I moved away from Oak Park, IL, when I was nine years old. I was traumatized -- when my parents told me we were moving away, my entire, happy life was forcibly torn from my grasp. It’s been over 10 years since the move and I have since gotten over it, but I kept in good touch with friends from the neighborhood and from school throughout the years.
Recommended for you
Coming to Oak Park for a week almost every year has generated a lot of nostalgia for me over the years. Many others have also moved away, and lots of places that I used to visit often with my family and friends have closed and are no longer there. Still, I have found new places of habit in OP that I would like to share with you.
1. The Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio
951 Chicago Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302
Open every day from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
The first item on my list, the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, is an absolute must-see for everyone, and especially architecture enthusiasts and history buffs. The tour of the famous architect’s home and studio is educational and shows off the most exquisite architecture in the building.
2. Oak Park Conservatory
615 Garfield St, Oak Park, IL 60304
Open every day 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., except Mondays (2 p.m. - 4 p.m.)
The Oak Park Conservatory consists of three different rooms: desert, tropical and fern. In the desert room, you can see an agave or century plant, which grow for around 30 years before blooming. (It was in this room that a cactus fascinated me so much as a child that I unwittingly pricked my finger on it, so I have a bit of a grudge against this room. But to the unbiased observer, it is a fine room.) In the tropical room, you can find koi and water falls, with tropical birds hooting at you in English. And in the fern room, you can see the oldest plant family and several fruit trees. The Conservatory is a small jewel within the village, but more than worth your time.
3. Ernest Hemingway Museum
200 N Oak Park Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302
Open every day 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., except Saturday (10 a.m. - 5 p.m.)
I have never been here myself, but for fans of the high-profile American author, the Ernest Hemingway Museum should be a stop on your tour of Oak Park. A stunning Victorian-style house, it features Hemingway’s photos, writings and memorabilia from his years as an Oak Parker.
4. Lake Street
The heart of Oak Park, Lake Street is the place to be to explore the downtown district. Restaurants to die for, featuring Mediterranean cuisine, breakfast spots and Chinese food, line the street in addition to several locally owned businesses and shops. The brightly lit Lake Theatre glows as a movie palace in the center of it all.
5. Hole In The Wall Ice Cream Shop
901 S Oak Park Ave, Oak Park, IL 60304
Only open during warm seasons
Oh my word, this place is amazing. I love it. It’s the best ice cream shop in the whole world possibly. It’s also possibly the world’s smallest ice cream store, so don’t be intimidated by the long line outside the shop, as there isn’t room for even three people inside. Definitely get the swirl cone or a dip top (or both!). You can’t really go wrong at this place.
6. Oak Park Post Office
901 Lake Street, Oak Park, IL 60301
Open M-F 8 a.m. - 7 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., closed Sundays
This may seem like an odd choice, but hear me out. This isn’t just any old post office. An imposing building, its inside is more appealing. It brings to mind the Art-Deco style with its high ceilings and big lights, and one of the sides of the large hall shows off a historical buggy once used to deliver mail in Oak Park.
7. Pleasant Home
217 Home Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302
Open Thursday-Sunday for hour-long tours at 12:30 p.m., 1:30p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Free self-guided tour on Wednesday from 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Oak Park is home to many great architectural beauties, and Pleasant Home is an example of the Prairie School of Architecture. You can tour this house and see the preserved and restored furniture on the first and second floors of the structure. It is located in a nice green space, perfect for a short stroll. Fun fact: I used to call this house the Lion House because of its exterior stone lion heads.
Because Oak Park is a mostly residential area, there are not an exceedingly large number of tourist attractions besides the ones listed above. Luckily, the village is conveniently home to both green and blue line stops, so getting to downtown Chicago and other parts of Chicagoland is easy.
Enjoy your time in Oak Park!
