Elmhurst History Museum

10/16/2026

Relive the magic of the '85 Bears with us next Friday with Dan Hampton, Chicago Bears Alumni & Pro Football Hall of Famer, right here in Elmhurst! Hampton will share stories from his legendary career with the Chicago Bears, working with Coach Ditka, and the unforgettable 1985 Super Bowl season!🐻⬇

✨Purchase VIP tickets to enjoy an exclusive meet-and-greet opportunity with Dan Hampton after the talk, including time for photographs or bring your Bears memorabilia for autographs!

📆 Friday, October 23
🕟 6 - 7pm talk, VIP meet n’ greet session runs until 8:30pm.
🎟 Lecture Only: $45, VIP (includes lecture): $60, Elmhurst University Students & Staff: $20 (talk only)
📍 Elmhurst University, Frick Center, Founders Hall; 190 S. Prospect Avenue

Join Dan Hampton-former Chicago Bear, five-time All-Pro, four-time Pro Bowl selection, and Pro Football Hall of Famer-for a special evening.

10/15/2026

Happy Throwback Thursday! Today's image is a view of the unique pergolas and shelter that used to decorate the north side of Wilder Park circa 1930. The shelter served as a primary event space in the park, most notably the opening ceremony for the 1936 Elmhurst Centennial celebrations. The shelter was removed by the 1950s.

10/14/2026

The museum welcomed two new elm trees to our performance space area this morning, part of an initiative by the city to plant trees in conjunction with America's semisesquicentennial celebrations in 2026. Thank you to the City of Elmhurst's forestry division for these new additions to the museum's campus!

10/09/2026

It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of “Iron” Mike Ditka ( #89), who passed away today at the age of 86.

Ditka played for the Chicago Bears from 1961 to 1966, helping the team capture the 1963 NFL Championship, before returning to lead the Monsters of the Midway as head coach from 1982 to 1992. A legendary player, coach, and larger-than-life personality, Ditka left an indelible mark on Chicago sports history.

He is featured in our current exhibit, “Bear Down: Football in the Windy City”, honoring his dominance on the field, his leadership in guiding the Bears to victory in Super Bowl XX, and his enduring place in popular culture as “Da Coach.”

Ditka’s No. 89 was the last jersey number retired by the Chicago Bears. His legacy is further enshrined in both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. We remember Mike Ditka for his extraordinary contributions to the game, his leadership, and the lasting impact he made on generations of Bears fans.

Image credits: Chicago Tribune Archives

10/08/2026

Today's Throwback Thursday photograph shows a Chicago and North Western passenger train at the Elmhurst station circa 1962. Metra will occasionally sport a locomotive in green and yellow in homage to the old CNW colorways. Founded in 1859, the Chicago and North Western railway was acquired by Union Pacific in 1995.

10/01/2026

Happy Throwback Thursday! With the biennial quarry tour coming up this weekend, conducted in partnership with DuPage County Stormwater Management, here's a view of how the Elmhurst-Chicago Stone Quarry appeared in the early years of the 20th century. If you missed out on quarry tour tickets this year, you can still get a great view of the quarry via the Elmhurst Quarry Overlook at the northwest corner of First Street and Highland Avenue, across from the Elmhurst Park District headquarters.

09/29/2026

Earlier this month, Margaret Chant-Papandreou, prominent woman's rights advocate and former wife of Greek prime minister Andreas Papandreou, passed away at age 102. She was also an Elmhurst native and a York Community High School graduate from the class of 1941. Her family lived at 145 Clinton Street and her father, Douglas, owned Chant's Garage auto repair at 537 S. York Street. She went on to study journalism at the University of Minnesota before embarking on her long, international career in politics and women's rights. You can learn more about Margaret in "The First Ladies of Elmhurst" book produced by the City of Elmhurst in 2001, available at the Elmhurst Public Library and here at the Elmhurst History Museum.

Margaret Papandreou (Greek: Μαργαρίτα Παπανδρέου; née Margaret Esther Chant, Greek: Μάργκαρετ Έσθερ Τσαντ; 30 September 1923 – 18 September 2026) was an American and Greek women's rights activist and writer. She was the ex-wife of Greek Prime Minister Andreas...

09/26/2026

Did you know the idea for the Big Ten Conference began in Chicago? In January 1895, at the Palmer House Hotel, seven college teams created the Western Conference. By 1917, three additional teams joined and the name was changed to the Big Ten Conference. Teams included: Northwestern, Purdue, University of Chicago, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, THE Ohio State, Iowa, and Indiana. Visit ‘Bear Down: Football in the Windy City’ to learn more about the popular college teams and players in Chicago.

09/24/2026

Happy Throwback Thursday! Today's photograph is a view of the Churchville One-Room Schoolhouse in Bensenville in the early 1960s, when it was used as a meeting space for School District 3 and nearby Immanuel Church. This year, the Elmhurst History Museum is marking 25 years since the City of Elmhurst acquired the property in September 2001, and 15 years since the schoolhouse reopened after extensive renovations for first person interpretive programming. Children are still learning in the Churchville Schoolhouse almost 180 years after it was built.

09/23/2026

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Chicago's premier Mexi-Americana Roots band, Los Gallos, will join us this Friday, September 25th, at 6pm! This is a free event at the Elmhurst History Museum bandshell, and will conclude our Summer 2026 Fourth Fridays concert program. Thank you to our concert series sponsors: The Dr. Virginia R. Stewart Memorial Fund, Feze Roofing, Elmhurst Living Magazine, and Dollars & Sense for Nonprofit Success!