Elmhurst History Museum

The Elmhurst History Museum is an award-winning regional history museum founded in 1957 and operated by the City of Elmhurst. The Elmhurst History Museum is located in a historically significant land marked structure known as the Glos Mansion, which is the former home of Elmhurst's first village president, Henry L. Glos, and his wife, Lucy. The Museum opened in January 1957 on the third floor of the Glos Mansion, which at the time also housed Elmhurst's City Hall. The Museum moved to the Wilder Mansion at Wilder Park from 1965-1975, and then returned to its current location in the Glos Mansion in 1975.The Museum was known as the Elmhurst Historical Museum from 1957-2016, and the Museum's name changed to Elmhurst History Museum in March 2016.

The mission of the Elmhurst History Museum is to engage people with history through thoughtful collection, enlightening exhibits, and diverse educational experiences. The Museum fills an essential role in the life of the community by revealing the quality of life in years past and providing a basis on which community pride can grow and endure. The Museum fulfills its mission by:

Presenting historical concepts and museum collections to the public through exhibits, educational programs, tours, and publications.
Acquiring and caring for locally significant artifacts, records, documents, photographs, audio-visual materials, and publications related to Elmhurst history.
Offering cultural, social, and learning opportunities related to the history and heritage of the regional community and the world at large.
Providing research services to enable an understanding of local history and to make the museum’s collections available to the public.
Maintaining two historically and architecturally significant buildings: the Glos Mansion and the Churchville Schoolhouse.

Churchville Schoolhouse

In addition to the Elmhurst History Museum, the Museum staff also manages the historic Churchville Schoolhouse, a restored circa 1850 one-room schoolhouse located just north of Grand Avenue on Church Road in Bensenville. The Churchville Schoolhouse is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and was reopened for public use in 2010 after an extensive restoration process. An authentic living history experience for school-age children, led by an old-fashioned school marm from the early 1900s, is now available by reservation. Group tours are available and occasional public programs and events for both families and adults are planned for the Churchville Schoolhouse.

Elmhurst Heritage Foundation

Both the Elmhurst History Museum and the Churchville Schoolhouse are supported by the Elmhurst Heritage Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit. This citizen-led board stimulates broad-based support for local history, the Elmhurst History Museum, and the Churchville Schoolhouse through advocacy, education, and fundraising. Through strategic planning, donor development, outreach, and essential fundraising, the Elmhurst Heritage Foundation offers guidance and support to keep history alive for future generations. Memberships are available at elmhurstheritagefoundation.org or by calling 630-833-1457.

History Museum