This October marks 150 years since the Great Chicago Fire. Join us for a talk with historian Carl Smith about the historic disaster on Sunday, October 17, 2021. His talk is based on his recent book Chicago's Great Fire: The Destruction and Resurrection of an Iconic American City. Smith is the Franklin Bliss Snyder Professor of English and American Studies and Professor of History at Northwestern University. This lecture will be held virtually, please register online by October 14, 2021.
Virtual Lecture - The Great Chicago Fire
Wilmette Local Legends Audio Tour
This two-part, self-guided audio tour will bring you outside the homes of some of Wilmette’s notables starting with film star Ann-Margret and ending with professional makeup artist and entrepreneur Bobbi Brown. At each stop, you will learn a bit about a local celebrity’s life in Wilmette. Enjoy the audio tour on your phone while exploring Wilmette by car or bicycle or, if you are ambitious, on foot. Each tour is around 4 miles in length. If you are walking and need to return to your car at the starting point, be sure to takes this additional distance into account. You can listen to Part 1 and Part 2 of the audio tour here.
"Wilmette & COVID-19" Podcast Series
Caroline Bewley, one of our two summer 2021 interns, has created a two-part podcast series that documents the impact of COVID-19 on Wilmette residents. In each episode, Bewley interviews several guests as they reflect on their experience during the pandemic. Episode 1 focuses on education with appearances from Wilmette students, parents, and teachers. Episode 2 details how local activism has changed with conversations from individuals involved in political organizing. "Wilmette & COVID-19" is available on Spotify, click here or search for keywords in the Spotify mobile app.
Virtual Lecture - Discussing Daguerreotypes
On Sunday, November 7, 2021 Mike Medhurst, President of the Daguerreian Society, will speak about early cased photography, exploring the history of the art form and giving a brief overview of how daguerreotypes are made. He has been actively collecting, buying and selling early American photography for more than 30 years, and will share some captivating images from his own collection, diving into the stories of the scenes, people, and even animals captured in them. This lecture will be held virtually, please register online by November 4, 2021.
Visit the Museum!
Come see our new lobby exhibit commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire that includes artifacts from our collections related to the historic disaster.
We are currently open on Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 1:00 - 4:30 pm. Appointments are now only needed to do research. We hope you will come by and visit! In addition to the new lobby exhibit, we have a small new exhibit on puzzles and games and many ongoing exhibits. We are following the current State and Village of Wilmette COVID-19 guidelines.
