DuPage County Historical Museum has a full exhibit & event schedule planned for 2026

The Preview Brunch will give participants an exclusive first look at the exhibit including a presentation with one of the guest curators, brunch and a complimentary mimosa. Tickets are available at dupagemuseum.org.

The exhibit is a collection of photographs, signage, and artifacts from the Museum collection and from the donations of others. This exhibit has two guest curators.

“I’ve really enjoyed being the Guest Curator for our Route 66 exhibit! Working with Dan Swick for this exhibit, has been wonderful. The most exciting part of creating this exhibit has been watching our ideas come to life. We’re using tires and a VW door so be sure to check it out.” – Beth Frederick, Museum Assistant.

“I was thrilled to learn that I would be part of the team researching Route 66 in Illinois. I was married over 40 years ago in a small church just off Route 66 in Mount Olive, IL, and I have spent many hours traveling along the “Mother Road” visiting various places downstate. In preparation for our exhibit, I took several road trips along the Main Street of America, documenting the changes and meeting wonderful people across the state who have restored gas stations, restaurants, and roadside attractions. They generously shared their knowledge and resources, much of which we have now incorporated into our exhibit. We will highlight all these fascinating places to visit in our “Illinois Road Trip” section of the exhibit. Museum guests can explore everything the state has to offer in terms of original and restored attractions along the Mother Road from Chicago to St. Louis.” – Dan Swick, Museum Volunteer.

Families can make their own Route 66 magnet during DIY Creative Crafting September 12 between 1 and 3P. Historian Leslie Goddard will present a nostalgia-packed lecture September 23 from 7 to 8P.

The DuPage County Historical Museum, which operates as a facility of the Wheaton Park District, is housed in a stately Richardsonian Romanesque-style building that opened in 1891 as Adams Memorial Library. It is home to more than 40,000 artifacts and a photography archive of more than 10,000 images.

The Museum is free to the public and open Monday – Friday from 8:30A to 4:30P and on weekends from noon to 4P.

Details about future presentations, programming, exhibits and events, can be found at dupagemuseum.org.