Dunham Woods Riding Club - Wayne, Illinois

Michael O.

We became members in 2024. Classic, elegant and welcoming is how I would describe DWRC. As soon as you walk in you can feel the history of the main building. Built in 1836, it’s about as old as you can find in Illinois. From the classic décor, wood burning stoves and fireplaces, English style bar, to the well-maintained grounds and patio (there is a huge old Oak tree that I bet was planted by the Dunham family)- if you like classic and timeless, this is your place. The club hired a new general manager and executive chef in mid-late 2024. They have increased the level of service and dining even higher than it was before. If you live near-by you should consider becoming a member. You almost always can get a last-minute table and avoiding the wait for a table on a busy night at a typical restaurant is well worth it. Also, there are unique private rooms available to reserve for small or large dinner parties. The food is excellent, with new additions to the menu and the ability to customize entrees. They also have a full kids menu. While there is membership fees, the dining prices are about 30% less in my opinion than a comparable restaurant. So, if you dine out a lot, that helps offset the membership costs. The racket facilities and locker rooms are top notch (they even have a tennis pro). They have clay tennis courts, pickle ball courts and paddle ball courts. The pool is great in the summer and our kids had a lot of fun. It is staffed with life guards. There is a summer snack bar that has “kid food” that is great for kids eating poolside. The club has invested in the last few years in the pool, courts and an additional club house near the courts. The inside of the main building also received updates. Rooms for events can be reserved by members for special events at no additional cost. Also, there are overnight rooms available for members guests if you have guests that need a place to stay. The membership process was not difficult, so call them and set up a tour!

Blake M.

Beautiful, elegant, charming – these are all words to describe Dunham Woods Riding Club. We hosted our rehearsal dinner and brunch after our wedding here. While these were very different events, the team at Dunham created an amazing experience for both. During the planning process, Jennifer provided good recommendations for the room layout, worked with us to customize certain room décor, and helped us select the right menu and amount of food for our events.
The rehearsal dinner turned out to be a gorgeous, intimate evening with our closest family and friends. The food was very good, and the service was exceptional. The staff were professional and attentive throughout the evening and created a seamless experience as we celebrated with toasts/speeches and moved into dinner.

We hosted our morning after brunch in the Corky’s building. This venue was perfect for an open-house style event. Our guests were able to enjoy delicious brunch food in a bright setting with views onto fields. With horse riding and a wide veranda, we were able to enjoy the great weather we had that weekend. We ended up having double the guests we had estimated at the brunch, and the Dunham team graciously worked to provide more food and beverages than had been anticipated without our guests ever knowing. Jennifer and her team worked hard behind the scenes to make both events run smoothly and ensured that we had a fun and beautiful weekend.

Dominic B.

Wonderful place for any king of get together. Beautiful area as well.

Ray Z.

When you first walk into Dunham Woods Riding Club, it has a wonderful festive smell. Like a couple of logs on a fireplace or a nice smelling pipe. Trust me, it smells good. There is so history inside and it is perfect for smaller weddings/parties. The food is outstanding!! A+++ Dale, the manager, is the coolest guy ever!! He knows how to run things and he is a pro. Dunham Woods Riding Club is defiantly a hidden gem .. love this place.

Ray – The Connexion Band

Mike S.

Wonderful venue for tonights wedding. The outdoor patio and grounds are surrounded by huge trees providing a very cool atmosphere. The historic building est. 1934 has great ambiance and character for a reception, where delicious food was served. Highly recommended for a wedding or party.

Dave K.

Great place to finish up the work day. Fire + beer + wifi #dwrc

Cassandra B.

My husband and I had our wedding at Dunham Woods Riding Club in the Fall of 2022. The venue is beautiful, the food was delicious and it was a fun experience to stay in the rooms above the venue prior to the wedding. Unfortunately those are the only positives I can think of. After almost a year of planning there were so many problems the day of that could have been planned for by the Dunham staff. Not only were there countless issues, but absolutely nothing was done by the general manager after. An apology was only given after exchanging multiple emails and phone calls and no partial refund was given for the extreme lack of service we experienced on our wedding day. Below is a list of our main concerns on our wedding day. Unfortunately if we could go back we would not book at Dunham Woods - we ultimately did not receive the quality service promised and paid highly for.

- The timeline was not followed, the events not prepared for (ex. cake cutting), and the floor plan was not correct
- Not enough ceremony chairs - many guests had to stand
- Was told during first few meetings that there would be staff directing guests to the ceremony in the back. Not only was no one directing guests but many guests ended up confused walking through the downstairs bathroom where I was waiting to walk down the aisle. It was very frustrating and my dad had to stand by the door to keep guests from walking in right before we walked down the aisle together.
- We discussed in length our wish for table wine service during dinner. We confirmed this at the final meeting. Jennifer ended up sending a email saying that champagne was included in our package. We didnt think this would be taking the place of table wine service as we had stated we wanted that multiple times and picked out the wine for it.
- There were no wine glasses on the dinner tables.
- Most people did not receive refills on water glasses during dinner.
- When the bar was shut down for an extended period of time because dinner was serviced late guests truly had nothing to drink.
- Right before we entered the room the cake wasn’t out and my mother in law had to remind someone to get the cake. This was in the timeline. My cake topper had not been placed on it (although clearly left in that room labeled to make sure it was) and there was no forks making it an awkward cake cutting as we couldn’t eat it.
- Never put out sliced cake and had to ask. In a previous email was told that some of the cake would be frozen for Connor and I to take home but never received this. I am assuming it was forgotten about.
- Dinner itself was so extremely late, no-one ate even remotely together as there were only two or three servers for our 130 guests.
- At 8:45 had to ask to open bar while many of the tables still getting dinner
- The Vendor meals were cold, had to ask for them at 8:30, and they were served with plastic utensils. We made it clear we wanted quality be vendor meals and experience.
- Was told by multiple guests that there were no appetizers served during cocktail hour. I can only assume that there was so few staff and appetizers available that many guests didnt even see them being passed.
- The menu cards had my husbands first name spelled wrong. This was such an important detail. How could my husbands name be spelled wrong at our wedding?
- Jennifer was not around during the day to ask questions and make sure things were moving smoothly. My mother and bridesmaid realized a few hours before nothing had been removed from my decor boxes and set up. I had very few things that needed to bet out - a guest book, a picture, ect. My mother and mother in law should absolutely not have had to do this on the wedding day. Was always told that the items would be set up for us. My bridesmaid spent an hour right before the ceremony setting up placards. Jennifer had assured me there would be staff to place my items out. If my mother and bridesmaids didnt do this I truly think all my decor would have been left in boxes.

Rod A.

Dunham Woods was a super place to have a large family/friend event: the food was excellent, the Grey Room was very stylish, and the staff were very professional. Would definitely use them again. The facility is available to non-members.