You and up to five friends will enjoy a curated, VIP visit to historic Lake Geneva, summer home to Chicago's elite, and to one of the seminal sites in the history of science, Yerkes Observatory, for a five-star weekend.

The Observatory, recently re-opened to the public as part of an ongoing $12m+ full historic restoration and renovation, was built by the University of Chicago in 1895 and is the birthplace of modern astrophysics. It still contains the world's largest refracting telescope, and has seen science luminaries such as George Ellery Hale, Edwin Hubble, Carl Sagan, Nobel Prize winner Subrahmanyam Chandrasekhar, and Nancy Grace Roman, the namesake of NASA's next major space telescope, among many others, walk its halls. The observatory sits on 50 acres of Olmsted-designed landscape, itself historic, overlooking the lake.

On a mutually agreeable weekend in 2023 you and your party will enjoy a curated weekend experience around Lake Geneva. You'll stay at a custom-designed 10,000 s/f contemporary private house in the woods by noted firm Abacus Architects. This guest house, built to showcase the owner's collection of historic wooden boats, has three bedrooms and a beautiful forest setting.

You'll enjoy a private two-hour tour of historic Yerkes Observatory with Director Dennis Kois (a former contemporary art museum and science museum director, and former chief designer of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and at the Smithsonian), and a late-night private viewing session of the stars with your own personal astronomer from the University of Chicago using what was once the world's largest telescope (1897-1911).. still a beautiful and poetic way to see the stars not available to the general public.

You'll also enjoy a director's tour of Blackpoint Estate on the lake, former home of the Seipp Family (founders of what was once the largest brewery in America), a group tour of the lake's mansions from an antique wooden tour boat, and other unique experiences curated by the Director of Yerkes, Dennis Kois. You'll be Dennis's guests for three dinners for your party as at the best area farm-to-table restaurants, including fine wine - two private dinners for your party, and one with Dennis.

Note: Included for the winning bidder are a private 3 night (Thu-Sun) stay at the private home shown, three dinners including fine wine, private tours and exclusive boutique experiences, and other special gifts and incidentals for their party. Trip will take place on a mutually agreeable date in 2023, with the date agreed upon no later than the end of 2022.