Elizabeth F. Cheney Mansion

Beautiful place for a wedding, the staff is very nice as well — with the exception of Khaki who I swear is bi-​polar or something. Nice and helpful one minute, rude and unprofessional the next ten minutes. Be prepared if you’re planning an event there.

Got married here in May 2015.
The price is great, Poppy and co are fantastic event planners, and the new green house is great! Apparently the bathroom broke down during the wedding, and I never knew once!
The house is beautiful and great for pictures.
I must warn everyone though, be careful of the weather; we had an early May wedding and it was 55 degrees. People did not want to spend as much time outside as a result :(.

Grounds are beautiful, free wi-​fi is an even bigger plus! Downside is that the rules here are so strict. The management confiscated our alcohol because apparently it is the Oak Park ordinance does not allow it, but it was returned to some time after 9:30pm. There’s only one bathroom on the first floor and the upper floors were blocked off. I had to pee really badly before the ceremony started and the lady pretty much told me that I was SOL and had to wait forever in line to use the restroom on the first floor. Another rude thing was, I asked for hot beverage after freezing my biscuits off in the outdoor wedding and the server denied me and said I’d have to wait until after dinner service upstairs. Then the guest that sat next to me asked for the same thing, and he brought it for him even though he wasn’t VIP! Then a bridesmaid at my table also asked for a hot drink and the server also declined her. Sound system set up was terrible and all the speeches were echoing in different rooms. I can’t say I would hold my next event here…

All together Cheney Mansion is a BEAUTIFUL place to get married in an ideal setting, BUT if you do not have a wedding planner/​loud relative/​advocate do not plan a major event here! There are lots of complaints on Unilocal about the staff at Cheney mansion, don’t be fooled by the very customer service friendly tours/​pitches they give to those looking to host an event… this is just a sales technique.
My main dismay is the dismissiveness of the staff during an event crisis. The day before my brother’s wedding there was a few issues at the venue, a trellis wasn’t up on a big green construction fence and 2 large trees were laying/​fallen over in the garden. We were assured this would be fixed by Khaki’s husband in the morning. When we arrived at 3 pm on the wedding day, nothing was fixed. I calmly spoke with Khaki who completely blew me off and created the idea that I was crazy or over reacting because someone was «supposed to be there» by 4:30 pm, WHEN GUESTS WERE ARRIVING AT 4:45 PM! She was unbelievably rude and unhelpful.
Although my brother’s wedding was beautiful with a fixed trellis, there were two large trees fallen over in the garden. This is not only unacceptable for an expensive and prestigious venue, but they should be embarrassed by their staff. How hard is it to call up a handy man a few days before someone’s big event? There is zero consideration that this is someone else’s big day and more concern for the staff’s egos and personal schedules.

Beautiful mansion! Was there for a wedding. There is so much history there. The old furniture is still there from way back in the day. It makes you wonder who used to live there and what their life was like back then.

We had our wedding at the Mansion last weekend– simply fabulous! We had 75 folks for our ceremony followed by a sit-​down dinner, and it was simply elegant. (One note– the dining room is not a quiet environment.) We even enjoyed cocktails outside on the back patio. Poppy Vogel and her team are a pleasure to work with throughout the process, and I highly recommend this venue.

My family wanted to celebrate my mom’s 75^th birthday in an extra-​special way. We found Cheney Mansion when searching for private cooking classes/​parties. From the initial phone conversation with Poppy, the mansion’s Supervisor of Operations, to the end of the event when we walked out the door, everything was handled smoothly and professionally. Chef Ron, the cooking class instructor, worked with us to develop a custom menu, and was extremely well-​prepared and patient with a great sense of humor and warm demeanor. Patty, the event coordinator, was also easygoing and super helpful, especially when one of my family members sliced her finger pretty badly while cooking dinner. The mansion was decorated for the holidays and was warm and inviting. It ended up being an amazing event and a memorable birthday celebration. Highly recommend this venue — even if it’s just to visit and get a tour. Gorgeous! Cheney Mansion should not be missed!

We recently hosted an event here and I have to say this was one of the best events we have ever had. After reading previous reviews, I had some concerns but there is new staff there and they seem to be much more accommodating and easy to work with. They really do go out of their way to help you and to accommodate special requests, just make sure you get approval for everything you want prior to signing the contract. The site itself is beautiful and was decorated for the holiday season. I would recommend anyone to host their event at the Cheney Mansion.

I increase my rating because the mansion wrote back to me to explain (below). For you as the incoming bride (or groom, but let’s be honest, you’re probably the bride :)), know that we loved our wedding day. We have no bitterness toward the mansion. We would have chosen it again any day. I also would have been more responsible and spelled out our schedule months in advance to the mansion and worked these details out sooner in writing. You should probably do this wherever you happen to have your wedding however — I just procrastinated. The staff was super helpful so, especially after this Unilocal contact, I’m sure they intended no harm.
Marie,
I am sorry for the confusion on your wedding day, I can assure you that we were not trying to pull a «fast one.» It was indeed a misunderstanding. As for it happening to a lot of other people on Unilocal,that is simply not true. Our contracts are up to date and spell things out to people perfectly. However, from when they sign a contract to the actual event, atleast a year later. Some of the details are forgotten on their behalf. We are trying to rectify that with a follow up check sheet a few weeks prior to their event.
Yes, the memorial service before you had just ended when you arrived. Since it is a transition period, it is not reserved for 1 particular renter, but for the staff and caterer.
Again, I apologize for the misunderstanding, I am surprised however that _​_​_​_​did not remedy it right away. I have spoken to her about it.
We always want a happy customer, no matter what the cost.
Sincerely,
_____(name removed), manager

We had a great experience for our commitment ceremony at Cheney mansion and I would hold my event there again in a heartbeat.
The mansion itself is beautiful, and it’s true that the grounds are amazing. Some people in the reviews below noted that the layout is a little difficult for larger parties… we did not have the experience. We had about 150 people in the mansion (it rained so we could not be outside as much as we would have liked) and we didn’t feel crammed. It actually allowed people to have their own areas and it kept it intimate. We also found it to be very reasonable in terms of pricing for an event so close to Chicago.
The staff was helpful from the very get go. They cave suggestions and answered my many, man, many, many questions promptly and comprehensively. It seems like there were some staffing changes recently because we did not experience any of the issues listed below with any of our teams.
There were a couple of miscommunications around timing of the event before us, location of some of the furniture, and some of the details around closing times, but the Cheney staff worked to make it right with us and exceeded our expectations in terms of the solution. And, in all fairness, we were accountable for some of those miscommunications. It didn’t matter to the staff though, they just wanted us to have a wonderful day at their venue.
Even when it rained for our event, the staff was able to pivot quickly to accommodate the unpredictable weather. They moved things along effectively without interfering with the guest or disrupting the environment. The caterer and the mansion staff also worked together quite well, making the transition between the event before ours to our event seamless.
We were also able to leave all our decorations and such there over night and pick them up the next day. The staff had kindly put them together for us so that we wouldn’t have to do anything but pick them up, again seamless. Yay!
The event went over so well. The guests loved the space, and I couldn’t have asked for a more special day. My partner and I are very happy with the whole thing. With a little planning and great collaboration with the Cheney team we really made some magic.
And make no mistake, I’m a tough customer and a tough critic. Thanks Cheney!

The staff at the Cheney Mansion was so helpful in providing the most perfect, romantic, and elegant wedding ceremony! We received so many compliments on the wedding ceremony location and the beauty of the mansion and grounds. The event coordinators were absolutely beyond helpful, kind, patient, and accommodating to all our questions and suggestions. We had the most perfect wedding ceremony at the Cheney Mansion and couldn’t have imagined it to be any better! I would definitely recommend the Cheney Mansion for any couple looking to have an absolutely romantic and beautiful wedding!

I was here with my fiancée’s daughter’s girl scout troop. My fiancée booked an evening that she dubbed «Girl Scout Gourmet» and the girls learned to make 4 different appetizers with Chef Ron. He was very patient and did two shifts with 8 girls each hour. How he did this and kept control I have no idea. The group not cooking spent the hour learning manners and etiquette in the front dining room. They then got to set a formal table using dishes, glasses and silverware from the mansion.
I was encouraged to tour the mansion at my leisure and it was really nice to walk around the grand old place. I have not attended any other events at Cheney but would definitely consider if the opportunity presents itself.

When I first found The Cheney Mansion on the internet, I knew it was the type of place I was looking for for my wedding. I couldn’t believe I had live in and around Oak Park for the past few years and never noticed it! Seriously? I must have been blind. We scheduled a tour with Kaki and decided this was the place for our wedding. When we first booked it, we thought we were going to have a traditional evening wedding with the dance floor on the 3^rd floor. As time went by, we decided on a Saturday brunch wedding and decided to forgo the dance floor and use the piano in the living room. During the 15 months prior to my wedding, I dealt with the majority of the staff at the Cheney. I felt that all were professional and accommodating. It stinks to hear that other people have had problems here because it is such a beautiful place to have a wedding. My caterer has worked with the Cheney for a long time and I think that relationship helped me in the end. My caterer knew what the Cheney expected and how to get things done. All the woman that work there were very sweet to me. I am surprised to hear about the issues with the manager, Linda, because I thought she was very helpful and nice to deal with. I guess the bottom line is that this is a historic building owned by the park district of Oak Park. Oak Park has many strict rules on EVERYTHING so I was not surprised to hear of the rules they had for this place. If people are looking for a traditional banquet wedding, this place probably is not for you. But if you want something a little different and are willing to be flexible it is definitely worth it. My guests loved it and are still talking about how beautiful it was and how it was so «us.» It was the perfect place for us. Oh! A few months later we received our $ 500 security deposit back from the park district because we didn’t ruin anything. That was a total surprise, but definitely a welcomed one!

I came here for an alumni event. The mansion was rented for brunch. It was decorated for Christmas and absolutely gorgeous. I had a great time here with my old college classmates :)

Cheney Mansion itself is stunning. Though my husband and I live in California and only get out to the Chicago area once a year, we still make time to swing by the mansion and bask in the memories of our wedding day. It’s beautiful and has a lot of character. The interior is small and the layout is a bit awkward. I learned this the hard way when our ceremony, cocktail hour and dance floor that was arranged to be outside on the very well maintained grounds and in the garden got rained out… or rained in, I should say. Our wedding of 75 guests was forced to stay indoors the entire night with the thunderstorm going on outside. We were able to fit all the reception tables in the living room, the dance floor in the solarium, the bar in the garden room, and the ceremony in the library, but it was definitely a tight squeeze. I wouldn’t recommend this venue with parties over 60 – 70 if you intend an only indoor event. The best part of this venue are the garden and lawn anyway.
This place is super expensive, too. They want you out early because you’re in the middle of a residential area, but for an evening wedding, the limitations are unreasonable. It’s a more appropriate venue for a daytime wedding or quiet-​ish gathering, not a celebration or party.
The staff is what gets such low ratings. Linda was the event coordinator of Cheney Mansion and had been for 15 years when I met her. She was passive, rude, inflexible, careless, and inconsiderate. I’m a VERY friendly person and go out of my way to be polite and courteous, but I just couldn’t click with Linda. It wasn’t until after months of trying to get along with her and compromise on issues she had already agreed to before we signed the contract that I heard from my band, florist, caterer, photographer, AND wedding planner that other brides felt the same way about Linda and most of them refused to even speak with her. Even my caterer/​wedding planner avoided speaking with her. To spare my sanity, my husband (super patient and diplomatic) decided to work with her directly to get our needs met. He, too, learned to loathe her! Both of us ended up regretting choosing Cheney Mansion based on the staff alone. The staff gave us so many problems up until the wedding day that even the head of our wedding band, who had worked with them before, stepped in to smooth things over.
I really, really hate to say it, but working with Linda is totally not worth having an event at the beautiful Cheney Mansion.

My sister had her wedding at Cheney, and although it is a really nice, scenic house, we experienced significant difficulties with the staff.
For one thing, my sister and her husband were told that they would be able to have a rehearsal the night before the wedding. When we got there, there were tables set up obstructing all of the rehearsal space, so we had to improvise around the tables. Secondly, they were told that they would have a certain amount of time for set-​up before the wedding — but instead, Cheney booked FOUR OTHER EVENTS the same day and pushed her wedding back!
I was making the cake, which was sizeable, and when we got there for the rehearsal we were told we could keep the cake there overnight, which was obviously nixed since they had four other events going on the same day, so we had to take the main cake as well as three other cakes back home. Then when we got there before the wedding, here I am, standing in their lobby, holding a gigantic, heavy cake, and I go to one of the staff and say «I need a place to put this cake.» Her response: «You mean, you would LIKE a place to put the cake?» Um, no? I mean I need one, first of all because it’s gigantic and heavy, and second of all because my sister paid four thousand ****ing dollars to rent this place and you’ve already reneged on most of your promises to her. (I didn’t say that out loud.) When I got attitude from another staffer, who turned out to be the GM of the place, I outright told her that there was going to be an issue if one more person had a bad attitude with us after all the BS they’d done in the last two days. After that they were fine.
But seriously… there are so many historic sites and mansions, if not in Oak Park, then directly around it. If you can avoid Cheney, avoid it, because their attitude is HORRIBLE.

I went here for a free open house. I just moved to O.P. so you kind of have to see the other fancy houses at one point or another. This one was pretty nice, and the staff was extremely friendly: Especially the greeter. I can see why the mansion is rented out for events.
I don’t get bowled over by old mansions that easily, and wasn’t this time, but I think it’s worth a visit if you’re around to see the Frank Lloyd Wright stuff and the Hemingway stuff. It doesn’t take a lot of time. to see it all. I think I’ll go back for the holiday bazaar.

A couple that I have known for a few years finally got married this weekend and held their wedding reception at this place.
Apparently it is an old mansion that gets rented out for events or social engagements.
The place is very attractive, like many of the older mansions in Oak Park, there are plenty of green areas and many rooms throughout the house. I can see why my friends choose this place to hold their celebration.
I appreciate that all the rooms have wood floors, which gives the place that rich, cozy feeling, with plenty of rugs and elegant draperies, etc.
I cannot comment on the catering or the music, as those were hired separately.
The problem I had with Cheney Mansion, was the attitude of the owners /​managers. The place was rented until 10 pm, but due to Oak Park law, apparently no alcohol can be served after 9:30 pm, so the bars started closing down, at which point the management decided «well, since the guests cant drink, they surely wont want to stay here until 10, although its paid for until that time, so lets just start cleaning up around them and forcing them out like cattle!»
So although we couldnt be served alcohol, we still were gathered around, in groups, talking to each other with drinks in our hands. All around us, the staff had already started folding up the tablecloths and folding the chairs, etc. Talk about ignorant eh? Very unprofessional. When we would make little comments here and there, we would get ignored or get condescending replies from the management.
F*ck man, if you want people out by 9:30, don’t f*cking charge them for that extra half hour! I thought suburbanites were supposed to be «better» than us crude, rude, city-​folk!
Once they pushed us out of the backyard and into the dining area inside the mansion, they turned off the lights! My friend’s mother even said «Gee, you think they could kick us out any faster?».
Bottom line, if you or anyone you know plans on holding an event here, I would seriously consider this… as an issue. Dont pay them to kick you out. Mention this review. I will never consider this place for any of my events!