Hidden Gems Of The Grove

It's a landmark for a reason. Here are some little known treasures guests can enjoy! Visit the site HERE and call us for any question: [phone]

1. The road to nowhere

For about ten years during the 1840s and 1850s, Milwaukee Road was a plank toll road between Wheeling and Chicago. The cost of using the road was $1.30. If the road ran in front of your house, you were responsible for the upkeep, replacing rotten or missing planks.

2. The most adorable wildlife you've ever seen

Get your cuteness fill with the wildlife at The Grove. Check out how to Be a Buddy to animals at The Grove.

3. Astronomy Buffs Welcome

This original leaded glass window in the Redfield Estate has a blue glass circle in it. On the night of the Autumnal Equinox and the Spring Solstice, you can stand in the middle of the Great room and see the full moon fill the circle.

4. A deer, a bison and a woodland dancer walk into a forest...

Deer, a bison, and a woodland dancer… beautiful statues grace the Redfield Estate. Our re-creation of The Woodland Dancer is near the new Redfield Pavilion. The original statue graced the gardens of the estate in the 1930’s.

5. The Indian Longhouse

Native Americans were still on the land when the Kennicotts arrived in 1836. A Pottawatomie village was less than a mile away, and Native Americans and pioneers were friendly and helpful to one another. Our village consists of a hunting lodge and longhouse.

6. Mary Kennicott's personal door

Mary Kennicott had this door built after her husband, Dr. John Kennicott, became ill. The closeness to the kitchen made it easier for her to care for him. Dr. John was an early doctor in the area as well as the first to open a nursery where pioneers traveling west could purchase trees, bushes, and flowers.

7. Sleep Tight... No Really.

The bedtime saying, “Sleep tight. Don’t let the bed bugs bite,” came from the days when people had to tighten the ropes on their beds and slept on straw filled mattresses. How comfy!

8. The perfect wedding destination

The stone column gazebo on the small island in the forest near the Redfield Estate is a replica of the one that stood in that spot in the 1930s. Today, many couples choose to have their wedding ceremonies there.

9. Cora and Alice’s bedroom at The Kennicott House

Cora and Alice shared this bedroom. They often had a pet bird, like a canary, and helped their brother, Robert Kennicott, prepare his study skins. Robert Kennicott was Illinois’ first naturalist.

10. The Reflection Pond

Just West of the Redfield Estate is a lovely garden reflection pool. The restoration of the charming spot was done as a memorial to a young girl who visited The Grove often.

11. Kennicott Family Graves

You may visit John, Mary, and Robert Kennicott’s graves on the land that they loved so dearly. Other family members are buried in Arlington Heights.

12. The Greenhouse

Aquatic plants and animals have a home at The Grove also. Our greenhouse has crayfish, tadpoles, bromeliads, ferns, and insect eating plants!

13. The One Room Schoolhouse

Visitors take on the persona of actual students during class time at the one room schoolhouse, coveted roles being one of the Kennicott children. The aisle on the girls’ side is slightly wider to accommodate the young ladies’ hoop skirts of the 1860s. Better behave yourself or you might end up wearing the Dunce Cap!

14. Women's Group Quilt

The Kennicott story quilt was conceived, planned, designed, stitched, pieced together, and quilted by a group of Grove Heritage Association members (about 35!) beginning in 1981. They wanted the Kennicott history to be preserved for Grove visitors for many years. Three years later, in 1984, the project was finished. It hangs in one of the bedrooms on the second floor of the Kennicott House.

15. It’s a turkey! It’s a chicken! No, it’s an African guinea hen!

The Kennicotts kept guinea hens as their own alarm system because of the raucous calls they make when threatened.