Perhaps you’ve always wanted to see the inside of that “painted lady” in the old part of town, the one with the ornate woodwork and big wraparound porch. Maybe you want to get a closer look at a new home with all the latest design features. Or maybe you’re looking for holiday decorating ideas.
Chicago-area walks could give you exactly what you want. Some of the most distinctive houses in the area will be open to the public during these events. A number will be professionally decorated. Luncheons, boutiques or other activities are offered in conjunction with a number of walks, most of which are fundraisers for the sponsoring groups or other charity or non-profit organizations.
Most walks are self-guided, though some are guided.
SEPTEMBER
Sept. 19: The 12th Annual Highland Park Historical Society House Tour, “Tasteful Manors of Highland Park,” features an award-winning “painted lady” Victorian, a Robert Seyfarth home, a shingle-style Nantucket-influenced design, a Colonial and an eclectic Prairie-influenced designed home. The dining areas will have professionally designed centerpieces and settings by five area restaurants. Tour begins at the Highland Park Historical Society, 326 Central Ave.; a free shuttle-bus service will be provided. There also will be a hospitality center at the Highland Park Community House, 1991 Sheridan Rd. Cost: $30 day of tour. Hours: 1 to 5 p.m. Call: 847-433-4333 or 847-432-7090.
Sept. 19: The Edgewater Historical Society presents its 16th Annual Home Tour featuring homes in the Magnolia Glen area of Edgewater. Of special interest are the twin homes by Walter Burley Griffin, designed in 1908 in the Prairie style and now designated as Chicago landmarks. Tour guides will be at each home; refreshments will be served at one of the home’s gardens. Tour begins at Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church at Thorndale and Magnolia Avenues. Cost: $20. Hours: Noon to 4 p.m. Call: 773-506-4849.
Sept. 24: The Service League of Crystal Lake presents its 30th annual fall walk. “A Walk to Remember” will tour four homes in Crystal Lake. Cost: $18 in advance, $20 day of the event; $14 for seniors 62 or older; children under 1 free. Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call: 815-477-2602.
Sept. 24: St. James Church in Arlington Heights will host a tour of six local homes, from one of the oldest to one of the newest in the community. One of the residences, built in the 1950s, was featured on HGTV’s “Before and After” when it was renovated in 1999. Cost: $35 (includes lunch). Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call: 847-253-5519.
Sept. 25-26: Fall House Tour Weekend in Galena will feature four architecturally significant homes built in the 1800s and First Presbyterian Church, 106 N. Bench St., the oldest church in the old Northwest Territory of Illinois. Tour takes place in conjunction with the Galena Antiques and Collectibles Show and Sale at the Galena Convention Center, 1 mile west of downtown Galena at U.S. Highway 20 and Galena Square Drive. Cost: $12 (includes shuttle-bus service), $5 for children ages 11 to 17; free for children 10 and under. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Call: 800-747-9377, or see www.firstgalena.presbychurch.org/falltour.html.
Sept. 26: The Riverside Junior Woman’s Charity will host a tour of nine kitchens in historic Riverside. Participants can stop by the Chew Chew Cafe at One Riverside Road for food and drinks before or after the tour. Cost: $15; can be purchased at Century 21 Village Realty, Sylvester Realty, Burlington Realty and First Service Realtors. Hours: 1 to 5 p.m. Children under 12 not permitted. For more information, visit www.RJWC-il.org, or call 708-442-1778.
Sept. 30: The Harvest of Homes House Walk of St. Anne’s Women’s Club in Barrington will showcase four homes in the Barrington area. A boutique at the church, 120 N. Ela St., Barrington, and lunch at Tastefully Yours, 230 E Main St. Barrington, also will be offered. Cost: $25; $15 for lunch. Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (boutique starts at 9 a.m.) Call: 847-732-1512, or see www.stannebarrington.org.
OCTOBER
Oct. 2: The Pleasant Home Foundation will conduct tours of two homes in Polo, Ill., designed by architect Joseph Lyman Silsbee. The homes, on the National Historic Register, were built in 1891 and 1901. Cost: $30; preregistration is required. Hours: 11 a.m. Call: 708-383-2654.
Oct. 3: The 53rd Annual Home Tour of the Hinsdale Area Branch of the American Association of University women will feature six homes. Cost: $35 through Sept. 26; $40 thereafter. Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call: 630-734-3784.
Oct. 3: The Women’s Association of the Northwest Indiana Symphony Society will host a tour of five homes in Munster, Ind., and the nearby communities of Dyer and Schererville.Proceeds will benefit the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra. Cost: $35 (includes tea at the Briar Ridge Country Club); reservations required. Hours: 1 to 5 p.m. Call: 219-836-0525.
Oct. 6: Church of the Holy Comforter in Kenilworth celebrates its 50th Annual House Walk and Boutique with a tour of four North Shore homes decorated for the Christmas holiday, including one house that was featured on the first walk. Antiques, jewelry, handcrafted holiday decorations and other items will be sold at the homes and at the church, 222 Kenilworth Ave. Cost: $40 in advance, $45 at door. Boxed lunch (ordered in advance) will be available for an additional $10. Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Call: 847-251-6120.
Oct. 9: The McHenry County College and McHenry County Historical Barn Preservation Association will conduct tours of 10 farmsteads with barns, including many that are more than 100 years old, one of the oldest round barns in Illinois and a working dairy farm. Cost: $35. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call: 815-455-8697.
Oct. 13: The Wheaton History Center will host its 25th annual house walk, visiting five homes, each staffed with knowledgeable guides. Cost: $20 in advance at the Wheaton History Center, 606 N. Main St., Wheaton, $25 day of the event. Hours: 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Call: 630-682-9472.
Oct. 16: To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the last Chicago World’s Fair, three houses that were featured at the fair as ultramodern houses of the future will be on display for “Deco in the Dunes: The Historic World’s Fair Houses of Tomorrow,” sponsored by the Chicago Art Deco Society. Each of the houses was lifted from the fair site and shipped by barge across Lake Michigan to Beverly Shores, Ind. The daylong tour is by deluxe motorcoach and includes lectures by local history experts, lunch in a turn-of-the-century railroad depot and shopping at Lighthouse Place in Michigan City, Ind. Cost: $65. Hours: Tour leaves at 9 a.m. from 224 S. Michigan Ave. Call: 630-495-7887.
NOVEMBER
Nov. 14: Community Hospital of Ottawa Auxiliary is sponsoring a holiday walk with Deck the Halls VII Craft Show. Walk will feature five Ottawa-area homes, each decorated by local florists and designers for the holidays. Cost: $12. Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call: 815-434-6777 or 815-434-9114.
Nov. 14: The Lemont Junior Women’s Club is sponsoring its 9th annual holiday walk, showcasing four area homes decorated for the holidays. Cost: $25 in advance; $30 day of the event. Hours: noon to 5 p.m. Call: 630-886-8650.
DECEMBER
Dec. 3: Naperville Garden Club’s Cup-of-Cheer Housewalk and Market will showcase five homes, including the Harrison House Bed and Breakfast, which recently reached its 100th year. Cost: $30; preview Dec.2, $50. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; preview, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call: 630-983-1616.
Dec. 5: The Norwood Park Historical Society’s 21st Annual Holiday House Tour will begin at the Norwood Park Field House, 5801 N. Natoma Ave. Cost: $15 in advance; $20 day of the event. Hours: noon to 5 p.m. Call: 773-631-4633.
Dec. 11: Homes for the Holidays: A Yorkville Tradition features five area homes decorated for the holidays. Cost: $15 in advance; $20 day of event. Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call: 630-553-0752.
