We often seem to unintentionally stumble into very appropriate activities around Memorial Day each year, and our visit to Cantigny Park (the former estate of Chicago Tribune owner and publisher Colonel Robert R. McCormick, which he named after the first American battle of WWI fought near Cantigny, France), the Saturday before Memorial Day was no exception.

We started outside, where the children enjoyed climbing on the collection of tanks, and I enjoyed the serene setting:

We then toured the First Division Museum. It has changed a lot since I was last there (and is scheduled for even more improvements later this year), and I couldn’t believe how much there was to see, and how much we all learned!

Cantigny is also known for its beautiful gardens:

I found the final resting place of Colonel McCormick and his first wife to be very interesting. It was modeled after an exedra, an ancient Greek meeting place which functioned much like modern-day newspapers, as people gathered there to share the news. Such a fitting twist on an old concept for the one-time editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune!

And of course, the McCormick mansion is a highlight of any visit to Cantigny. The children loved being able to recognize a setting from one of my favorite movies, A League of Their Own. We didn’t have time to tour the inside, but even a walk around the exterior is amazing!

I’ve visited Cantigny many times in my life, and I was very glad to see that all of my favorite things were just the same as they have always been!