News

For things to do this spring and summer, try Lake County

Posted May 28, 2026 11:30 am

Barbara Vitello

Touring a museum devoted to the beloved sock monkey, rockin’ to the King’s greatest hits at Marriott Theatre and perusing the book collection of one of the 20th century’s premiere writers at the Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie are among the cultural and entertainment activities taking place this spring and summer in Lake County.

If you prefer outdoor pursuits, consider strolling through the Chicago Botanic Garden or riding the coasters at Six Flags Great America.

Listed below are a few suggestions for things to do inside and outdoors in Lake County.

Indoors

Tyler Hanes, center, stars in Marriott Theatre’s revival of the Elvis Presley bio-tuner “Heartbreak Hotel” whose zesty production numbers come courtesy of director/choreographer Deidre Goodwin. Courtesy of Justin Barbin

• “Heartbreak Hotel,” through May 31, at Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. (847) 634-0100 or MarriottTheatre.com. Director/choreographer Diedre Goodwin’s hip-shakin' revival of this bio-tuner chronicling Elvis Presley's life from age 11, when he first picked up a guitar, to age 33, when he starred in the TV special that launched his comeback. Charismatic singer-dancer-actor Tyler Hanes stars in Marriott's hip-shakin' production.

• “The Last Five Years,” June 5-July 5, at Oil Lamp Theater, 1723 Glenview Road, Glenview. (847) 834-0738 or oillamptheater.org. Oil Lamp revives composer/lyricist Jason Robert Brown's gem of a two-hander tracing the relationship of Jamie (Abraham Deitz-Green) and Cathy (Lili Galluzzo) as they fall in and out of love over five years.

Long Grove's Sock Monkey Museum showcases, in its many varied forms, the toy that originated during the Great Depression. Visitors can also arrange to make their own sock monkey. Courtesy of Arlene Okun

• The Sock Monkey Museum, 210 Robert Parker Coffin Road, Long Grove. (847) 748-1155 or sockmonkeymuseum.com. As its website indicates, this combination museum, workshop and gift shop is not your grandparent’s museum, but maybe your grandparent’s socks. Established in 2019, the collection contains more than 2,200 sock monkeys obtained from estate sales, antique stores, garage sales, donations and the internet. The museum also offers sock monkey making workshops monthly.

• Bess Bower Dunn Museum, 1899 W. Winchester Road, Libertyville. (847) 968-3400 or lcfpd.org/museum. “For the Love of Pollinators,” an exhibition produced in cooperation with The Bee Collective of Columbus, Ohio, examines the connection between pollination, habitat, art and nature. It runs through May 31, and features more than 30 sculptural works from around the world created with help from honey bees. The museum also has permanent exhibitions devoted to prehistoric Lake County, Lake County Native Americans and early settlers, and the post Civil War industrial and agricultural expansion.

The Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie houses the personal book collection of science fiction writer and Waukegan native Ray Bradbury. Paul Valade/pvalade@dailyherald.com

• Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie, 1 N. Sheridan Road, Waukegan. (847) 336-1859 or waukeganparks.org. Housed in a historic library, the museum showcases Waukegan's history from the Ice Age through the 21st century. The museum also houses the personal book collection of celebrated science fiction writer and Waukegan native Ray Bradbury (“Fahrenheit 451,” “The Martian Chronicles”), which is located in the same room where, as a child, Bradbury read books by his favorite authors.

Outdoors

Spring has sprung at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe. Courtesy of the Chicago Botanic Garden

• The Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. (847) 835-6801 or chicagobotanic.org. Set on 385 acres, the Chicago Botanic Garden boasts between 27 and 28 gardens including one devoted to native Illinois plants, an English walled garden, model railroad garden, a circle garden with dancing fountain and a 2,800-square foot butterfly habitat that is open from late May through Labor Day.

• Heller Nature Center, 2821 Ridge Road, Highland Park. (847) 433-6901 or pdhp.org/heller-nature-center. Set on 97 acres, the nature center is home to a forest, tall grass prairie, oak savanna, natural wetlands and 3 miles of trails. Activities include nature excursions, educational programs, canoe trips and lectures.

The Wrath of Rakshasa is among 17 roller coasters at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee. Courtesy of Six Flags Great America

• Six Flags Great America, 1 Great America Parkway, Gurnee. sixflags.com/greatamerica. The amusement park marks its 50th season with stage shows, a nighttime spectacle, new drone show, a museum showcasing park artifacts, a collage of visitor-submitted vintage photos, the return of the Ice Cream Parlor in Hometown Square along with 17 roller coasters as well as attractions and characters that date back to the park’s opening on May 29, 1976.

• Waukegan Municipal Beach, 201 E. Sea Horse Drive, Waukegan. (847) 599-2504 or waukeganil.gov. Open year round, the mile long beach also has natural dunes and offers swimming, picnicking, kite-boarding, sand soccer and sand volleyball. It also is home to shorebirds which results from conservation efforts between the city and the Lake County Audubon Society.

Formed by glacial activity thousands of years ago, the Volo Bog spans 47.5 acres and consists of marshes, prairie restoration areas, woodlands, hiking and cross-country skiing trails. Courtesy of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources

• Volo Bog State Natural Area, a mile west of U.S. Route 12 between Volo and Fox Lake. dnr.illinois.gov/parks/about/park.volobog.html. Formed by glacial activity thousands of years ago, the bog was a lake until 6,000 years ago when vegetation began filling it. Registered as a National Natural Landmark in 1973, today it spans 47.5 acres and consists of marshes, prairie restoration areas, woodlands, hiking and cross-country skiing trails.