What are the opening hours?

Monday 1pm - 4:30pm Tuesday 1pm - 4:30pm Wednesday 1pm - 4:30pm Thursday 1pm - 4:30pm Sunday 1pm - 4:30pm

Wilmette History Museum

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Wilmette History Museum

The Wilmette History Museum is dedicated to exploring, preserving, and sharing Wilmette's history. http://www.wilmettehistory.org/involved.html

Our Museum is operated by the Wilmette Historical Society, a volunteer organization devoted to promoting local history, and by the Village of Wilmette. Located in the historic Gross Point Village Hall building, we offer exhibits, a research room, and special events and programs in our meeting space. For more information, visit our website at:
http://www.wilmettehistory.com

Interested in membership or volunteer opportunities?

06/17/2026

🔎 A mystery is unfolding in Wilmette... and we need your help to solve it!

This summer, join the Wilmette History Museum for Firehouse Mystery: The Case of the Missing Fire Chief’s Hat!

From June 14 through August 9, families can explore Wilmette, visit local businesses, collect clues, and help solve the case.

Along the way, you’ll discover fun facts about Wilmette’s fire service history, earn stamps, and complete a special final mission at the Museum!

🎉 Participants can earn prizes from local favorites like Lou Malnati’s and Buck Russell’s, plus be entered to win exciting grand prizes, including a private Wilmette Fire Department tour and a Wilmette Park District Beach & Pool Pass.

Pick up your scavenger hunt booklet at the Wilmette History Museum, , or download it through our website or link in the bio, and start your adventure today!

Who is ready to become a Junior Detective? 🔍

Wilmette Fire Department

06/11/2026

Thank you to for inviting the Wilmette History Museum to join today’s Family Tree Event!

It was a wonderful afternoon connecting with families and sharing ways to preserve local and family history.

Here’s to more collaborations ahead!

06/09/2026

As part of our Adopt an Artifact program, we’re excited to highlight Zier’s Prime Meats and their sponsored artifact: a cast iron meat grinder dating to around 1925.

Located on Ridge Road, Zier’s continues a long tradition of providing quality meats and food products to the Wilmette community. This hand cranked meat grinder offers a glimpse into how families prepared food at home a century ago. Manufactured by Landers, Frary & Clark under the “Universal” brand, grinders like this were common kitchen tools before modern electric appliances became widespread.

The owner of this particular grinder used it to make turkey dressing, reminding us that family recipes and food traditions have long been an important part of everyday life. Objects like this help tell the story of how Wilmette families cooked, gathered, and celebrated together across generations!

Thank you to for helping preserve and share Wilmette’s history through our Adopt an Artifact program!

Are you interested in our Adopt an Artifact exhibit, and want to learn more? Reach out to [email protected] for more information!

06/04/2026

Did you know Wilmette is home to more than 14 miles of historic brick streets? 🧱

First installed in the late 1890s, brick paving transformed Wilmette’s dusty dirt roads into durable, all weather streets and became one of the Village’s most recognizable features.

These streets tell another story as well. During the Great Depression, Works Progress Administration (WPA) crews carefully lifted, relaid, and restored thousands of bricks throughout Wilmette. As a reminder of their work, laborers placed handmade cement markers among the bricks. Many of those markers can still be found today, and no two are exactly alike!

The next time you walk or drive down one of Wilmette’s brick streets, see if you can spot one of these small pieces of local history. 🔎

Photos:

1905: Lake Ave
2026: Brick Streets today
1980: WPA Marker
1937: Downtown Wilmette

05/28/2026

Thinking about summer plans and programming over here at the Museum.☀️

In this 1961 photo, Harper students Ann Craighead and Amy Johnson asked their classmates where they were headed and how they were traveling for summer break.

So tell us, what are your summer plans this year?
🕶️⛱️🌊🍦

05/21/2026

Adopt an Artifact Spotlight: Golbach’s Picnic Grove

This felt fedora and small brass hat check token offer a glimpse into one of Wilmette’s former gathering places.
Stamped “B.A. GOLBACH / 23 / HAT,” the token was used at Golbach’s Picnic Grove, an outdoor beer garden and dance floor once located along Lake Avenue near Ridge Road. Bernard A. Golbach, who operated a tavern at the southwest corner of Ridge and Lake, welcomed visitors to the grove for music, dancing, and community gatherings.

Maybe this token helped someone keep track of their hat while they enjoyed a night out on Ridge Road!

Through our Adopt an Artifact program, local businesses, like , help preserve pieces like this and keep Wilmette’s stories alive.

05/20/2026

And that’s a wrap on our 2026 Annual Housewalk!

This year, we were honored to showcase four beautiful Prairie School Style homes and celebrate the incredible architecture and history that make our community so special.

We are so grateful to our homeowners, sponsors, volunteers, and everyone who joined us for our biggest fundraiser of the year. Thank you for helping make this event such a success!

We can’t wait to see you in 2027!

05/15/2026

Step inside some of Wilmette’s beautiful Prairie Style homes before it’s too late!

There are only TWO DAYS left to purchase tickets for our 2026 Wilmette Housewalk: Inspired by Prairie School Design. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to explore incredible architecture, rich history, and stunning design throughout Wilmette!

📍 Sunday, May 17
🕐 1–4 PM

🎟️ Tickets will be available for purchase until Sunday afternoon, but tickets are selling quickly! Secure yours today. Use the 🔗 in our bio!

05/14/2026

A huge thank you to our amazing sponsors for supporting the 2026 Wilmette Housewalk!

This event would not be possible without the generosity of our community partners. We are so grateful for your partnership and support of this special event.

Thank you to:

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✨ ._adelaide_at_home

We cannot wait to welcome guests to this year’s Housewalk: Inspired by Prairie School Design!

Tickets are selling fast, so get yours today! Use the 🔗 in our bio, and support these amazing local businesses!

Address

609 Ridge Road
Wilmette, IL
60091

Opening Hours

Monday	1pm - 4:30pm
Tuesday	1pm - 4:30pm
Wednesday	1pm - 4:30pm
Thursday	1pm - 4:30pm
Sunday	1pm - 4:30pm

Website

http://www.wilmettehistory.org/, https://wilmettehistory.org/event/summer-scavenger-hunt-the-case-of-the-missing-fire-ch

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