Forest preserve plans Mayslake open house
Visitors can take a self-guided tour of the Mayslake mansion and enjoy live music and theater, art projects, hikes, archery and fishing at "Discover Mayslake" Saturday, July 22.
The mansion, operated by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mayslake Peabody Estate, 1717 W. 31st St. in Oak Brook.
The free, all-ages open house spotlights programs and events offered throughout the year at the 87-acre estate, which includes its 1920s Tudor Revival-style Mayslake Hall, a national historic landmark.
Throughout the day, visitors can enjoy live music from Picosa, Sinfonietta Bel Canto and Acappellago, regular performers at Mayslake, and mini-performances by First Folio, Mayslake's resident theater company and the premier nonprofit professional theater in the Western suburbs.
They also can see demonstrations by Music Together, a music and movement program for newborns to kindergartners offered at the estate throughout the year.
Visitors can take in the beauty of Mayslake with hikes led by district naturalists or on garden walks led by volunteers who care for the estate's heritage garden.
They can try activities at stations featuring bugs and letterboxing (a type of outdoor treasure hunt) or try a hand at archery and fishing with district rangers.
A schedule of events is available at dupageforest.org/Discover-Mayslake-2017. For more information, call (630) 206-9566.
"'Discover Mayslake' is a fantastic opportunity to spend a day with family and friends, participate in new activities and enjoy the beauty of Mayslake," forest preserve district Commissioner Jeff Redick said.
Other activities include historical talks about the forest preserve and Mayslake Hall restoration, "open-house style" tours of the mansion, an art exhibit of Mayslake-inspired works, and art projects, including one where visitors' completed images will be posted on the Mayslake Facebook page.
"Discover the many ways this historical icon connects people to nature and culture in DuPage County," said forest preserve President Joe Cantore.
The district works to historically restore Mayslake Hall, which hosts theater and musical productions, art classes, tours, exhibits, workshops, summer camps, special events and private functions throughout the year. District ecologists and volunteers continue to improve the land's high-quality prairie, oak savanna, wetlands and woodlands.