Things to do & places to visit in Evanston, Illinois, United States

Evanston city in Illinois, United States. Timezone: America/Chicago, current date and time: Sunday, April 28, 2024, 7:59.

Top things to do (23)

Top places to visit (30 attractions) view more »

5.0 Lock Chicago Escape Rooms (257 reviews)
- Generous silent auction donor!
Sunday: 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Escape Games

Lock Chicago hosts innovative Escape Room adventures and experiences in the Chicago area. For those who aren't familiar, an Escape Room is a space that has been decorated, designed, and decked out with a theme and puzzles that you and a group of friends will have an hour to solve. Its a perfect game for any group of friends, and you can book either a private room for yourselves or join a public game. Located in Evanston, IL right off Northwestern Universities campus we offer 3 unique escape room experiences, "Matsuri", "Malfunction", and "Icarus". Perfect for team building and events for family and friends we welcome you to see for yourself if you have what it takes to earn a spot on our "Wall of Champions"! See more..
5.0 Space (131 reviews)
- Best Concert Room in the Chicago Area
Theaters

Great acoustics at this intimate venue that seats about 250 people. Reserved seats are available, candle-lit tables of 4 small rounds. Some general admission and standing seats as well. Full bar with beer, wine and top shelf spirits. You can even bring in food from the adjacent Union Pizza. I have seen about 20 shows there, the most recent being John Mayall. A nice blend of the well known, cult and niche artists. A little bit of something for everyone almost every night of the week. See more..
5.0 Halim Time & Glass Museum (77 reviews)
- Magnificent Museum
Sunday: 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Speciality Museums

The Halim Time & Glass Museum is a world class collection of historic timepieces, stained glass windows, and other decorative arts. Permanent exhibits include the American Stained Glass Masters, The Louis Comfort Tiffany Gallery and Clocks of the World. Our Museum Café Gallery hosts rotating exhibits as will our 3rd floor Special Exhibits Hall when it opens. See more..
5.0 The American Toby Jug Museum (28 reviews)
- WOW
Spent < 1 hour Speciality Museums

Never knew what a Toby was, let alone a hidden gem of a place. Great history and fun, takes about an hour or less, and will make you smile. Nice, knowledgeable staff makes it a great stop. See more..
5.0 Merrick Rose Garden (20 reviews)
- Roses amazing this fall
Spent < 1 hour Parks • Gardens

The roses are always impressive here. But this fall is over the top with profusion of blooms. A great place to sit, amble, or chat. It is small but mighty and so extremely well maintained. See more..
5.0 Nichols Concert Hall (1 review)
- Beautiful unique concert hall
Theaters

We had never been in the Nichols Concert Hall before attending a piano and percussion concert there. The venue has 550 seats and it didn't appear to have a bad seat in the house. The Concert Hall was created from a church that had been built in 1912 with beautiful Ionic columns. The concert we saw was great and the sound quality was superb. See more..
5.0 The Actors Gymnasium (1 review)
- Absolutely unique performances: circus meet theatre in an intimate environment
Spent 2-3 hours Theaters
The Actors Gymnasium is an absolutely unique space--in part, an opportunity to train to do circus-like acrobatics for theatre. As you might imagine, they create shows that are an opportunity for people in the community to see what students are up to, and the shows are outstanding. Formula includes world class stars, augmented by teens and younger students. We've seen two shows here, and THEY ARE WORLD CLASS and amazing. Even more so because the space is small; you will be just a few feet from the stage and actors. And prices are extremely reasonable. See more..
4.5 Northwestern University (389 reviews)
- Beautifully located campus
Educational sites

Amazing location for this university campus. Right by the Michigan Lake. I am so jealous for all students who can afford study here. Great spot. And it is not so far from the Chicago downtown. Just hop on the eL train. See more..
4.5 Grosse Point Lighthouse (100 reviews)
- Beautiful Lighthouse with Lovely Beach
Historic Sites • Lighthouses

The lighthouse is closed for the winter October through May, but you can still walk the grounds and down to the beach. The sight was spectacular with icicles hand from the trees and breakwater. Very picturesque. When teh lighthouse is open (Jun-Sep) the admission is only $ 6.00 (they do not accept Credit cards for admission). See more..
4.5 Evanston History Center (59 reviews)
- History comes to life
History Museums

The Evanston History Center is located in the National Historic Landmark Charles Gates Dawes House. Dawes was a U.S. Vice President, World War I general, Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Ambassador to the Court of St. James and philanthropist who lived in Evanston, Illinois. It is an intact house museum and includes exhibits on Evanston history and a research room. It is open Thursday through Sunday, for tours on the hour from 1 - 4pm. See more..
4.5 Block Museum of Art (56 reviews)
- Unique Exhibits
Sunday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent < 1 hour Art Museums

The Block Museum of Art is a dynamic, imaginative, and innovative teaching and learning resource for Northwestern University and its surrounding communities, featuring a global exhibition program that crosses time periods and cultures and serves as a springboard for thought-provoking discussions. The Block mounts exhibitions; commissions new work; organizes lectures, symposia, and workshops; and screens classic and contemporary films at its in-house cinema. With over 5,000 artworks, the permanent collection of the Block Museum boasts rich and diverse holdings of prints, drawings, and photography and continues to expand its holdings of works in every medium that that support the museum’s global and interdisciplinary mission. Always free and open to all. See more..
4.5 Mitchell Museum of the American Indian (54 reviews)
- Wonderful culture experience. Enlightening information presented in an intimate atmosphere. Great gift shop.
Sunday: 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM History Museums

Focusing exclusively on the history and culture of North American native civilizations, the collections range from the Paleo-Indian period through present day. See more..
4.5 Dawes Park (36 reviews)
- A local park at its best
Parks

The park is a great place to enjoy the summer which is located at the edge of Lake Michigan. The area is filled with outdoor activities like boating, tennis, cycling, surfing to name a few. It is the backdrop of the well-attended annual arts festival. Or you can spend the afternoon reading your favorite book. There's even a beach area solely dedicated for your four-legged pets. Take note that you need a city pass to enter the beach area (daily or season pass). Picnic tables and adjacent grills are spread across the park so this is good for group barbecue outings. This is one of the reasons why I love Evanston. See more..
4.5 Dave's Down to Earth Rock Shop (30 reviews)
- Great place to pick up a piece of earth's history
Sunday: Spent 1-2 hours Speciality & Gift Shops • Natural History Museums

Hello All! Well, we made it through another holiday season! Thank you again for your continued support! Please note that our hours are back to normal. Sundays and Wednesdays. we are now closed. We hope you had an excellent holiday season! (Please note that along with us now back to normal hours of operation, we will also be close this Sunday & Monday. January 1st & 2nd.) Happy New Year! Since 1970, Dave's has been providing "Art Created by Mother Nature", to both novice and professional collectors of unique fossils, mineral specimens, Native American Artistry and semi-precious stones, set in fine sterling silver. At Dave's, you'll never be a a loss when looking for that unique gift item for yourself or another. Come on in and check out our "Free Prehistoric Life Museum"!!! It's the largest private collection on display to the general public, and totally free. See you soon!!! See more..
4.5 Sketchbook Brewing Co. (23 reviews)
- Great beer flights
Sunday: 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Breweries

Sketchbook believes beer is art you can drink. Inspired by the loyalty of their 400 members and the sheer fun of creating a wide range of historical and adventurous beer styles, Sketchbook considers their brewery a yeast studio. They are fiercely devoted to building beer by hand, right in the heart of Evanston. Flagship brews include Orange Door IPA, Snowy Owl Red Rye Ale, and Night Game Double IPA. Recent recognition includes international awards (silver medal in Copa Cervezas de América) and Design Awards for their intimate Tap Room (Design Evanston, Excellence in Interior Design, 2017). See more..
4.5 Frances Willard House Museum (9 reviews)
- Informative and Interesting!
Spent < 1 hour History Museums

The Frances Willard House is the 1865 Gothic Revival home of the famed 19th century reformer and women's rights advocate. A museum since 1900, the collection of Frances Willard's furniture and belongings is largely intact. Head of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, Willard organized and led the largest mass movement of women in the country. See more..
4.5 Lee Street Beach (6 reviews)
- Great view of lake
Spent 2-3 hours Beaches

We went kind of wrong time to visit the place. It was kind of chill.B ut we enjoyed. Great view around the university area. Sands are nice. See more..
4.5 Dearborn Observatory (3 reviews)
- Must see
Points of Interest & Landmarks • Observation Decks & Towers

Just East of the Shakespeare Garden, one time was on the shore edge, Fun Achitecture, A favorite of mine. See more..
4.5 Lawrence O Lawson Park (2 reviews)
- Beautiful location!
Parks

Very small park but very beautiful location. Just next to the beach on Michigan Lake. Next there is a lighthouse that is open seasonable and you can visit. There is not much parking spots but during the week it is just plenty. See more..
4.5 Next Theatre (2 reviews)
- NEXT is always taking risks; this show had great message
Sunday: 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM Theaters
Always check out NEXT. The shows are always worth discussing, which is more than I can say for a lot of theaters. See more..
4.0 Ryan Field (109 reviews)
- Great fun
Sunday: Arenas & Stadiums

Went to a Wildcats game and had a great afternoon. Good sight lines anywhere in the stadium and it’s intimate so you get the feel of the crowd. NU students are a feisty bunch, without being obnoxious. Lots of fun. See more..
4.0 FEW Spirits (22 reviews)
- Great Small Distillery
Sunday: Distilleries

This is a distillery must visit in the Chicago area. An easy ride up the Purple Line to Evanston, FEW is a small shop with a lot of personality. We had a great tour and tasting and even made friends with others on the tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable about FEW and whiskey in general, and I really enjoyed talking to them about the distillery and the area. See more..
4.0 Welsh-Ryan Arena (16 reviews)
- Love the new arena!!
Spent 2-3 hours Arenas & Stadiums

This place is incredible!! There’s not a bad seat in the house. The vibe is upbeat and the Cats have played well there!! See more..
4.0 Shakespeare Garden (2 reviews)
- A Must see when visiting Evanston
Gardens

Small & Powerful. Beautiful setting with the Chapel site. A favorite spot for many years. Easy to get to and walk. See more..
4.0 Lovelace Park (2 reviews)
- It is not a small park
Bodies of Water • Parks • Playgrounds

Very nice park with a small lagoon and soccer field and tennis courts and other fields and playgrounds. Perfect for kids or a walk with a dog day break. Nice restrooms and planty of parking spots. See more..
4.0 Cahn Auditorium (1 review)
- Nice theater space
Theaters
The theater is part of the Northwestern campus and hold performances such as musical theater, concerts, dance and lectures. Fairly good sized theater venue. I really liked that when I went to purchase my tickets online, I could view the stage from the section that I thinking of purchasing. This really helped my decision making. I didn't end up buying the most expensive and I thought the view to be just fine and the sound was clear. We had seats in the balcony left. Our seats were easy to find with clearly marked aisle and seat numbers. The will call window was a bit slow. It seemed many people were having issues with their orders. We did not. Our tickets were there and waiting for us, just like we ordered. Parking was really our only issue. We had difficulty finding a spot near the theater that would allow us to park for a long enough period of time. Hubby ended up going out during the intermission to feed the meter. See more..
3.5 Levere Memorial Temple (3 reviews)
- Meetings at the SAE HQ
Spent 1-2 hours Religious Sites

As a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, tt is always a great experience to visit and spend time in this great facility! See more..
Evanston Art Center (0 review)
Art Galleries
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Clark Street Beach (0 review)
Beaches
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Lake Street Church (0 review)
Churches & Cathedrals
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