon, could also happen via Metra on the BNSF line. Or the family van, which is always more likely. Lesson of the day: when traveling with kids, always have a back up plan and plenty of in-car amusements!

Naperville: DuPage Children's Museum

My young engineers drive the Metra 

Outside the museum, give the wheel a crank and watch the train's wheels spin.

Excited train face at the model RR

The evening before our most recent visit to the DuPage Children's Museum my oldest developed a stomachache from a bit of overindulgence at a church potluck. He was miserable, not because of any discomfort, but because he was afraid he might miss going to the museum. This is how much this place is loved. Fortunately, time and a few train videos on YouTube cure all ills and the trip went off as planned.

As a children's museum, there's no shortage of fun activities for kids of all ages and interests. From their very first visits, my children have loved the WaterWays, AirWorks, and Make It Move exhibits. Last year, however, the museum made itself even more appealing with the opening of a new exhibit: "Trains -- Get On Board!" Kids have always stopped playing to watch the Metra trains zip by just north of the museum's parking lot, but the new exhibit brings the trains right into the museum. Children can be engineers or passengers in a kid-sized Metra.  ("It's the old diesel engine," points out my boy who knows these things.) A control tower gives the children something to climb. A ticket window, engineer and conductor clothing allow for pretend play. Of course, the requisite model railroad layout fills the center of the area with viewing areas both outside and within the tracks. A few observant children might even delight in the beautiful Art Deco travel posters recalling train travel of days gone by. For the youngest members of the family, one of the museum's two Young Explorers areas for babies and toddlers is next to the train exhibit allowing fairly easy supervision of all family members at once.

Thanks to the generosity of the museum and our local library, the kids earned free admission passes for participating in the summer reading program. I was happy to find a discount coupon for myself in the Oaklees Guide. The baby just squeaked in for free since he's a few weeks shy of his first birthday. Without these discounts, everyone under 60 pays $9.50 each, so consider a membership if you'd like to make repeat visits, or do your coupon scouting homework!

The museum is at 301 N. Washington Street in Naperville. Road construction on Washington and surrounding streets is making entering the parking lot a bit of an adventure these days, so watch for construction and detour signs as you approach. 

Upcoming: Blackberry Farm Model Train Show

Now that my oldest son has figure out how to read, there's no sneaking past things he will love. Yesterday he noticed a poster for the upcoming model train show at Blackberry Farm in Aurora. It's coming July 21 and 22, 11 a.m. till 4:30. He also noticed a listing for the Museums at Lisle Station Park -- including a historical train station, caboose,  farmhouse, and blacksmith shop. Assuming the heat lets up, we will see you there!

A visit to the Model Railroad Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden

Enjoying trains at the Chicago Botanic Garden's Model Railroad Garden

With another weekend in the history books, I'm uploading pictures from our Sunday afternoon adventures. Yet again trains figured prominently in our activities. With a six year old son, a three-year old daughter and a 10-month old boy, railroad-themed activities are always a big hit with our family. Our kids aren't alone in this fascination, of course. I often compare notes on best train-related destinations with other families. So, it seemed worthwhile to chronicle some of our more noteworthy rail adventures.

In honor of Fathers' Day, we wanted to do a special family outing. In past years, we have journeyed out to Union, Illinois for a day at the Illinois Railway Museum. We were up for a new adventure this year, so I checked out a free parking pass for the Chicago Botanic Garden from our library. My husband and I got engaged at the Botanic Garden, so it's special to us, but they've added a Model Railroad Garden in recent years, which was the draw for the little folks.

Corn Palace

Honestly, I thought it would simply be a train or two running past various plants. That would have been acceptable to the kids and, since we were getting in for free, I wasn't too troubled by the few extra dollars for getting into the railroad garden. I'm pleased to report that it was so much more than any "simple" railroad display. The garden is 7,500 square feet and features 17 G-Scale trains - nothing small about that. Every good model train layout features a landscape and buildings, of course. This display showcases its natural setting by running the trains past meticulously-pruned plants, over willow bark bridges above visitors heads, and around buildings built almost entirely of natural materials. The buildings are miniature representations of various American landmarks, so there's an educational element to pointing out the Statue of Liberty, Mt. Rushmore and the like. The kids particularly liked the "Old Faithful" geyser that spouted every 60 seconds. I loved the representation of Mitchell, South Dakota's Corn Palace, which in its real-life form is already covered in natural materials every year.


As for the trains themselves. Erik, my 6-year old, loved the Amtrak, but all the red engines -- his favorite color -- pleased him, too. Anna liked a little ladybug-shaped trolley. William, who was missing a nap, was content to watch all the movement of the trains and enthusiastic visitors. (Strollers aren't allowed in the Model Railroad Garden, so I was happy we had the Ergo carrier. He was glad to see everything at eye-level.)

At almost 400 acres, there's plenty more to explore at the Botanic Garden. We took at peek at the Japanese, waterfall, rose and bonsai gardens. It was a hot day and young kids who aren't getting their "quiet time" can only handle so much walking. So further family exploring will have to wait for another day.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is in Glencoe, Illinois at 1000 Lake Cook Road. Admission is free but there is a charge for parking and some sites within the garden.