|
🎉 The Naperville FunTimes
Your Weekly Guide to Family Fun in Naperville & Beyond
Issue #10 • Friday, May 15, 2026
|
|
Happy Friday, Naperville families! 🌸
Summer is practically knocking on the door — and this weekend is the perfect excuse to squeeze in some serious family memories before the school year wraps up. We’ve got a weekend lineup that spans a 170-year-old gristmill, a hidden waterfall trail, and enough arcade games to keep the whole crew entertained for hours. Plus, two jaw-dropping dining deals you’ll want to bookmark right now. Let’s go!
🌿 Mid-May Edition — Spring in Full Bloom!
|
|
📅 This Week’s Top 3 Family Picks
|
Graue Mill & Museum — Step Inside a Real Working 1852 Gristmill! 🏠
Tucked along a gorgeous stretch of Salt Creek in Oak Brook, Graue Mill is one of the coolest hidden gems in all of DuPage County — and it’s completely free to visit. Built in 1852, this is the only operating gristmill in Illinois that still grinds flour and cornmeal using water power. This weekend, head out for the live milling demonstration on Saturday or Sunday at 2pm and watch history come alive right before your kids’ eyes.
Beyond the mill itself, the property is gorgeous — a shaded creek-side trail, a duck pond, a restored farmhouse, and the powerful story of the Underground Railroad (Graue Mill was a documented station). Pack a picnic and make a half-day of it. It’s the kind of place that turns a regular Saturday into a lasting family memory.
|
Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve — Chase a Real Waterfall for FREE! 🌊
Believe it or not, there’s a gorgeous waterfall less than 20 minutes from downtown Naperville — and it’s completely free. Waterfall Glen wraps around the Argonne National Laboratory campus with a famous 9.5-mile loop trail, but you don’t have to hike the whole thing to find the magic. The highlight is the limestone ledge waterfall along Sawmill Creek, tucked inside a shaded ravine that feels like a scene from a fairy tale.
Mid-May is arguably the best time to visit — spring wildflowers like Virginia bluebells and trout lilies are peaking right now, the creek is flowing strong, and the trail isn’t yet packed with summer crowds. Go in the morning, bring a snack, and let the kids splash their feet at the creek crossing. Even with little ones, the waterfall loop is very manageable (about 1.5 miles round trip from the main parking area). This one never disappoints.
|
Main Event Warrenville — Bowling, Laser Tag & 100+ Arcade Games! 🎮
When the forecast is iffy or you just need a guaranteed good time, Main Event Warrenville delivers every single time. Just off I-88 and minutes from Naperville, this massive entertainment complex packs bowling lanes, multi-level laser tag, over 100 arcade games, high ropes courses, billiards, and a full-service restaurant all under one giant roof.
This is the kind of place where you tell the kids you’re going for “one game” and end up staying four hours. The arcade game selection is seriously impressive — from classic skee-ball to the latest racing and sports simulators — and the laser tag arena is a family favorite. Tickets and packages can be pre-purchased online, which saves time. Pro tip: Kids 12 and under eat FREE all day on Tuesdays when you purchase an adult menu item of $11.99 or more — so file this one for Tuesday, May 19 too!
|
|
🍽️ Kids Eat Free This Week!
Fogo de Cháo works every single day — including this Friday & weekend! Fontina’s Italian Kitchen has you covered next Wednesday, May 20.
|
||
|
There you have it, Naperville fam — a weekend full of history, hiking, and a whole lot of fun. Whether you’re chasing waterfalls, discovering a 170-year-old mill, or racking up arcade tickets, you’ve got the full playbook right here. Now close the laptop, grab those kiddos, and go make some memories! 🎉
The Naperville FunTimes Team 🧡
|
||
|
You’re receiving this because you’re a subscriber to The Naperville FunTimes.
Naperville, Illinois 60540
Know a Naperville family who’d love this? Forward it their way! 💌
|