Celebrate the Fourth of July at Cantigny

Cantigny Park, part of the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, will be alive with patriotic sights, sounds and activities for the whole family on Independence Day.  Continuing an annual tradition, events and parking will be free at Cantigny on July 4th.  

The park will open at 7 am; holiday programming is from noon to 4 pm.

Kids love Cantigny every day, but Independence Day seems to raise their excitement to a higher level.  The park’s Parade Field will feature inflatables for sliding and jumping, plus a magic show at 1 pm.  Children can also participate in a giant tessellation mural project, ring the Liberty Bell and sign the Declaration of Independence.  In addition, the Robert R. McCormick Museum will host children’s activities on the building’s south porch.

Visitors of all ages will get a bang out of cannon demonstrations conducted by Revolutionary War reenactors throughout the afternoon.

At 3 pm, the Illinois Brass Band will perform patriotic music in front of the First Division Museum.  Guests should bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating, and picnic baskets are welcome.

The First Division Museum and Robert R. McCormick Museum will each be open on July 4th from 10 am to 5 pm.  Admission to both museums is free, and likewise for Cantigny’s 30 acres of spectacular gardens.  The park also features a large public picnic area with a playground.

Inside the Cantigny Visitors Center, Le Jardin will serve lunch from 11 am to 3 pm, and Bertie’s (for ice cream, snacks and coffee drinks) will operate from 9 am to 4:30 pm.