ABOUT US

Hickory Hall was originally a stately home built in 1919. Thirty years later it was transformed into a banquet hall, & recently has undergone renovations to return it to its luxurious and unique stately style.

One of the advantages of booking Hickory Hall for your next event is that it’s an all-inclusive banquet hall. We have everything you need to throw a successful party or event from tablecloths and chairs to décor and more. We also offer in-house catering that can make a variety of dishes from hot dogs to filet mignon, and serving styles from elegant dining to self-serve catering. 

Don’t forget about our amazing events that we host throughout the year. Call us at 815-477-5871 to schedule a tour of our beautiful banquet hall, or to schedule your next event.
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Who We Are

Hickory Hall is comprised of two main spaces, the main hall which fits up to 200 guests, and the cocktail lounge and parlors which fits up to 100 guest. You have the luxury to book one or more spaces to accommodate your party or event. We also have the ability to separate the spaces at any given time in order to host more than one event.

What We Do

Corporate Events
Birthday Parties
Wedding Ceremonies
Wedding Receptions
Guys/Girls Weekend
Retirement Parties
Graduation Parties
Banquets
And so much more…

Meet Jim

General Manager & Senior Event Planner

It’s pretty easy to pinpoint where my love of entertaining came from. I had a grandmother who had entertainment down to a science. She was a woman who loved a good party. When I was a small child, I would use her grand assortment of dishes and utensils to practice setting up parties for her; she would attentively drink water from teacups, and eat cakes made of air. When I grew older, I would help my grandmother set up for her various parties, and watch how she had meticulously organized and planned everything down to the smallest detail. 

My love of organization and planning has followed me forever, and always carried over into my work. Working as a project manager in the non-profit sector, I had the opportunity to plan fundraisers and meetings for some of area's most noted community leaders and stakeholders.

As a wedding and events planner, I’ve been able to hone in on my passion for helping clients create truly fantastic experiences for their guests. There is nothing more satisfying than knowing my services made my clients’ day better.


What really makes my heart hum? I’m a closet interior decorator, I love my dogs! I’m always excited about having people over for dinner, and I love giving back to my community. Outside of spending time with my husband and life partner.  I am a member of ABC (American Bridal Consultants).  I devote much of my free time to volunteer work.

I look forward to learning more about you, and your vision for your next event.

Working with Jim to plan (and re-plan and re-plan) our small wedding was a dream, he made everything as stress-free as possible, in spite of the stressful circumstances we were facing. He was incredibly reliable, flexible, and patient with us and the night turned out better than we could have even imagined! We cannot thank him enough for his fantastic management and planning skills and this beautiful and unique venue! Nearly everyone at our micro-wedding told me it was the best wedding they had been too, plus the food is delicious! Thank you so so much! We HIGHLY recommend Hickory Hall!!!
Anna Lagunas
I had the pleasure of hosting an event for United Way of Greater McHenry County at Hickory Hall Crystal Lake! The staff took my theme and went above and beyond, putting special touches and details all over so that when i walked in, I was blown away! Thank you Jim, for being exceptional to work with and to ease my event planner mind! You made things run smoothly, ensured everyone had a great time and went the extra mile to put our event over the top! It didn't go unnoticed. You put your best foot forward and for that i am grateful and you have 200 new friends who love your venue!
Heather Arnold
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