Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
288
the focus here is on desser t, so have your kids save plenty of r oom: The specialty is the
Merry-Go-Round, a chocolate sundae topped with animal cookies and a parasol.
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CUNEO MUSEUM & GARDENS
About 30 miles from downtown Chicago
Best for kids o ver 8, this historic mansion and gr
ounds pr ovide a glimpse into ho w
people lived 100 years ago.
ESSENTIALS
The museum is not easily accessible b y public transportation. To reach the museum
by
car,
take the K ennedy (I-94W) expressway north to Rte. 60. G o west on Rte. 60 and
then, at the Hawthorn Mall, turn north on Milwaukee Avenue (Rte. 21).
VISITING THE MUSEUM
This is a wonderful place for older kids to see how people lived in the early 20th century.
The Cuneo Museum & Gardens was designed in 1914 b y architect Benjamin Marshall
for Samuel Insull, founder of the powerful Commonwealth Edison electric company and
a partner of Thomas Edison. Its present-day name, however, comes from John F. Cuneo,
a Chicago printing magnate, philanthropist, and gentleman farmer whose family lived at
this vast, luxuriant estate from 1937 to 1990.
If you want to see ho w the other half liv es, here's your chance. The palatial mansion
is designed in an opulent I talianate style, with accents such as bold ir onwork decor that
are reminiscent of a Venetian palazz o. E ighteen of its 32 r ooms are on exhibit to the
public. The centerpiece is the
Great Hall,
featuring a 30-foot ceiling with skylights over
a central cour tyard surr ounded b y marble columns and ar caded balconies. You'll also
“ooh” and “ahh” over the fanciful ceiling frescoes in the unusual double dining rooms and
exquisite private chapel.
Cuneo was a connoisseur of ar t treasures, and the cor e of his collection is on display
here, from old-master paintings and 17th-century tapestries to a custom-made gilt-wood
piano and fine Capo di M onte por celain. The estate 's gr ounds, which at one time
spanned 3,000 acr es, ar e no w a r elatively modest 75 acr es. They're quite lo vely, with
lakes, fountains, formal gardens, antique classical statuar y, and even a few peacocks and
swans. There's also a conservatory housing exotic plants, and Deer Park, a wooded enclo-
sure that's about the only vestigial reminder of Hawthorn-Mellody Farms, a former farm
and dairy operation that for years attracted families with its “Wild West Town,” country
store, and petting zoo.
1350 N. M ilwaukee A ve., Vernon H ills.
&
847/362-3042.
w ww.cuneomuseum.org. Tour tickets $12
adults, $11 seniors , $7 childr en. Tues-Sun 10am-5pm. Guided t ours Tues-Sat at 11am, 1, and 3pm.
Grounds fee only (for touring the gardens in the summer without going int o the house, for example) is
$7. Free parking.
WHERE TO EAT
Hawthorne Center Mall,
adjacent to the museum, featur es the usual array of fast-food
and chain restaurants. For a more true-to-Chicago experience, head into Vernon Hills to
the
Pizzeria Uno
at 545 Lakeview Pkwy. (
&
847/918-8667
). Also nearby is the historic
village of Long G rove, with the famed Long G rove Confectionary (
&
847/634-0080;
www.longgrove.com).
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