Roofing Guy Berwyn

Cities We Service In Berwyn, IL

Berwyn, IL Zip Codes That We Service

Things To Do In Berwyn, IL

Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio:  Frank Lloyd Wright’s house and studio was the very first project over which he exercised total artistic control. It was finished in 1889 and expanded six years later. Wright would stay here with his family for 20 years during which time he repeatedly improved the structure’s design while experimenting with the concepts that would ultimately shape the rest of his career. The house has been returned to the way it looked in 1909, the last year he lived there before relocating to his renowned Taliesin in Wisconsin. When you walk through the property, you’ll notice how the wide doorways and portieres give the rooms an airy, open feeling. The children’s playroom (1895), inspired by Wright’s belief in the value of nurturing, is one extraordinary space.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple: Part of a collective, nation-spanning UNESCO World Heritage Site for Frank Lloyd Wright’s most important works is the Unitarian Universalist church in Oak Park, built between 1905 and 1908. A weighty cube of unadorned reinforced concrete with an overhanging flat roof, the Unity Temple has been described as the first Modern building, influencing architects who came after, like Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The austere exterior gives way to a warm interior, cherished for the sublime composition of light and space, lit from a high, continuous band of windows in the clerestory and a grid of amber-tinted lights in the ceiling.

Brookfield Zoo: Head across the Des Plaines River from Berwyn and on the west bank you’ll find Brookfield Zoo, a pioneering attraction since opening in 1934. This was the first zoo in America to have giant pandas, and was the first to use moats and ditches for habitats, rather than cages. And thanks to the Chicago climate Brookfield Zoo has also innovated indoor exhibits, like Tropic World, which became the first indoor tropical rainforest enclosure when it opened in the 1980s. There are more than 450 species at the zoo, at 20 different exhibits, like Big Cats, Great Bears Wilderness, Habitat Africa!, Reptiles and Birds and the Fragile Desert. very year there’s also a new special exhibit, and one that returns every few years is Dinosaurs Alive!, when the park is taken over by dozens of lifesize animatronic dinosaurs.

Columbus Park:  You can keep the Prairie School theme going at this historic park, just beyond Berwyn’s northeastern corner. Columbus Park is held as the highpoint of landscape architect Jens Jensen’s (1860-1951) storied career. Laid out in 1915, these 135 acres conform to Prairie School principles, emphasizing the natural beauty of the landscape, using native plants and evoking the natural rock outcroppings of the Midwest. These can be admired along the stone paths and in the layered rock of Jensen’s waterfalls. The park features Jensen’s signature Council Ring, for storytelling or contemplation, while there’s a charming refectory building rented out for weddings and other events. The park stages a number of events in summer, like Chicago Shakespeare Theater productions and open-air Movies in the Park.

Proksa Park: Just east of downtown there’s a welcoming stretch of waterfront, typically patrolled by lifeguards from Memorial Day through Labor Day. To access Clark Beach during the summer season you’ll need a season pass or day pass, while on Mondays there’s free access for Evanston residents. What you’ll find is an enticing and clean sweep of sand with a large designated swimming area, as well as volleyball nets towards the north end. And although you’ll need to pay a fee, everything is well maintained, including showers and bathrooms. There’s a beautiful green space behind at Centennial Park, as well as a big choice of restaurants a few steps away downtown.