Enjoy outdoor, indoor activities at 'Discover Mayslake'

Visitors can take a self-guided tour of Mayslake Hall and enjoy live music and theater, art, nature and photo hikes, archery and fishing at "Discover Mayslake" next month in Oak Brook.

The celebration will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 20, at the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County's Mayslake Peabody Estate, 1717 W. 31st St.

The free, all-ages open house will offer short meditation walks and an outdoor stretching session to help spotlight programs and events offered throughout the year at the 87-acre estate, which is home to the 1920s Tudor Revival-style Mayslake Hall, a national historic landmark.

Three Mayslake regulars will perform during the event: Sinfonietta Bel Canto at noon, Acappellago at 1 p.m. and First Folio Theatre - Mayslake's resident theater company - at 12:30 and 1:30 p.m.

Visitors can take in the beauty of Mayslake on naturalist-led hikes through the forest preserve's high-quality prairie, oak savanna and woodland and on garden walks led by volunteers who care for the estate's heritage garden.

They can stop by exploration stations featuring bugs, participate in a scavenger hunt, or try archery and fishing with forest preserve rangers. Kayaking also will be available for a fee.

"Discover Mayslake is a great celebration and showcase of all that Mayslake has to offer during the year and the many ways we connect people to nature through the arts and history," said Janneke Fowers, the district's cultural education manager.

Other open house features include learning about the ongoing restoration of the estate, an art exhibit featuring the advanced students of Mayslake's Exploring Watercolor class, and art activities.

Throughout the year, Mayslake Hall hosts theater and musical productions, art classes, tours, exhibits, summer camps, special events and private functions.