Downton Abbey: The Exhibition

It’s time to come out of hibernation. While January has been cold and gray, I’ve uncovered an amazing, suburban exhibition that is worth leaving the house for…and it’s only here through the end of March 2024. You must get tickets to the Downton Abbey Exhibition located at Old Orchard Mall in Skokie. It’s open weekly from Wednesday-Sunday.

The exhibition transports guests to post-Edwardian England where the characters expose the dramz of living and working for an aristocratic family. So much tea, the show spanned six seasons! This exhibition is a MUST. It’s expansive, the costumes are from the original set, there are audio tours and you’ll finish off at the cutest gift store. Make a day of it and grab lunch after in the mall!

Visit downtonexhibition.com for information and tickets.

ADDRESS:
Westfield Old Orchard
4905 Old Orchard Center, Skokie, IL 60077

You’ll get an inside look into the infamous, busy kitchen, loads of authentic, detailed costumes and props, servant offices, grand dining rooms and so much more. There are plenty of photo opps as well. If you are a true Downton Abbey aficionado, you’ll really enjoy the gift shop attached at the end. It’s a highly curated shop of tea towels, soaps, candles, tshirts and more.

Don’t even get me started on the hats, headpieces, jewelry and costumes. They were exquisite. The details were incredible and the majority of the dresses and gowns were hand beaded.

They have self-guided audio tours or you can peruse the exhibit at your leisure which can take roughly 1-1.5 hours to complete. And the beauty of a suburban exhibit? Plenty of FREE parking.

This is the perfect afternoon excursion to grab a few gals or your mom and quietly stroll the exhibit. It’s so peaceful and never crowded because the space is vast, hence even when many ticket holders are present, there is plenty of space to walk up, read, open drawers, etc. You’ll never have to wait in line or be blocked by someone taller. (short gal over here!) The exhibition consists of wide open spaces which makes it easy to navigate.

Don’t miss this! Fingers crossed that suburbia is graced with more cultural exhibits such as this so we can all save a trip into the city. Enjoy dahlings!