Downers Grove Museum

10/17/2026

🎃👻 Get ready for a BOO-tiful Halloween at Blodgett House Boo Fest!

Trick-or-treat your way through history at the Downers Grove Museum! Explore the Victorian Blodgett House decked out for Halloween and enjoy a festive afternoon filled with spooky games, a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt, crafts and plenty of treats!

🗓️ Saturday, Oct. 31, from 1–4PM
📍 Downers Grove Museum, 831 Maple Ave., Downers Grove
🍬 FREE | All Ages | No registration is required

Put on your costume, bring the whole family and join us for some frightfully fun Halloween festivities! 🎃

Thank you to our sponsors: Patchwork Therapy and Rock Limo Service

10/15/2026

In 2025, while researching the former Girl Scout Cabin at Maple Grove Forest Preserve, our curator, Nina Fuscaldo, discovered a 1926 newspaper article describing a time capsule buried in the concrete base of the flagpole, which reportedly contained papers related to the early Girl Scouts in Downers Grove.

Beginning in Spring 2026, with a permit from the DuPage County Forest Preserve District, she excavated the site, and on October 8, the remains of the time capsule were finally found. Unfortunately, it appears that the steel box used for the time capsule was never properly sealed, and wet concrete seeped inside, partially filling it and destroying the contents. Over the past century, moisture rusted the metal away.

While the paper contents could not be recovered, the excavation did uncover other artifacts connected to local Girl Scout history and the flagpole's construction, including a Girl Scout pocket knife. The cement-encased remains of the time capsule are being preserved at the museum.

Not every archaeological discovery goes as planned, but even a lost time capsule can tell us a story.

10/02/2026

🪦🍂 Discover the stories and symbolism found in Downers Grove’s historic cemeteries.

Join us for Symbols of Remembrance: Burial & Mourning Traditions of Downers Grove and explore the history of burial and mourning practices in our community.

During this guided program at Oak Hill/Oak Crest Cemetery, you’ll learn about traditional customs, memorial practices and the meanings behind symbols found on historic gravestones. Then, put your new knowledge to the test with an interactive cemetery scavenger hunt!

📅 Saturday, Oct. 24 | 2:00–3:30PM
📍 Meet at the Oak Hill Cemetery main gate
👥 Ages 10+
💲 Residents: $17 | Non-residents: $26
Discover how the symbols carved in stone can tell stories of life, loss and remembrance. Register online at https://bit.ly/4rAXnGt.

10/01/2026

🍂 October is packed with fall fun at the Downers Grove Park District! From Halloween festivities and family entertainment to nature, history and unique adult experiences, there’s plenty to enjoy all month long.

🍯🍺 Oct. 3: Field to Fermenter
🌳 Oct. 7: OAKtober Oak Tree Giveaway
👻 Oct. 9: Grave Expectations: Paranormal Investigations
🚒🍬 Oct. 17: Trucks & Treats
🎶🎃 Oct. 23: Ben Tatar and the Tater Tots
🏚️👻 Oct. 31: Blodgett House Boo Fest

🍁 Save the dates and make the most of October! Learn more and register at dgparks.org.

09/03/2026

In observance of Labor Day weekend, the Downers Grove Park District will follow the schedule below:

CLOSED
- Administrative Office: Closed Sept. 7
- Cathy Mahoney Recreation Center and 4500 Fitness: Closed Aug. 31 - Sept. 7
- Downers Grove Museum: Closed Sept. 5-7
- Lincoln Center: Closed Sept. 7
- Lyman Woods Interpretive Center: Closed Sept. 5-7 (Trails remain open)

OPEN
- Adventure Falls: Open Sept. 5 & 6 from 9AM-6PM; Open Sept. 7 from 9AM-3PM
- Belmont Golf Club: Open Sept. 7

08/31/2026

⚠️ Due to the nationwide Microsoft Outlook outage, we are currently experiencing issues sending and receiving emails today, Aug. 31. If you need immediate assistance, please call 630.960.7500. Our staff is available by phone until 4 p.m. today. Thank you for your patience and understanding! ✉️

08/26/2026

🍬 Sweet treats with a side of history! 🕰️

Take a tasty trip into the past at the Downers Grove Museum! A Taste Through Time: Treats and Sweets explores the candies and confections people have enjoyed throughout history, from the ingredients they used to how their favorite treats were made. And, of course, you'll get to sample a few sweets along the way!

🍭 Wednesday, Sept. 9 • 6-7pm
📍 Downers Grove Museum
🎟️ $17 residents | $26 nonresidents
🍨 Ages 4+

Satisfy your sweet tooth and your curiosity! Register today: https://buff.ly/J9AlnV7

08/11/2026

⚠️ CLOSURE NOTICE: The Downers Grove Museum is closed for the remainder of today, Tuesday, Aug. 11, due to a power outage caused by today’s storm. ⛈️💡

Planning to visit tomorrow, Aug. 12? 🏛️ Please check dgparks.org before heading out for the latest updates.

Thank you for your understanding, and stay safe! 💙

08/10/2026

🏡✨ Step back in time and explore an important chapter of local history.

Join us for the Underground Railroad 1846 House Tour at the Downers Grove Museum Campus. Discover the story of the historic Blodgett House and learn about the courageous role the Blodgett family and the Downers Grove community played in the Underground Railroad.

🗓 Saturday, Aug. 22
🕐 1-2 p.m.
📍 Downers Grove Museum Campus
👥 Ages 8+
💲 Residents: $13 | Non-residents: $19

Please note: Portions of the tour may not be ADA accessible. All participants must register, and children younger than 16 must be accompanied by a paying adult.

Experience local history in a meaningful and memorable way. Register today!
https://bit.ly/4fFmS3y

07/30/2026

📽️ General Arthur Charles Ducat Documentary 🎬️

Produced by Downers Grove Museum Curator Nina Fuscaldo and filmmaker Jim Toth, this documentary tells the story of Arthur C. Ducat, an Irish immigrant who rose from hardship to become an engineer, railroad surveyor, Civil War soldier, Brigadier General, insurance executive, and influential Downers Grove resident. From helping route the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad through the village to shaping local development and reforming the Illinois National Guard—changes that were ultimately adopted by National Guard units nationwide—Ducat left a lasting mark on both the community and the nation.

General Arthur Charles Ducat Documentary developed by the Downers G...