Current Exhibits

Building this new addition behind the Museum means that almost the whole of the grand old 1896 building is now open to the public. We feature both ongoing exhibits that you can visit again and again, and new, rotating exhibits that stay up for a limited time. Here are some of the things you'll want to look for when you come to visit us:

Current Exhibits at the Museum

The Historical Museum has three exciting new exhibits that opened earlier this month. The exhibits are "Wartime," "Fashions of the Great War Era," and "Lost Wilmette."

Wilmette in Wartime

"Wartime: Wilmette and the North Shore, 1861-1945" shares stories of Wilmette and the North Shore from the Civil War through World War II. The exhibit features photos, letters, posters, medals, equipment, uniforms, and many other items that tell the story of local people's experiences on the home front as well as on the battlefront. Among the artifacts on display are bullets from the field at Gettysburg; World War I gas mask and bayonet; the bullet-riddled pants worn by a local man who won the Distinguished Service Cross (also on display) for heroism.

Over the Top: Fashions of the Great War Era, 1914-1919

"Fashions of the Great War Era, 1914-1919" is devoted to one of fashion's strangest eras, when hobble skirts, funnel collars and "war crinolines" were all the rage. Items on display include a rare dress with puffed tunic made for a Wilmette woman's trousseau in 1914; local teacher Margaret Wheelock's handkerchief-hem silk and net frock; and a gorgeous teal velveteen coat from 1919. These and other styles, as well as a selection of photographs, reflect the dramatic fashion and cultural changes that occurred during these years.

Lost Wilmette

"Lost Wilmette" Wilmette's identity as a village is defined by its historic homes and buildings, yet this heritage has been disappearing at an increasingly rapid pace in recent years. This exhibit uses photos and fragments to tell the stories of some of the structures that have vanished forever from the Wilmette landscape. Featured in the exhibit are the house built on 11th Street by the notorious H. H. Holmes of The Devil in the White City fame, the astonishing Benjamin Marshall house and studio, the Carnegie Free Library, and many others-- all of them reminders of earlier ways of life, and past sensibilities and tastes, in our village.

From Settlement to Suburb (ongoing exhibit)

On the first floor is this exhibit about the people who settled Gross Point and Wilmette in the 19th century. Among the rare artifacts on display are the medicine bag (complete with vials!) of the Village's first doctor, Byron Stolp, the surveyor's compass used to lay out Wilmette's first streets, and a phrase-book that Gross Point's German immigrants used to help them make their way across America.

On the opposite wall is a small but very interesting display of some rare Native American objects found in this area— including the haunting "effigy head," one of the oldest and most famous artifacts in our collection.

New in the first floor gallery's lobby is a gorgeous mural dating from 1909, showing an Indian camp on the lakeshore. Painted (we think) by local artist Mattie Akeley, it hung for many years in Wilmette's Masonic Temple. We hope at some time to raise enough money to pay for the cleaning and restoration of this splendid artwork.

Wilmette Stories (ongoing exhibit)

Here in the old fire-hose bay we've chosen to tell a few stories that help to illuminate the special character of our community and its people. We begin with the tale of the Ouilmettes, from whom the Village got its name, and go on to tell about the controversial saloons of old Gross Point, the terrifying Palm Sunday Tornado of 1920, the long battle over "No Man's Land," the story behind Wilmette's miles of brick streets, and the creation of beloved Roemer Park. Adding to the exhibit are two special paintings created for the Village by local artist George Lusk in 1934. These enormous murals of Wilmette scenes—each painting is fourteen feet long - have not been seen in public for many years, and we're very glad to be able to put them on display again.

Have a good browse in Wilmette Stories, then head for the lower level! There are three exhibits here that you won't want to miss.

Historic Gross Point Jail (ongoing exhibit)

The Gross Point Village Hall had it all: clerk's office, fire department, and police department -- including four jail cells. Thanks to this restoration you can find out how it felt to be locked up in one of the gloomy old basement cells. (Kids of all ages love this exhibit!) In the adjoining cell, "Early Policing in Wilmette and Gross Point" features antique equipment like handcuffs and a billy club, along with lots of fun photos.

The best way to stay informed of new exhibits, and much else, is to join the Historical Society and receive our Ouilmette History newsletter and email alerts of upcoming events.

We hope you'll visit us soon and often! We're open Sunday through Thursday, 1 to 4:30 p.m.