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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Highland Park, Illinois
Spend a half‑day to a full day in Highland Park: 4–6 h for Ravinia Festival or beach, plus travel time from Chicago.
Highland Park is a North Shore suburb of Chicago with a summer music festival, a small beach, and Frank Lloyd Wright homes. It is reachable by Metra in about an hour, so a day visit from Chicago is enough; add a night only if you want to stay for a concert.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Jun–Aug (festival season, warm beach weather)
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (cold, limited festival events)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $70–$100 excl. bed · Mid $120–$180 excl. bed · High $200+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee (local café) | $3–5 |
| Ice cream at Ravinia | $4–6 |
| Parking at Ravinia Beach | $2–3 per hour |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ORD · Chicago O'Hare International Airport
- About 30 km (19 mi) (20 min drive) southAbout 19 mi (30 km) (20 min drive) south
Typical fares
- Metra Chicago → Highland Park
- about $12 each way (check schedule)
- Taxi downtown → Ravinia Beach
- $15–20 (approx.)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Metra Union Pacific North Line to Highland Park station (≈1 h from Chicago). Pace buses serve neighborhoods and downtown. Walking is easy along Sheridan Road.
See and do
Known for
- Ravinia Music Festival
- Ravinia Beach
- Frank Lloyd Wright houses
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Forest, Illinois | Metra northbound, about 5 min from Highland Park | ≈15 min total |
| Glencoe, Illinois | Metra northbound, about 7 min | ≈15 min total |
Sleep
- Downtown Highland Park
- Boutique inns and B&Bs within walking distance of Ravinia and the beach; suitable for one night if attending a concert.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Excuse me / SorryExcuse me |
| Thank you | Thank youThank you |
| How much is it? | How much is it?How much is it? |
| Where is the restroom? | Where is the restroom?Where is the restroom? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Ravinia Station only operates on concert days; check the festival schedule.
- Parking at Ravinia Beach is limited; arrive early in summer.
Generally safe; typical suburban precautions apply. Watch for traffic on Sheridan Road and keep an eye on personal belongings at the beach.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Highland Park, Illinois yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Ravinia Music Festival
- Ravinia Beach
- Frank Lloyd Wright houses
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Highland Park (Illinois), revision 5127608 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5127608
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Highland Park, Illinois
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
US consular services are in Chicago; nearest US embassy is in Washington, DC.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/highland-park-illinois). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.