Gone but not forgotten: A look back at suburban places that no longer exist

Over the past 150 years, countless places have opened and closed in the suburbs, including stores, restaurants, entertainment venues and businesses.

The Daily Herald paid tribute to some of these gone-but-not-forgotten suburban icons in a pair of special sections called "Remember When."

Here's a look back at some of the most memorable places that no longer exist … and what readers and staffers had to say about them.

Poplar Creek Music Theatre, Hoffman Estates

Poplar Creek Music Theatre in Hoffman Estates opened on June 6, 1980, with a concert by John Denver. The amphitheater, off Higgins Road and Route 59, closed in 1994.

"Great entertainment and close to home! During the late '80s and early '90s, my husband and I saw Barry Manilow, John Denver, Tina Turner, Julie Andrews and Aretha Franklin. Also, Fourth of July concerts. What a wonderful entertainment venue!"

- Carolyn McClure,

Schaumburg

Randhurst Mall, Mount Prospect

The $23 million mall near the intersection of Rand Road and Elmhurst Road opened Aug. 16, 1962, as the first enclosed mall in the Chicago area. The Randhurst Corp. that built the mall was the marriage of three retail giants: Carson Pirie Scott, Wieboldt's and Montgomery Ward. Each would have an anchor at the shopping center, Montgomery Ward's initially as the company-owned The Fair Store.

Victor Gruen, the leading commercial architect of the day, provided the design - a triangle with an anchor at each point topped by a dome. It would be entirely air-conditioned, making it the largest air-conditioned space in the country at the time. Over the past 60 years, the shopping center has undergone many transformations in response to evolving retail trends.

The most dramatic arrived in 2009, with the demolition of the indoor mall and its reinvention as a lifestyle center named Randhurst Village.

"I started working at Chas. A. Stevens and Co. at Randhurst when I was in high school. I continued through my college years. The Bird's Nest Restaurant was in the middle of Randhurst under the dome. When my mom took us shopping we would often take time to have lunch there. As a child I believed this was a fancy restaurant and was always on my best behavior."

- Judy Yount, Palatine

Arlington Park, Arlington Heights

Arlington Park racecourse opened in 1927 and closed on Sept. 25, 2021. Its future may include new life as a home for the Chicago Bears, but readers have vivid memories of its days as a thoroughbred horse-racing track.

"I grew up in Arlington Heights and worked at the racetrack for 14 years … I grew to appreciate this wonderful sport for its beauty, pageantry and traditions. Mr. D's (owner Dick Duchossois) constant emphasis on customer service and attention to detail was incredible."

- Karen Regan, Palatine

"Never when I was there was I thinking about the outside world. I was in the moment. Me, my pals, the summer day and the horses."

- Alan P. Henry, Deerfield

"It was a magical place. Dad knew a lot of trainers and owners, and I could marvel at the beauty of the horses up close. I always insisted he bet on the gray ones for me."

- Patricia Motto, Elmhurst

Kiddieland, Melrose Park

Kiddieland, an amusement park on North Avenue in Melrose Park, enjoyed an 80-year run.

"My first memory of going to Kiddieland was in 1961 when I rode the live ponies. In 1963, at 9 years old, I rode the boats with my two younger sisters. When I become a mom, I couldn't wait to take my kids to Kiddieland."

- Cheryl Brown, Glenview

"(When I was a child) the ultimate summer highlight was our day at the best amusement park for kids. From the Little Dipper roller coaster to the merry-go-round, topped off with blue or pink cotton candy, our staycation was filled with thrills, chills and summertime fun. The tradition continued with my own children until Kiddieland closed in 2009."

- Linda DeNicolo, Naperville

Mill Race Inn, Geneva

"Geneva's Mill Race Inn was a legendary country inn on the banks of the Fox River with a storied history as a blacksmith shop-turned-tearoom-turned iconic restaurant, its name derived from the river's mill race of a bygone era. I loved its history, old-world charm and kitsch. It was my family's favorite place to celebrate birthdays, holidays and other milestones. I was there the night in 2011 when it closed for good. The inn sat shuttered for several years and was demolished in 2016; all that remains is the foundation and a portion of the original blacksmith shop."

- Gail Gaboda, Geneva

Country Squire Restaurant, Grayslake

"The Country Squire Restaurant in Grayslake was always a favorite of my mom and aunt. The restaurant, which opened in 1954 on the corner of routes 120 and 45 in Grayslake, was in the former Sears Mansion. It was originally the summer home of Wesley Sears, the son of the Sears, Roebuck & Company's founder, Richard Sears. The Country Squire closed in 2012, and my mom and aunt are long deceased, but the fond memories of those wonderful, elegant luncheons will live with me for a long time."

- Norrine Twohey, Daily Herald Community News Coordinator

"My mom, who came from Italy after World War II as a new bride, thought the building and grounds were magical and they reminded her of restaurants in Europe."

- Don Lesinski, Grayslake

Fisherman's Dude Ranch, Des Plaines

"If you drove on Golf Road in Des Plaines from 1965-1999, you couldn't ignore a giant rainbow trout bobbing up and down just east of the Tri-State Tollway that called for your attention. It was as large as a semi, and an equally large fisherman stood at the other end of a sign welcoming you to Fisherman's Dude Ranch. The property featured a 12-acre lake and two ponds stocked with trout, walleye, pike, bass and catfish."

- Tom Quinlan, former Daily Herald Assistant Managing Editor for Sports, Mount Prospect

Liberty Theater, Libertyville

The Liberty Theater, a fixture in downtown Libertyville since 1937, closed in 2020. One of its claims to fame was former employee Marlon Brando, who once worked there as an usher.

"I saw my first movie, 'Rocky,' at the Liberty in 1976 with my family. A couple years later, my friends and I celebrated my birthday watching 'Grease.' We could smell buttered popcorn as we stood in line on the sidewalk outside waiting to buy tickets ... The theater was the only place around to watch movies on the large single screen."

- Kim Mikus, Lake Zurich

Pheasant Run Resort, St. Charles

Built in 1963 on the 180-acre former Airport Farm, Pheasant Run Resort was a regional entertainment destination in its heyday. Helicopters brought wealthy guests to St. Charles to dine in one of the facility's four restaurants. The Pheasant Run Playhouse would bring superstars of the era - names like Mimi Hines, Phyllis Diller, William Shatner, Betty Grable and Larry Hageman - to St. Charles to entertain guests in one of the only venues of its type outside the city of Chicago. Eventually, the complex would grow to boast 325 hotel rooms, 35 convention rooms, the theater, a 14-story tower, a leased 18-hole golf course and a two-block replica of New Orleans' Bourbon Street lined with boutiques and French Quarter-style balconies. But times changed, the resort fell into decline, and in March 2020, the resort closed its doors for good after a failed attempt to auction off the property. On May 21, large parts of the shuttered resort were destroyed in a fire, and four youths are were charges in connection with the fire.

"Though I grew up nearby in South Elgin, my visits to Pheasant Run were infrequent, but unforgettable. Getting ice cream with friends and strolling along the two-block replica of New Orleans' Bourbon Street was always a treat when we were teenagers. My parents recall attending New Year's Eve parties and going to comedy shows and getting dinner there with friends."

- Lauren Rohr, former Daily Herald Staff Writer

Adventureland, Addison

Adventureland was a small amusement park operating in Addison from 1961 to 1977. It was at the intersection of Medinah Road and Lake Street.

"One of my favorite places to go when I was growing up in Elk Grove Village was Adventureland on Lake Street in Addison. I was in my teens and my mom would drop me and my friends off for an afternoon of fun. You paid one price to get in for unlimited rides. We'd ride the Tilt-a-Whirl over and over again."

- Chris Prochno, Elk Grove Village

Bartlett Tavern, Bartlett

"If old walls could talk, the ones at Bartlett Tavern would tell tales of Saturday night dances, weekday civic meetings, wedding receptions, homemade coleslaw, Friday night fish frys and the four families who were longtime owners of the business. Built in the 1880s, the tavern was once Bartlett's oldest continuing business, beginning with original proprietor Herman Niewisch. The early 2000s brought several new owners and name changes. Through all this, the tavern's 1890s bar has remained intact. The tavern is closed, but the history made within the walls will live on in its many patrons."

- Pam Rohleder, Director, Village of Bartlett Museums