A Comfort Feast, Royal Pageantry and Horses at Medieval Times

A Comfort Feast, Royal Pageantry and Horses at Medieval Times in Schaumburg, Illinois

**Disclosure: I did receive a complimentary experience to bring this review to you. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

Medieval Times in Schaumburg, Illinois entertained us this weekend with an evening full of pageantry, fun, excitement and a feast of comfort food. While this was our second visit to Chicago's Medieval Times Castle, I can say that the show, food and atmosphere melded an magical evening that was just as special as our first visit. Medieval Times creates a grand adventure not far from home that I think will come in handy for families in the winter months.


From the beginning of our visit, we had an amazing time and were immediately swept away into a time long ago. When we first entered, we were already involved in the entertainment and got a chance to meet the falconer and even ask questions:

To fully explore the adventure and take advantage of special experiences like meeting the falconer, I recommend arriving about an hour early. There are so many elements throughout the castle to enjoy before the show. We always like to have a look at the weapons. There is also a medieval dungeon museum for a small fee which we did not explore on this visit.

You will discover quite a few spots that are picture and selfie worthy:

Who will be locked up in the stocks?

You can also view a few of the horses in the stables. Accompanying placards inform families about the horses' characteristics and the gaits of the horses.

The steeds of Medieval Times are gorgeous and talented!

We have a little more for you about the incredible horses of Medieval Times------

Learning About Medieval Times Horses:

My family received a special backstage tour of the stables at Medieval Times and I can tell you that immediately I was impressed learning about how the horses are trained. Most of the horses of Medieval Times are Andalusians. Andalusians are stunning horses known for their intelligence and ability in dressage. Their talents are beautifully demonstrated throughout the show!

We also learned that the Andalusians of Medieval Times come from a special breeder in Texas. They are not handled much by humans until they arrive at Medieval Times for training. Training is not rushed and the staff works with each particular horse as an individual. So, the Medieval Times staff are experts on working with and taking care of Andalusians. As a mom of quite a few shelties, I totally understand the importance of really knowing the breed in terms of wellbeing for animals.

Well, hello!

During the show, we were treated to many displays of the horses' artistry and abilities outside of the jousting sequences. The horses were highlighted at different points. We learned the different gaits and even enjoyed a beautiful horse in the mist. There training also includes becoming accustomed to the noise of the fighting sequences -- which is amazing to note. As you can imagine, the horses are hungry after the show and eat hay and alfafa. The mixture is catered to each horse and what diet is best for them. The horses also get plenty of outdoors time in a special area from them outside of the castle. As you can see, we learned so much and appreciated the behind-the-scenes look!

Before leaving to go to the show, we did get to see where the horses and actors enter the arena:

Entrance to the arena from the stables.

Meet the Queen:

Some changes have occurred at the castle since our last visit. A Queen now inhabits the royal home in Schaumburg. The bit of a change up in the story was fun and there seemed to be something extra to the pageantry with the Queen.

Welcoming the Queen of the castle.

Let the Games Begin:

The entire two hour show is full of action from the pageantry at the entrance to the joust and everything in between. Just look at all of the brilliance as the actors march in:

After the knights have won some favors from the Queen:

Our knight was the Red and Yellow Knight! The boisterous crowd rose to the occasion to cheer for their knights!

Knights getting ready for the games.

The evening of games was exciting to watch. The excitement of the crowd around you added to the experience. Our knight won -- Huzzah!

Our knight -- the winning knight!

A Comforting Feast:

The flavors of Medieval Times jump out as comfort food. The meal began with a wedge of garlic bread and a bowl of tomato soup. Dipping garlic bread in the tomato soup is just divine!

Dipping garlic bread in tomato soup is heavenly!

Next, we enjoyed roasted chicken, herb roasted potatoes and buttered corn. A delicious meal! At times, it was hard to focus on the action of the show because I was busy enjoying the feast. Part of me wishes I could have had a second potato-----but truly the meal was large!

Delicious roasted chicken fit for a special feast!

Dessert was a deliciously moist from scratch slice of lemon cake. No one in my family was a fan of the apple dessert before, so this was a welcome addition. Yum, yum and yum!

Moist and delicious lemon cake!

One More Ode to the Horses of Medieval Times:

My favorite part of the show is the stunning white stallion running in the mist. Such a beautiful, magical and peaceful moment:

Magical horse in the mist.

A Fabulous Evening of Pageantry, Feasting and Family:

Sometimes, it is hard to believe that we have such a magnificent production right here in the Chicago suburbs available all year round! An evening at Medieval Times is truly an adventure and a great way for families to revel in some time together while getting away from it all -- without traveling too far! We had a spectacular evening from the show to the food and everything in between. Thank you, Medieval Times for a magical family evening!