The Complete Guide to Outdoor Fun in Schaumburg, Illinois
About an hour outside of the bustling metropolis of Chicago, lies the suburban city of Schaumburg. Home to a huge convention center, but lower hotel prices than in the city, this is an area that sees a lot of travelers for both business and pleasure. Our family had a week long stay during our daughter’s dance competition (read here for our other dance travel to Nashville). We found plenty to do outdoors in Schaumburg during our off time- check out all the city has to offer below!
Where is Schaumburg?
Schaumburg, Illinois is about 30 miles Northwest from Chicago. The commute into or out of the city will take about an hour by car. The city is connected by the Metra train and also has the Pace bus. For more details on how to get to the city, check out the transportation website here.
For more Chicago traveling ideas, take a look at some of my previous posts:
The Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
The Craziest McDonalds in the Heart of Chicago
American Girl Place-Chicago
Outdoor Fun
Seeing as how we were spending a good portion of our week inside of the convention center for a dance competition, we wanted to spend the rest of our times outdoors as much as possible! Here are all of the places we found to enjoy in Schaumburg.
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Bison’s Bluff
Bison’s Bluff is a nature playground located at 1111 E. Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg, IL. This is not your ordinary playscape! Outfitted with water areas, short hiking paths (see photo below) and plenty of climbing areas, Bison’s Bluff is a place for outdoor creativity and exploration.
Since this is such a unique playscape, there is a suggested play limit of one hour, with an admission of $3.00 ($2.00 for residents) for children ages 2-12 years. There are other common park guidelines as well, such as no glass, smoking, pets, etc. For more information and hours of operation visit https://www.parkfun.com/spring-valley/bisons-bluff.
Other things to do at Bison’s Bluff
While the main attraction for summer time is certainly the nature playground, Bison’s Bluff has more experiences to offer.
Nature Center
The Nature Center is open from 10am to 6pm from April through October. November through March the center is open 10am to 4pm. The Center has interactive displays about plants and animals. During the summer months they have a monarch butterfly presentation daily. The trails around the center are open daily with slightly longer hours.
Heritage Farm
Located separately from Bison’s Bluff at 201 S. Plum Grove Road, Schaumburg, Heritage Farms demonstrates life in Schaumburg in the 1880’s. The area was a rural German farming community and the Heritage Farm reflects that with historical interpreters dressed in era accurate costumes. You can visit with the livestock, see how farms ran in the 1800’s, play games from that time period and more. Hours of operation are available online and admission is FREE unless there is a specially scheduled event.
The Chicago Athenaeum International Sculpture Park
The name of this outdoor sculpture park is deceiving as it is located in Schaumburg, not Chicago. When arriving by GPS, use 201 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg, IL 60193 as the address. This will take you to the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts building. From here you will need to walk south to the sculpture paths. The website for the park has an interactive map which will give you details for each sculpture. The first sculpture you will encounter is Awaking Muse- the 40 foot woman coming out of the hill outside of the Prairie Center. Legend has it that if you sit in her hand you will gain inspiration.
The Sculpture Park is free to explore with winding but well maintained cement paths. Its another creative place to let kids run in Schaumburg.
More Outdoor fun in and around Schaumburg
If you have even more time to spend in the city and are looking for more outdoor activities, check out this list!
- Volkening Lake– Kayak, Canoe & Paddleboat rentals available
- Cook County Hiking Trails– Busse Forest Trail is located in Schaumburg, but there are plenty more to explore just outside the city.
- Waterfall Glenn- Located about 30 miles outside of Schaumburg, this nature preserve is open to horseback riders, hikers and even model aircraft clubs.
Where to stay in Schaumburg
My family of five chose to stay a the Hyatt House of Schaumburg. We had a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom suite with a full (hotel) kitchen and living room for the price of a normal hotel room! While the hotel was not the most modern accommodation, it was well worth it for the space and extra bathroom. It is also located about 5 minutes from the convention center, 15 minutes from Super Target and within walking distance to several restaurants.
While I wouldn’t recommend staying outside of Chicago if that is your main reason for visiting Illinois, Schaumburg is a great little town! Do you have any favorites I missed? Comment below!
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