If you’re going to be spending time in Schaumburg, Illinois, you’ve got quite a lot of options for things to do and places to see. Though on the smaller end of the scale in terms of population, Schaumburg has a rich history, tons of high-quality amenities, and lots of experiences that are friendly to all ages.
The following will explore a few of the more popular things to do in Schaumburg as well as share any additional information you might need when planning to visit these sights.
About Schaumburg
The village of Schaumburg is located in Cook Country and DuPage County in the state of Illinois. It has been ranked the best place to live in Illinois as well as the 9th best place to live in all of the United States. The village was incorporated in 1956 but was filled with German settlers long before that. Settled by the mid-19th century, the town remained almost entirely German-owned until the Great Depression. German culture and influence can still be sensed in some of the village’s historical buildings.
Eat Until Your Heart’s Content
Given how highly Schaumburg ranks on places to live lists, you can bet that the amenities are top-notch. In particular, the food options are stellar. Have a read through a list of the best restaurants in Schaumburg, and you’re bound to find something that you and all those you’re traveling with will enjoy. If you’re looking to experience some quintessential American fast food, you’ll be more than pleased, but there are also many family-owned locations that cover all your cuisine basics. You can find oyster bars, Italian restaurants, burger joints, cafes, Brazilian eateries, grills, steakhouses, Japanese restaurants, taverns, and much more.
Woodfield Mall
While it might seem strange to put a mall on a list of things to do in a village, when it comes to the Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, an exception needs to be made. The Woodfield Mall is the 10th largest mall in the United States with over 300 stores and part of a long history of American shopping centers, so if you feel the need to get any shopping done, be sure to check this location out. The mall was opened in 1971 and attracts more than 27 million visitors each year.
Spring Valley
Spring Valley is a 135-acre refuge containing streams, marshes, forests, and fields. It’s a wonderful location for walking, relaxing, nature photography, sketching and painting, and bird watching. It’s part of nearly 300 acres of nature preserve throughout the Schaumburg Park District. In addition to standard trails, the idyllic location contains over three miles of handicapped-accessible trails, an 1880s living history farm (more on this below), and a nature center containing natural history displays. The park is open to the public and costs nothing to enter. It is worth noting that pets, bicycles, rollerblades, foraging, drinking, fishing, or feeding animals are not permitted within the premises.
Chicago Athenaeum International Sculpture Park
While you’re probably more used to seeing sculptures within town squares and as part of buildings and sacred sites, the Chicago Athenaeum International Sculpture Park takes this to a whole new level. Planned more than 20 years ago by Ioannis Karalis, a Greek architect, and artist, the park is a several-acre scenic landscape with water features, trees, and fields filled with stunning works of sculpture from many renowned artists. This is a stellar place to get truly unique photographs as well as spend an afternoon in peaceful contemplation. Think of it as an outdoor sculpture museum because that’s what it is. Just be sure to dress appropriately for the weather; Illinois is known for having chillier winters and autumns, and this means you might want to come prepared. There’s a fantastic Danish saying that should be constantly referred to while traveling, which is: there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad outfits. Light layers are usually your best bet. You’re going to want to give yourself at least three hours here, but maybe even more.
Schaumburg Boomers Stadium
Sometimes also referred to as Wintrust Field, the Schaumburg Boomers Stadium is home to the Schaumburg Boomers of the Frontier League. The park can hold 7,365 people for a baseball game or over 10,000 for a concert. What’s more American than attending a baseball game and enjoying a hot dog? You can also look up any performances coming to the stadium during your stay in Schaumburg and purchase tickets for the ones that appeal to you.
Blocks To Bricks
Another specialty museum in Schaumburg is Blocks to Bricks. It’s an interactive walk-through gallery that covers over 12,500 square feet and explores the history of three-dimensional building toys such as Lincoln Logs, LEGO, Erector Sets, and more. This is a fantastic stop for children as well as adults who want to experience a little nostalgia. Expect to spend somewhere between one to two hours here and leave feeling the desperate need to start constructing things.
Schaumburg Township District Library
This library has an insane amount of excellent reviews on Trip Advisor, and a big part of that has to do with how massive the library is. In addition to having lots of books and media offerings, the library contains meeting rooms, workshops, and talks hosted by experts. There’s a reading room with a fireplace as well as lots of rooms with computers and magazines. The library even has a coffee shop within it, making it a lovely place to stop and get some work done or catch up on some reading.
Medieval Times
Medieval Times is exactly what it sounds like: an exploration of the medieval era. Technically the site is considered dinner theatre as a major component of the experience. You get to sit down at a medieval-style meal (be forewarned, that means no cutlery) and watch a tournament where knights challenge each other to duels. You can also witness jousting, falconers, horse shows, and lots of medieval shenanigans. The experience is also very educational, making it ideal for children. You can pay for extras like getting “knighted” and dressing up in medieval garb. It’s worth noting that this is the sort of thing you want to arrive early to as the lines can get quite long, close to showtime. There are also strobe lights and fog machines used within the performance, so anyone sensitive to those might want to skip out on this.
Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology
Most of us have encountered the concept of anesthesiology in the past, but this medical wonder has a long and winding history. The museum contains an interactive timeline of anesthesia and the field of anesthesiology along with 13,000 books and a collection of historically used apparatus’. It’s fascinating (and a little scary) to learn about the past approaches to this aspect of medicine.
The Water Works
If you’re visiting during the warmer months and have kids with you, the Water Works is a must. This indoor water park contains multiple water slides, a rapid water channel, a whirlpool, a sprayground, a zero-depth entry pool, a diving pool, a lap pool, and all the amenities you might want like family changing rooms and a nursery. Please note that some water slides require children to be of a certain height to use, meaning not all elements of the park will be available to all children.
Trickster Art Gallery
Connect with America’s Indigenous culture and history at the Trickster Art Gallery and Cultural Center. Here you’ll find a ton of meaningful works of art among several multicultural exhibits, as well as rich programming that contains workshops, tours, panel discussions, and speaking events. The center focuses on contemporary Native American art (post-1960s) but contains a wide variety of sights and works. The museum’s name comes from the valuable role that the trickster character plays in Native American culture; a trickster is considered a spiritual and cultural educator that uses levity and jokes to teach life principles.
Volkening Heritage Farm
Visiting Volkening Heritage Farm feels like traveling back in time. It gives you the opportunity to explore the rural German farm community roots of Schaumburg by visiting a functioning farm from the 1880s. Performers and interpreters are dressed in authentic period clothing and help guide visitors through the site, often performing tasks in the traditional period-appropriate manner for people to witness. Admission is free, but certain scheduled special events require entrance fees, so you’ll want to take a moment to look at the farm’s event calendar on their site to make sure you’re not planning on showing up during an event. Given the size of this stop, you’re looking at somewhere between two and three hours to take it all in. This is an excellent thing to schedule on a day when everyone is tired of rushing and needs some serene moments of calm.
The above list should have given you a good idea of the myriad of things available for visitors in Schaumburg. When planning a trip, it’s always a good idea to give yourself more time than you think you’ll need between different events and bookings, as well as unstructured time that can be used to catch up on sleep, eat and simply hang out. Trips can quickly become overwhelming if you try to fit more than two bigger things in a given day, particularly if you’re traveling with children. A rule of thumb schedule would be to plan out your three meals and have one morning activity and one afternoon activity. Occasionally, you can include an evening activity too, but three things every day can quickly tire people out.
