Cantigny Park

What’s up everyone?

We have been experiencing some technical difficulties.  So the post that was meant for Wednesday wasn’t able to make it.  But we are back up and running.  With that being said, let get into it.

In my previous post I had mentioned Cantigny Park and realized that I have yet to talk about it.  I had planned on it, but put it on the back burner for other things.

Cantigny is located in Wheaton, Illinois which is about thirty miles west of Chicago.  It is a 500 acre park consisting of gardens, walking paths, two museums, golf course, and other public areas.

Cantigny was originally acquired by Joseph Medill in the late 1800’s.  Medill built a 35 room mansion on the country estate and called it Red Oaks.  The mansion was design by famed architect Charles Allerton Coolidge.  The house is currently one of the two museums on the property.  It is open to the public for tours and has been featured in several movies.  Medill lived there for the remainder of his days.  After his death, Red Oaks was passed down to his grandson Colonel Robert R. McCormick.

McCormick is kind of a big deal out here in Chicagoland.  His family started the Chicago Tribune and he is credited for building it into the media empire that it is today.  Before all that he worked as a war correspondent for them.  He was sent over to Europe to cover the fighting of World War I.  After returning back to the U.S. after his assignment, he promptly joined the Illinois National Guard.  In 1917 the ING was called to serve in Europe.  He was part of the 1st Battalion, the 5th Field Artillery Regiment, with the 1st Infantry Division (thats the Big Red 1 for my military buffs).  He fought in several battles one of which happened to be that Battle of Cantigny.  Upon his return home from the war, he renamed his estate Cantigny to honor those that fought there.

McCormick had no heirs upon his death in 1955, so he left his vast fortune to establish the McCormick Charitable Trust, better known as the McCormick Foundation now, and to transform his estate into a park for public use.

The main area of the park is made up of four major gardens: the Formal, Rose, Idea, and Prairie.  Each garden has its own uniqueness to it.  The Formal Garden is what you would expect to see at a grand estate.  One of the focal points is a large pond with a fountain surround by flowering plants of all kinds.  Many that I have never seen before.  I know that I do not have the wealth of knowledge when it comes to flora, so that could be part of it.  

The Rose garden is as the name implies.  A 12,000 square foot area filled with over 70 varieties of roses.  You can literally  stop and smell the roses and enjoy a quite moment underneath the famed pergola.  This garden is favored by many a bride for pictures.  

The Idea Garden is design to inspire all the at home gardeners.  It is a one acre block filled with inspiration.  Within the garden you will find plants that most amateur gardeners try to grow.  Vegetables, herbs, and flowers can all be found here.  You can enjoy the koi swim in the little pond as you walk around.

The Prairie Garden is designed to take you back to a time before the concrete jungle dominated the region.  It is set up to display the native species of trees, shrubs, and plants of the midwest.  As you travel though garden you come upon the central point of the Prairie Garden.  The Spirit of Commitment is a statue that represents mans civic duty in times of peace and war.  In the quietness of the area take some time to reflect upon things.  Good or bad, it doesn't matter, for all can over come their trials in time.

Cantigny is home to two museums the aforementioned Robert R. McCormick Home and the First Division Museum.  The McCormick home is decorated as it was when the McCormicks lived there.

My favorite part of this whole place was definitely the First Division Museum.  On the outside of the museum is what they call the Tank Park.  Here you can look upon tanks from around the world and from different times.  If you are lucky, you can also climb upon them.  The museum itself was built to honor the history of the First Division.  The First Infantry Division is the oldest continuously run division since its conception in 1917.  Inside you will see exhibits and artifact dating back to the Revolutionary War.

We had a lot of fun exploring Cantigny when were there.   Currently the park is being remodeled and update so some of the areas are closed.  We are excited to she the improvements that they are working on once they are complete in August.  If you get a chance go check it out.  I think it was worth it.

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time.

Josh

 Don't forget to check us out on Facebook.  We post a lot more pictures of our adventures there.