Featured Exhibitions
Camp History: Artifacts from the Ages includes various items from the Museum's collections highlighting important eras in history to coincide with this year's summer camps. See arrow heads, archaeological treasures, 19th century kitchen utensils, Victorian clothing & accessories and more! This exhibit will be open through August.
Mystery Photos from the Downers Grove Reporter
Collection are on display now! Please help us identify unknown photographs. Your knowledge is an integral component in preserving our history. This collection will be exibited indefinitely.
Collections Corner
Featuring the Museum's most recent acquisitions and a variety of objects from the Museum's educational collection. Bring the family in and enjoy handling real tools, clothing and other three dimensional objects from the past. Learn about the Museum's latest additions to its collections. This exhibit is ongoing and will be updated as the Museum acquires new artifacts.
Ongoing Displays
The Downers Grove Hall of Fame recognizes the contributions of the community's more noteworthy past residents.
The History of the Downers Grove Fire Department
takes a look back at the first one hundred years of the Downers Grove Fire Department from its inception as an all volunteer force in 1898 to today's trained professionals. Highlights of this permanent exhibit include the community's first motorized fire truck and junior size fire fighter outfits to try on.
Never Done...
A Woman's Work in a Turn-of-the-Century Kitchen examines the domestic activities of females in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Upcoming Exhibits
Religion in Downers Grove: A History of its Churches opens to the public with a special free reception on Sunday, September 19th from 1:00-3:00pm. Churches provide an important linchpin in the foundation of a community. This exhibit explores the history of Downers Grove's religious institutions and their relationship to the past, present and future residents of Downers Grove. This exhibit will run until January 7, 2011.
The traveling exhibit, 1968 in America, a program of ExhibitsUSA, a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance and The National Endowment for the Arts, will be open to the public January 28-May 25, 2011. The extraordinary events of that year witnessed profound change in social and political systems and confirmed to citizens of all ages that fundamental change was both possible and necessary. Look back on a tumultuous, pivotal and influential year--nationally and locally!
