Fodor's Expert Review Cantigny Park

The 500-acre estate of former Chicago Tribune editor and publisher Robert McCormick (1880–1955) has multiple attractions. For starters, there's the First Division Museum, an impressive military history museum that has interactive, immersive exhibits. The sweeping landscape also incorporates formal gardens, picnic grounds, walking trails, and its own 27-hole public golf course with a separate 9-hole course for kids. The centerpiece, however, is the Beaux-Arts–style McCormick House. This 35-room mansion contains the Joseph Medill Library, the stately wood-paneled Freedom Hall, and an art deco movie theater. The hidden Prohibition-era bar alone is worth a visit—we won't ruin the surprise by revealing where it is.