Community Education Travel Day Trips

Reservations for upcoming day trips open on

Monday, October 28, 2024 

Our extremely popular day trips are a great way to visit exciting local sites and events with your friends or family while staying within your budget.

Travel is an essential part of lifelong learning, join us today to explore the sights and sounds of the greater Chicagoland area and expand your horizons!

Day trips often sell out in just a few days after opening, so don’t delay! Reserve your space now.

Reservations for upcoming 2025 day trips open Monday, October 28, 2024. 

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT WAITLISTS: Trips marked as ‘Waitlist’ are currently full, but may have additional spaces or departures added based upon demand. There is no charge to place your name on a waitlist and can be easily done by emailing cetravel@d214.org or calling 847-718-7709. If space opens up you will then be contacted by our staff.

Highlighting Milwaukee! 
Thursday, April 10, 2025

Spend a day exploring the surprising highlights of Milwaukee with renowned local guide Kay Collins. Learn about the city’s rich history and how it became the world’s largest beer producing city. See the sparkling lakefront and its architectural wonder, the Milwaukee Art Museum and its brilliant Brise Soleil, the wing-like sunscreen on top of the Museum. Check out the new Fiserv Forum, the Hoan Bridge built over the Port of Milwaukee and much more. At Grohmann Museum, formerly Milwaukee’s Federal Reserve Bank, we'll enjoy more than 900 sculptures and paintings dedicated to the evolution of organized work. We’ll also tour the new Bucyrus Museum. The namesake factory was a world leader in producing railroad, excavating, and dredging equipment instrumental in the city’s development and also in digging the Panama Canal. A delicious lunch is included at the renowned Mader’s German Restaurant. $134

Lucille Ball Portrayal at the Jacob Henry Mansion 
Thursday, May 1, 2025

Join CET for a fun day at the Jacob Henry Mansion & Estate for a unique portrayal of comedy queen Lucille Ball. In the 1950's, this legendary actress and comedienne captured the hearts of television viewers across the nation, while her production company brought new innovations off screen. Sit back and enjoy as historian Leslie Goddard entertains you with stories and pictures of this icon! Before the show and a delicious lunch, visit the Mansion, built in 1873 on Joliet’s Silk Stocking Row by railroad magnate Jacob Henry–a fully furnished mansion known for its beauty and old Victorian charm.   $119

Tristan Crist Magic Show 
Wednesday, May 28, 2025

Explore the world of magic, comedy and illusions in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, at the Tristan Crist Magic Theatre, a new tour in 2025! Named the Lake Geneva area’s number 1 “thing to do” for 8 years in a row by TripAdvisor, the show’s magic and illusions, performed in the Vegas-style showroom, will amaze you. Crist, awarded the 2021 Master Illusionist of the Year, will entertain you with an epic levitation routine and a disappearing helicopter in his brand-new theater! A tasty lunch is included at the Tuscan Restaurant in downtown Lake Geneva before the show. $151

Odyssey Chicago River Luncheon Cruise 
Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Cruise on the spectacular fully glass-enclosed Odyssey Chicago River vessel. This relatively new 200-seat single-level boat treats you to an upscale, three-course order-from-the-menu, full-service luncheon as it sets sail from near the NBC Towers on the Chicago River Esplanade.  The two-hour lunch cruise with light architectural narration travels along the Chicago River’s scenic main branch and then onto the river’s south branch to Chinatown’s Ping Tom Park. The glass-covered boat gives passengers an unparalleled 360-degree view of Chicago’s iconic and historic buildings while enjoying some culinary excellence!  $165

Majestic Eagles at Starved Rock State Park 
Friday, February 14, 2025             

Each winter, Illinois gives visitors the opportunity to see more wintering American bald eagles than in any other state outside Alaska. Travel to Starved Rock State Park to see and learn about this majestic bird, the national emblem of the United States. Eagles follow seasonal food supplies and as northern lakes and streams freeze over, the Starved Rock Dam on the Illinois River is a favorite. On a guided tour with minimal walking, we’ll enjoy an eagle presentation at the Illinois Waterway Visitor Center where you can observe this awesome creature in its natural habitat as they glide above the river looking for a meal. At Starved Rock Lodge enjoy a hot lunch and warm up by the largest two-sided fireplace in Illinois! $115 

Adventures in Glassblowing! 
Thursday, March 13, 2025             

Explore the world of art beyond paper with a visit to Peter Patterson Glassworks in Mundelein. This educational and fun experience includes a tour of the studio, gallery and hot shop, as we learn how art glass is made. Patterson, who obtained a degree in Illustration and is now a 40-year veteran of the glass industry, will demonstrate glassblowing, crafting actual pieces of this unique art before our eyes. Witness the steps involved–gathering the glass, adding color, putting the glass into a mold and then into a blazing furnace. You’ll even see glass that glows in the dark using phosphorescent materials. Later it’s off to Wauconda for lunch at Lindy’s Landing, overlooking scenic Bangs Lake. $129

“Murder on the Orient Express” at the Fireside Dinner Theatre 
Friday, April 25, 2025

Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year, but by the morning it is one passenger fewer. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed eight times, his door locked from the inside. Isolated and with a killer in their midst, the passengers rely on detective Hercule Poirot to identify the murderer–in case he or she decides to strike again. Join us for this theatrical thriller from Agatha Christie, the Queen of Crime. Lunch precedes the show in the Fireside's lovely restaurant. $161

The Enchanting Ten Chimneys 
Tuesday, May 13, 2025

A fabulous day awaits us in Genesee Depot, Wisconsin, at Ten Chimneys. The restored estate of revered theater actors Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontane is now a world-class museum and center for the arts. The diverse collections and enchanting décor were hand picked by the Lunts throughout their lifetime. Tour the 18-room main house, cottage and log cabin, located on 60 acres of scenic countryside. Hear the fascinating stories of its frequent guests including Katherine Hepburn, Helen Hayes, Sir Laurence Olivier and Noel Coward. Lunch today is at Cooper’s Hawk in nearby Brookfield, Wisconsin.   $148

Broken Wagon Bison Ranch 
Thursday, June 12, 2025

You don't have to travel to South Dakota to see the iconic American Bison. At the Broken Wagon Bison Ranch near Hobart, Indiana, board a "Bison Tour Wagon'' to see this beautiful 35-acre buffalo farm. Enjoy expert narration from your ranch guide, as you venture up close and safely to the herd of about 70 buffalo. We’ll also see a film on the history of the bison and learn facts about the American Bison and the story of the ranch. Later at the Industrial Revolution Eatery in nearby Valparaiso, enjoy a delicious lunch while dining in this unique atmosphere that pays tribute to the American spirit of innovation. En route home, enjoy some sweet treats on a visit to the Albanese Candy Factory, home to the "World's Best Gummies"! See the factory floor where the candies are produced and visit the outlet store.  $123