Tree Top At Ravinia - Highland Park

Beautiful atmosphere and buffet presentation but eating itself was very mediocre. all the dishes that should be hot were good and cold. the “fresh” veggies on the wooden board did not look fresh (e.g. dark spots on the cauliflower where it was cut). The blueberry cake was quite good, but they risked to splinter a tooth on the pecan pier tartlet. very disappointing for the elevated nature of the place and the price. the manager came to talk to us and apologized for the experience that was appreciated, but does not change the quality care.

Fantastic festival atmosphere. Just know that majority of the people will come here with extravagant picnic plans. Be sure you do too, to not feel left out. Also, other than the seated pavilion, no other locations have direct view of the stage. That said, it shouldn't keep you from visiting this amazing place for some great music.

We came here for a kid's music concert on a very hot august day. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time getting there because there is a TON of traffic once you get near by the venue. The parking itself was easy and they had lots of people to help direct. When it's time to leave I recommend dipping out 10-15 min early to beat the crowd. We paid a little extra for a reserved section on the grass. We had to pay for each person (including infants). The sound was excellent and they had a tv screen displaying the artist. The sections were spaced apart and gave kids enough room to dance and run around. The grounds are lovely. They also have food you can buy on site which was pretty tasty. We had guacamole and little tacos. Anyways, I'd recommend coming for late afternoon evening events as it's less likely you will be sitting in the heat. I also didn't get the memo about brining a lawn chair. I'd definitely bring one next time to be more comfortable!

What an awesome gathering space in the suburbs of Chicago. Its an open ground, two options pavilion or lawn seating. Both have some or the other benefit. With covid restrictions, pavilion is asking to take drinks in a very inconvenient which killed the fun. You have to buy a cup to fill your alcohol which is totally understandable but keep your cooler at the back and go back everytime to refill did not seem efficient or safe. Other than that, it gets a great lineup and is a very fun vibe.

Ravinia is such a wonderful place! I've been coming here for more than 20 years and it just doesn't get old. There's something magical about sitting outside and enjoying the music. If you're on the lawn and bring your own picnic, be sure to bring a large enough blanket so everybody can fit. At really popular concerts you need to make sure you have your space claimed. Over the years they've added lots of different restaurants and places you can get food if you don't feel like packing your own picnic. You can also get wine beer and some cocktails here are usually already in a can. And quite honestly, if you decide to go to do the pavilion for the concert and actually buy a seat, you are not going to get a bad seat in the house. I've actually gone to concerts where we were in the last row and it was still a fabulous and fun way to see a concert. The one thing that I will say about Ravinia is that I wish you could sit on the lawn and still see the performers. There are a lot of outdoor venues across the US that allows you to still see the performers. However Ravinia is not set up that way so do not expect to be able to actually see the act if you are on the lawn. I also recommend that you think about taking the train to Ravinia. You do have to make sure that you pack up and go as soon as the concert is done so you don't miss the train home. But the parking can really fill up with popular concerts. So if you do plan on driving and want to be able to park near Ravinia, be sure you leave lots of time. Otherwise you'll need to park in the free lots in downtown Highland Park and then take buses to Ravinia and back. Oh and by the way the buses are free.