Location: Wilmette
Top Things to do in Wilmette
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The 10 Best Things to Do in Wilmette, United States
Wilmette is a village in New Trier Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is located 14 miles (23 km) north of Chicago's downtown district (4 mi or 6 km from Chicago's northern border) and had a population at the 2010 census of 27,087. Wilmette is considered a bedroom community in the North Shore region. In 2007, Wilmette was ranked as the seventh best place to raise children in the U.S., according to Business Week. In 2015, Wilmette was ranked the best place to live in Illinois based on a variety of factors including its low unemployment rate, median income, low housing vacancy rate, high education expenditures per student, low crime, and short commute times. Wilmette is home to 2 of Illinois' 17 elementary schools (Romona Elementary, St. Joseph School) to be awarded the 2017 National Blue Ribbon award.
Restaurants in Wilmette
1. Chicago Botanic Garden
Overall Ratings
5 based on 995 reviews
Just a short trip from Chicago, the Chicago Botanic Garden is a 385-acre complex of flora, footbridges and waterways.
Reviewed By nimi111 - Pune, India
Loved it, just loved it! It huge, beautiful, clean, well maintained and informative. The kind of flowers and trees we saw there we amazing! And the walk in the garden is so peaceful, air is so fresh, you just want to stay there!
Must visit place
2. Northwestern University
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 314 reviews
Reviewed By ELKW - United States
there are some attractions you can take a look inside the campus, but there is no clear indication where the Charles Deering library building is, yet the Alice Millar Chapel and the Levere memorial temple are quite beautiful.
3. Baha'i House of Worship
Overall Ratings
5 based on 379 reviews
A special mix of quartz and white cement was developed for the intricate ornamentation on the nine-sided, domed structure.
Reviewed By aestheticangel - Winnetka, Illinois
This beautiful structure with its newly renovated gardens is an absolute gem. The view looking upward from the sanctuary is particularly spectacular, but be prepared to accommodate those who are there for worship. Hospitable members of the faith will welcome you and provide tours, including a film on temple construction in India, In a departure from practice that travelers to other houses of worship may be accustomed to,donations from non-Baha'i are declined. If a daytime visit won't work for you, even driving by at night is something worth doing.
4. Kohl Children's Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 176 reviews
A bright and friendly place for children of all ages, featuring a life-sized train car and a water room.
Reviewed By Bjshanks
My 8 year old was bored with this museum but my 6 year old stayed busy. But both got bored after about 2 hours. All staff very interacting and interested in ensuring the kids were being entertained. Very crowded when I went. I don't know if we will be back though. But if my children were under 5 I think I would return.
5. Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center
Overall Ratings
5 based on 200 reviews
Designed by renowned architect Stanley Tigerman, the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center is one of Chicagoland's premier attractions. The Museum uses lessons from the Holocaust to focus attention on contemporary issues of genocide, intolerance, and inhumanity at home and worldwide.
Reviewed By binduAustralia - Melbourne, Australia
This collection of permanent and temporary exhibitions is not something you can -- or should -- allocate a couple of hours to, and do it any justice. Probably half a day, or four hours at the very least.
We had about three hours and what we really should have done was move quickly through the whole facility and get an overview, then go back and spend more time reading, watching the videos that are dotted around the displays, and inspecting the exhibits more closely.
As a result we really didn't get a chance to see the last exhibits much at all, as we had run out of time. But the material is compelling, the stories are well told and the events are explained in a way that means you really want to take your time. We have visited a number of Holocaust museums around the world and this one certainly is one of the most memorable.
We were advised by staff to make sure that we were in the auditorium area in time for the late afternoon Hologram feature, which is a new initiative. Take A Stand is a hologram program of holocaust survivors who share their experiences and stories and then "answer questions" from the audience. A moderator feeds the questions back and the questions are matched to the extensive recordings made, so the idea is that you feel like you are speaking directly with the presenter.
The concept is impressive, and the stories are, of course, dramatic and memorable, however the technology still needs work....various attempts at questions didn't work and several different questions triggered the same, repetitive response. In addition, the session didn't seem to have a cut-off time, or our moderator didn't handle the schedule properly. Once the doors closed, we were not able to leave until the whole question time was over. We were then rushed out, missing a craft market we would very much like to have visited, and having no time at all in the shop which also looked very interesting.
Given the lateness, and the fact we had skipped the final displays to attend the presentation, the 50 minutes we spent could have been productively divided into 20 or 25 minutes of the presentation and then an opportunity to finish seeing the main displays and the shop.
6. Space
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 115 reviews
Reviewed By David20130609 - Waunakee, Wisconsin
Wonderful jazz night out for one of our favorites. Mostly sold out except for standing room only. The wait service was for drinks no food served. You can bring food in and some did but not at our table. Tables are shared unless you have 5 or more in your group. Good sound system and lighting.
7. Writers Theatre
Overall Ratings
5 based on 49 reviews
In 1992, Writers Theatre was founded in order to create an environment where the written word and the nurturing of artists were the foundation of all productions. We opened our first venue that year in the ante-room of a newly opened bookstore in Glencoe on the North Shore of Chicago. The limited space available gave way to a new aesthetic that has been a company hallmark ever since-intimacy. Under the artistic leadership of Founding Artistic Director Michael Halberstam, who continues in that role to this day, Writers became a welcome addition to the already vibrant Chicago arts community. The Theatre quickly garnered significant critical acclaim and established a reputation as a home for world-class art and artists, opening a second performance space in 2003. Our inviting 108-seat Tudor Court space continued the company's trademark level of intimacy while allowing for a new scale of production and affording the opportunity to expand audiences, programming and educational outreach. Acclaimed by The Wall Street Journal as one of the top half-dozen regional theatres in the country, Writers has offered more than 90 productions, including 16 world premieres. We have garnered numerous awards and accolades, including 110 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 25 Awards, as well as multiple citations of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam for excellence and contributions to the field, including The 2010 Zelda Fichandler Award. In 2007, Writers debuted nationally with a New York premiere of Crime and Punishment, followed in 2011 by a Lincoln Center production of A Minister's Wife-the musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's Candida, conceived and directed by Halberstam. In November 2013, Writers Theatre announced the launch of the $34 million On to a New Stage Campaign to establish the company's first permanent home in a new theatre center in downtown Glencoe, designed by the award-winning, internationally renowned Studio Gang Architects, led by Founder and Design Principal Jeanne Gang, FAIA, in collaboration with Theatre Consultant Auerbach Pollock Friedlander. This allows the Theatre to continue to grow to accommodate its audience, while maintaining its trademark intimacy. The new facility resonates with and complements the Theatre's neighboring Glencoe community, adding tremendous value to Chicagoland and helping to establish the North Shore as a premier cultural destination.
Reviewed By Erinn O - Indianapolis, Indiana
What a beautiful venue! We saw a show in the Alexander C. & John D. Nichols Theatre and it was amazing. From the show to the set to the comfort of the seats it was well worth it. The venue for the show was very intimate and made you feel like you were right there in the show. If this group comes back we will also be back.
8. Gillson Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 50 reviews
Reviewed By Erin M - Wilmette, Illinois
Wonderful place to relax, walk along the beach barbecue or fly a kite. There are tennis courts and free outdoor concerts in the Summer.
9. Historic Wagner Farm
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 56 reviews
Reviewed By Chetzi - Palo Alto, California
Learn about the local farms that have all but disappeared from this part of Illinois. Live animals as well as interactive exhibits relating to crops and ecology.
10. Grosse Point Lighthouse
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 73 reviews
Reviewed By panama2000 - Providence, Rhode Island
The light house itself is lovely to look at, but the signage is terrible - non existent - and the buildings around are pretty dilapidated and there is nothing to explain why it is there and what it is doing.
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