- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Cuneo Mansion & Gardens
Categories: Arts & Entertainment Museums Arts & Entertainment Botanical Gardens Event Planning & Services Venues & Event Spaces Museums, Botanical Gardens, Venues & Event Spaces [Edit]
1350 N Milwaukee AveVernon Hills, IL 60061
(847) 362-3042
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
Nick L. said: "Admittedly I didn't pay to get into this place as a friend gets free passes or discounted rates for guests for being a member. It's great, I am a fan of cars, probably more modern ones but I can appreciate fine machinery. There were…" read more »
17 reviews for Cuneo Mansion & Gardens
Review Highlights
"In summer, they have Ravinia-type concerts on their lawn..."
(in 5 reviews)
"Beautiful mansion, beautiful grounds."
(in 3 reviews)
"We also learned some interesting details about the family."
(in 3 reviews)
Loading...
17 reviews in English
-
Review from Kathleen P.
Arlington Heights, IL
12/18/2011
This is an experience to remember. Attending a Christmas Ball here was liking being transported back to a different time. A romantic time. The mansion is quite regal with so many different rooms full of treasures- each with a different mood. The architecture is very ornate and the artwork is breathtaking.
The Christmas light show is wonderful. You can tune your radio to their special station and be guided through the winter wonderland with cheery Christmas music. It's something you must see to put you in the holiday spirit.
I can't wait to see the place in the Springtime, I just know the gardens are spectacular! -
Review from David L.
12/13/2011
I came here with my gf to see the light show around 6:30pm on a Friday night. Entrance was $10, and the entire show took maybe 20 min or so.
They had quite a selection of lights, although I was hoping there'd be more impressive displays. The various cartoon characters they added were quite amusing. -
Review from Jeannie O.
Downers Grove, IL
12/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
Beautiful and the most perfect location for a Yelp Elite Event: Black & White Holiday party! Even driving into the location was beautiful where you are guided like strings of light to the parking lot. If only I rode in a carriage pulled by two white horses, I would really feel like a Disney princess!
The ballroom was beautiful with decorations of black/white feather and flower center pieces with red wall lights to celebrate Yelp.
My friends and I explored the mansion and each room is absolutely filled with history and beauty. I unfortunately wasn't able to drive through the Winter Wonderland lights in the gardens but from the balcony of the Mansion, it looked A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.
Did you know that the Cuneo Mansion and Gardens was the site of the wedding in the movie, "My Best Friend's Wedding" starring Julia Roberts? YEAH! Same backyard! -
Review from Helen S.
12/13/2011
I came here to see the light show with my bf. It was pretty entertaining, and I love Christmas lights so it was wonderful. Pretty sad I didn't have a good Christmas carols mix on my phone, so we played some indie music which didn't complement the merriment outside too well.
It was interesting to note that they put all the well known Disney/WB character cutouts at the beginning of the light show but pretty soon they run out of characters, so you just end up with random clip-art cartoon dude cutouts by the end of the drive. I was highly amused. -
Review from Stef M.
12/9/2011
This museum home is so nice! Unlike many other mansions, most of the home is open for public viewing! Awesome fireplaces, ornate furnishings, and art galore! Was very fun way to spend some time exploring. The staff are friendly and helpful.
Tip 1: if you visit during the month of December, you will also see the full property acreage decked out for the holidays! Many many light displays, its a winter wonderland!
Tip 2: If you are shopping at Westfield Shopping Center, pop on over here for a visit, its just a block away! -
Review from Ramone B.
1/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Attended the yelp black and white ball, and I have to say I fell in love with Cuneo Mansions and Garden. I loved Victorian look in the inside, and the grounds are very nicely maintained. I would definitely throw a party here!! The only thing I think needs to be improved is the gravel parking lot! Black top that mess! Being there at Christmas and checking out the light show was all kinds of awesome!
-
Review from Mia L.
1/19/2012
Went to a Yelp event here in December. Excellent venue to hold a medium-to-large reception. It IS a museum since all the fine items are out for display. Sections of rooms are roped, relics and antiques are encased for showing, descriptions are available for your peaked curiosity and reading pleasure. I wouldn't recommend holding a children's party here or a quinceanera here...keep the kids away from this space! The exterior part of the mansion reminded me of old South Beach Miami meets Italy. It had to be the pink stucco and the Venetian looking statues. The interior was gorgeous. I really appreciated the art, placement, and restoration of everything inside. Overall, the place is elegant, classy, and if you look at it another way...I guess it could be a little creepy-looking. If you don't mind looking at old things, getting a little freaked out because the place looks haunted, or learning about the mansion's history, then stop by for a tour! I would recommend it!
-
Review from Jennifer F.
Chicago, IL
12/22/2011
The Winter Wonderland is a waste of time. We spent 70 minutes in line to see disney cutouts and lights that don't do much. The scale is strange and the space is so open that it looks haphazzard. My daughter didn't really "get it" but she was amused. The Country Christmas in Wisconsin is far more upscale, entertaining and animated. We will be making the drive for that instead. Cuneo Winter Wonderland failed to impress. Skip it.
-
Review from Linh L.
Chicago, IL
12/9/2011
It's pretty here and something to see. It's nice to see some history in the suburbs. The winter wonderland is very pretty. The staff members were all very nice making sure we were well accommodated.
-
Review from Lin C.
Chicago, IL
12/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went for the holiday's lights spectacular. It's $5 per car. Its definitely something fun for kids.
-
Review from Moni K.
7/23/2011 3 photos
Beautiful mansion, beautiful grounds. But I think to truly appreciate the mansion you have to take the guide tour because then you truly get a glimpse into the life of the Cuneo family, who they were, what they did and how they lived. It is a very interesting story and each room has a little history, drama and baggage. I personally really enjoyed seeing their huge kitchen and all the china in the kitchen that Mrs. Cueno chose. She had a different set for almost every day of the week! In addition, all the furniture in the house are imported from Italy or Spain and each piece carries some history. The most interesting is the ship room, Mr. Cuneo's office from which he stir the "family ship" The room is really build from ship leftovers and has two calling booths. To get to the second floor take the oldest working elevator and don't forget to visit their own chapel where the Cuneo's held their midnight Christmas mass.
I also recommend that you visit the mansion during the cooler days of summer as the house has no air conditioning just fans. -
Review from Meinhard G.
Grayslake, IL
6/19/2011
Music in the Garden - Wednesday's in Summer or June - July. A great place to sit and listen to the different bands. Not Ravinia but $10 per person (2011) there is great music and the lawn area is beautiful (you see the band) and no charge for parking. You can bring your own Wine and etc. just a great setting.
-
Review from Jack P.
6/25/2010
Just north of "Mall-landia" in Vernon Hills lies this old money, historic estate which now is a museum, and frequently the site of private events and weddings. I attended one here in the 90's and I'd recommend it highly as a classy venue for your nuptials.
There are also tours of the mansion which are really interesting and informative from a historical perspective, and for learning how the Hoi Polloi lived in the 1920's, as it is the original country residence of Samuel Insull, the founder of Commonwealth Edison. In summer, they have Ravinia-type concerts on their lawn, too. Without the Ravinia crowds.
This is a great little outing for a family, or a group of friends on a summer day with the gardens in full bloom. Also, a nice option or diversion when you have out of town visitors, and you want to impress them. A good way to pretend you have a country estate of your own. There are also some decent restaurant options nearby, too, if you want to grab breakfast or brunch first.
This is especially good for you folks who can't seem to get out of 60614. It's like bucolic therapy. Trust me. I've dragged enough of you out here in the past. For a nice trip TO the past.Listed in: Suburban Jaunts
-
Review from Liz S.
10/9/2007 3 photos
This place is like a grand old aunt, the one who used to have the family fortune and wear the big jewels, always elegant but now showing some signs of wear. Still...she is breathtaking.
I attended a wedding here on Saturday evening, and it was definitely the nicest setting for an outdoor wedding that I can think of. Even in the crazy 88 degree heat, everything looked wonderful - the statues coyly welcomed us in, the grass and trees were lush and green, the sun set on the mansion giving it a rose complexion, and birds soared overhead as if on cue. The house was used as the home of Cameron Diaz's character in the movie "My Best Friend's Wedding", and it does give that old-money feeling from the moment you set foot on the grounds. It was built in the 1914 in the Venitian style, and being there, you would hardly know that right outside its walls are miles of strip malls and hideous condos.
The large tent where the reception was held worked fine for our 100-person event - but I have to say that the catering by the Phil Stefani group was lacking. The food was okay - mostly typical wedding food - but the service was unpolished.
If you are planning a large event, or just feel like playing at being royalty for the day, a trip to the Cuneo is well worth it. I pan to return to check out the house and museum on my next visit to the Chicago area. -
Review from Lillie W.
Chicago, IL
10/17/2008
This is a fascinating place. I took my two year old niece with her umbrella stroller, and they were very accommodating. Didn't mind her at all. I guess they saw she was so sweet and quiet. She had a very nice time, commenting occasionally, asking questions (I know, she's very precocious) and minding me when I told her not to touch anything.
The gardens are spectacular, very pretty, and the museum itself inspires many daydreams.
The only damper is the price of admission. There was no discount for my two year old niece, so I paid quite a bit for the two of us. We had a nice afternoon, though, and while I wouldn't go back often, which I would if the price were lower, I will go back. -
Review from Tom M.
Chicago, IL
10/21/2008
On a beautiful spring / summer / autumn day, there is no more beautiful a venue for a wedding or special event. The garden and fountains out back are right out of a storybook - a real fairy tale for the eyes!
-
Review from Susan L.
4/18/2009
Cuneo was a printing magnate who purchased this 32-room Venetian-style mansion in 1937, after the previous owner went bankrupt during the Depression. The interior of the home has many lovely details - including a chapel filled with beautiful stained-glass windows - but it's not ostentatious. We also learned some interesting details about the family. There are docent tours during summertime week-ends and there are also some week-end events during late spring & summer (such as concerts). The gardens are part of 75 acres of landscaped grounds, including lakes and antique statuary. If you have an AAA membership, admission is two-for-one.
