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Want to squeeze a little history in with some great entertainment and food for your family? Medieval Times in Schaumburg transports visitors to another time, when knights in shining armor jousted on horseback and silverware was an unnecessary luxury.
Recently, Medieval Times debuted a new show they've been working on for about two years, so I decided to check it out. If the screams of the audience during the show were any indication, the new storyline is a hit.
The last show I'd seen a couple years ago had a long, somewhat romantic story behind the action. The new show has far less plot and lots more plotting-as in outsiders wanting to wrest control of the kingdom and knights fighting to the death to save it.
"We've pretty much restructured it to have a lot more action, a little less story plot, so we've added more games to the show, more fights," says Richard Idrizi, head knight. "It's a lot more action-packed. We're going for crowd reaction, and from what I've seen we've achieved it with this new show."
Lest you think your young children will be audience to the knightly version of "Hunger Games," be aware that the fights are carefully choreographed and innocuous enough for even young children to enjoy.
The show opens with knights on horseback and some semblance of a plot, but it slowly builds to an action-packed adventure. Knights compete in games where they are throwing their weapons at a bulls-eye or trying to spear a ring dangling in the area. Next comes the jousting along the rail, with knights falling off their horses as they're hit, and sparks flying when shields and lances collide. The final scene is battle after battle between knights, until only one is left standing.
The reaction from the audience to the battle scenes was a long, nonstop roar-from the young girls sitting next to me wearing princess attire to the bachelor party across the way. Each section of the audience was given a color that corresponded to their knight in the arena, and people cheered enthusiastically for their knight.
The show includes dinner, but not silverware, so be prepared for a bit of a mess as you navigate chicken and ribs. We ordered the vegetarian meals for my girls, which in the past included lasagna. The new meal was roasted vegetables and peppers stuffed with rice. I loved it, but my kids would probably have preferred pasta instead of the skewered veggies.
The best part of the evening was watching the 9-year-old next to me, who was visiting with her family from Indianapolis, catch the pink rose the knight threw up to her. As she sat there in her princess headband, blushing at the knight, I was definitely transported to another time from long ago.
IF YOU GO: 2001 N. Roselle Road Schaumburg (866) 543-9637 www.medievaltimes.com Admission: $59.95, $35.95 kids 12 and under, free kids 2 and under
