Free historic home tours for Adlai Stevenson Day

Celebrate Adlai Stevenson Day in Illinois Saturday, Feb. 5, with free guided tours of the Adlai E. Stevenson Historic Home in Mettawa.

The tours are offered at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.

The one-hour tours will focus on information about Adlai E. Stevenson II and anecdotes about his family’s use of the home. Tour visitors will see the home itself, including the study where Stevenson met with dignitaries such as John F. Kennedy and Eleanor Roosevelt, as well as the service building and grounds.

Visitors will learn more about the influential American statesman, known as “the man from Libertyville,” as they take in the setting where he wrote speeches, reflected on world events and found solace in the landscape.

Stevenson served as governor of Illinois from 1949 to 1953 and Ambassador to the United Nations from 1961 until his death in 1965. He also ran unsuccessfully for president against Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952 and 1956. In 2009, Illinois passed a law designating Feb. 5 of every calendar year as Adlai Stevenson Day.

The Adlai E. Stevenson Historic Home was built in 1938. The property is a designated an Illinois Historic Site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Modern in style.

Tours are open to visitors ages 8 and older. They are free, but registration is required. Register online at LCFPD.org or call (847) 968-3321.

Adlai E. Stevenson Historic Home is on St. Mary’s Road, 1 mile south of Route 60, in Mettawa. Parking is available on-site. The grounds are open to visitors daily from 6:30 a.m. to sunset. A self-directed walking tour of the grounds is available featuring exhibit panels on the history of the property and Adlai Stevenson II. The home’s service building is also open to visitors.

The building features in-depth exhibitions about Stevenson’s life and significance. For details, call (847) 968-3400.