allerton park & retreat center

I grew up going here, so I may be a bit partial, but Allerton Park is simply the most beautiful park in Illinois. With enough acreage to supply a whole day's worth (and then some) of exploring, picnics, and hiking, it's hard not to fall in love. Spring and summer are my favorite seasons, as the gardens are in full bloom and manicured extremely well. With so many different gardens, it never seems crowded - even with a full parking lot.The staff is fantastic, and unless there is an event, welcomes people inside the mansion to look around. The only time not to go would be after a rain in the dead of summer ... The Mosquitos seem to get a bit wicked. Do yourself and you're family the favor of taking a daytrip. Make sure you get a map, because there is so much more than meets the eye. Enjoy!

dirk1957Thank you for coming back to Allerton Park this past summer, we are humbled that you would bring your family with you as well helping to make sure future generations enjoy this wonderful place. This past summer was truly a great one, we had the perfect amount of rain to ensure the park was in full bloom for most of the summer. Please visit us again in the future and maybe make it an overnight!

beachqueenChicago,I am happy to hear you and your four-legged friend were able to enjoy Allerton this past fall. You are correct, in the warmer months there is nothing better than a picnic in your special place within Allerton Park. If you are ever back in the area come down for one of our many concerts in the park and even think about staying the night!

Dapger,Thank you for your recent review of Allerton and I am sorry to hear you feel as though the park has been neglected. I can assure you this is not the case, because of the abundant rain this year many of our lower trails have been underwater, once the water recedes it takes a full month before we can get a mower to groom the trails. Please visit us again soon, it would me my pleasure to tell you about the many improvements we have made to both the park and mansion.

fancypants2014,Thank you for your recent review of Allerton Park, during the fall the trails are outstanding with wildlife and fall colors. The advice you gave about guests checking in at the visitors center is great. Because we are so close to the Sangamon River even the smallest amount of rain can servery impact the lower trails. We hope to see you soon again at Allerton Park.

Stephen C,Thank you for your recent visit and review of Allerton Park. Many guests do not catch the small hidden gardens behind the hedges in the formal gardens, they are some of the most secluded and special gardens for those looking to relax and enjoy a summer afternoon. Please continue to visit Allerton and thank you for your support.

Kona J,Thank you for your recent review of Allerton Park, we sincerely hope you enjoyed your time here. You came at a wonderful time to enjoy the beginning of the autumn season and the fall foliage. Please keep us in mind if you are ever in the area again and please let more people know about your experience here at Allerton.

Ssjcjzfarms,Thank you for this elegant review of Allerton, we truly appreciate our guests taking the time to tell others about is wonderful place. Please keep an eye on our website for new programs we are bringing to Allerton this summer, fall and winter. We look forward to having you back soon.

Saboin V,Thank you for your recent review of Allerton and thank you for your continued support of the Park. Your oldest son is correct, Allerton is certainly a park with plenty of history to tell. We look forward to your next visit and thank you again for your support of Allerton.

Chrissy E,Thank you for your review of Allerton, your review of Allerton is exactly how we want each guest to feel about this special place! Our staff goes to great lengths to keep the park and mansion in the best possible shape. I would also like to invite you to come out to Allerton this winter, the park takes on an entirely different personality, particularly when we have snow. Thank you again for your reoccurring visits to Allerton, we look forward to seeing you again in the future.

MegMike,Thank you for your recent review, and your valuable input about signage here at the Park. This has been a work in progress for quite some time. We are currently in progress of updating our signs for the different variety of groups we host here at Allerton Our challenge is not overwhelming guests with too many signs as they enter the park. We are currently working on direction for overnight guest check-in as well as many of our popular wedding locations. We are also updating the information kiosks throughout the park. Thank you again for your review of Allerton, we hope to see you here again soon.

Catherine C, First off congratulations to your cousin, and thank you for making the trip to Allerton and staying with us during your stay. Your review touched on a great tip, we do not have a restaurant here on site, so if you are staying a while and don't or cant make the trip into town bring a few snacks and drinks. Thank you again for your review and we hope to have you here at Allerton again if you are in the area.

TravelerSophia, Thank you for your recent review of Allerton, you are correct, with the harsh winter we are about three weeks behind our spring blooms, if you are ever back to the area please come back, it is truly a wonderful site during the late spring when everything is in bloom. Finally if you would contact me directly at msmi@illinois.edu I would like to find out specifically what parts of the park we can improve on. Thank you for your time, please come back to Allerton again soon.

James A,Thank you supporting Allerton in so many ways, we sincerely appreciate all you do. As you mentioned we are thrilled so many people are enjoying the concerts this year and we look forward to having more first time and returning guests out to Allerton to enjoy this wonderful gift. We look forward to see you again on the 30th of May for the Garden Party.

MaryB,Thank you for your kind words, we sincerely enjoyed being a part of such a special event. Please continue to spread the word about your experience so we can help others discover this wonderful space. Thank you again for choosing Allerton and your continued support all these years. We look forward to see you again soon.