About Us

About the Elmhurst History Museum

Museum Hours:

Sunday, Tuesday-Friday, 1-5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Admission:

FREE

Accessibility:

Accessible lift at rear of Glos Mansion (please ring for assistance)

Contact Us:

Phone at 630-833-1457 or email

General Information

The Elmhurst History Museum is an award-winning regional history museum founded in 1957 and operated by the City of Elmhurst. The museum engages people with history through its extensive collection and archives, enlightening exhibits, and diverse educational experiences. The Elmhurst History Museum is located in a historically significant landmark known as the Glos Mansion, the former home of Elmhurst’s first village president, Henry Glos, and his wife, Lucy that was built c. 1892. The Museum presents an array of changing exhibits on a broad range of history-related topics, an engaging interactive exhibit on Elmhurst’s own history, plus a diverse offering of public programs, exhibit tours, school and scout programs, and special community events. The Elmhurst History Museum also operates the Churchville Schoolhouse, a restored National Register of Historic Places property located on Church Road in Bensenville. The Churchville Schoolhouse was built c. 1850 and is one of the only remaining one-room schoolhouses on its original site, and provides schoolchildren and other groups with an authentic living history experience led by an old-fashioned schoolmarm from the early 1900s (by appointment only).

History & Mission

For more information about the museum, view our History and Mission.

Exhibits

The Elmhurst History Museum's Exhibits include:

  •  An award-winning interactive exhibit, By All Accounts: The Story of Elmhurst, examining Elmhurst's 165+ year history.
  • An array of temporary exhibits developed from the museum collection and other regional history-related topics.
  • Traveling exhibits created by the Museum staff that are rented and loaned to other institutions.
  • A rotating schedule of national touring exhibits from other museums and sources.

Collection

The Museum's Collection includes:

  • A permanent collection of more than 15,000 three-dimensional artifacts. 
  • Archives featuring letters, manuscripts and more than 10,000 historic photographs. 
  • More than 300 linear feet of personal, business, and City of Elmhurst records. 
  • A library of more than 500 books. 
  • Microfilm copies of Elmhurst newspapers, censuses, and Sanborn Fire Insurance maps. 

Reference Services
Elmhurst History Museum offers extensive resources for authors, researchers, residents, and students to discover more about Elmhurst history. Find out more about the Reference Services we offer.

Educational Programs

Educational Programs are offered to adults, families, schools, and special audiences. These include, but are not limited to:

  • Gallery tours
  • Craft demonstrations
  • Classroom visits
  • Walking tours of Elmhurst neighborhoods
  • Family programs
  • Special/seasonal events
  • Lectures
  • Workshops
  • Churchville Schoolhouse living history programs

The mission of the Elmhurst History Museum is to engage people with history through…