Upcoming Exhibits
Snapshots: Elmhurst Now & Then
January 17 – February 23, 2025
The urban landscape of Elmhurst, Illinois has transformed significantly since its establishment as a village in 1882. Over the years, improved transportation, population growth, and thriving businesses have changed street views and building facades. Snapshots: Elmhurst Now & Then will exhibit digitally enhanced photographs of iconic Elmhurst buildings, street views, parks, and transportation routes using images from the museum's permanent archives. These historical images will be paired with their contemporary counterparts, allowing guests to observe the evolution of our hometown's history through changing architecture, transportation, green spaces, and business developments. The exhibit will feature 25 framed photographs and video footage from the museum's archives, including the earliest filmed footage of Elmhurst from a "drive around town" in 1929, recreated in 1990.
Acre by Acre: Our Farming Heritage
March 14 - August 10, 2025
From 1850 – 1950, the area of DuPage County, located just 10 miles west of Chicago, was home to farming families and small towns. Acre by Acre: Our Farming Heritage will explore how settlers transformed the land into a thriving farming community and delve into the rich history of farming in the western suburbs. Despite facing challenges, these pioneering families supported themselves through subsistence farming before transitioning to commercial farming, contributing to Illinois' agricultural legacy. The farmers of DuPage experienced the impact of mechanized farming equipment, which revolutionized the agriculture industry in Elmhurst and throughout Illinois. Furthermore, DuPage County's location along extensive railway lines allowed Elmhurst to participate in the bustling trade and commerce of agricultural products through Chicago.
World of Tomorrow: A Century of Progress
August 29, 2025 - January 4, 2026
In honor of Chicago's 100th anniversary, the city hosted its second world's fair in 40 years, the Century of Progress International Exposition. The fair spanned over 400 acres of Chicago's lakeshore, showcasing technological innovations and lifting people's spirits during the Great Depression. Our exhibition, World of Tomorrow: A Century of Progress, will delve into how the 1933-1934 world's fair symbolized optimism and hope, illustrating Chicago's evolution from a frontier town to a sophisticated metropolis. This world's fair was notably one of the most successful in history, drawing a record-breaking 39 million attendees and featured a distinctive design aesthetic, as evidenced by the numerous souvenirs collected by fairgoers.
See our CURRENT EXHIBITS page to learn more about exhibitions now on display.
