Lake Bluff History Museum

Lake Bluff History Museum Lake Bluff History Museum preserves and celebrates the history of Lake Bluff, Illinois, a village on Chicago's North Shore.

We are looking for patriotic cars! To celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, the Lake Bluff History Museum Auto Show on ...
06/05/2026

We are looking for patriotic cars!

To celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, the Lake Bluff History Museum Auto Show on Saturday June 27 is debuting a special exhibition space dedicated entirely to red, white and blue vehicles.

Already registered? Email [email protected] and let us know if your car is red, white or blue (or a combo) so we can feature it in this premier area.

Not registered yet? Do sign up now to guarantee your spot in the show. Visit lakebluffhistory. org -- the Auto Show registration link is on the home page.

See you in downtown Lake Bluff on Saturday June 27 from 2 to 5 pm!

Questions? Email [email protected]

We often mention our Chautauqua-style programs, but many people ask what Chautauqua actually means.Chautauqua gatherings...
06/05/2026

We often mention our Chautauqua-style programs, but many people ask what Chautauqua actually means.

Chautauqua gatherings were the late-19th-century equivalent of TED Talks. They served as an educational platform built on four pillars: arts, education, recreation, and religion.

The name comes from a Seneca word for an hourglass-shaped lake in western New York, where the first Chautauqua Assembly took place in 1874. Two years later, a group of Methodist businessmen led by Solomon Thatcher founded the Lake Bluff Camp Meeting Association. It adopted those same four pillars, drawing thousands of people to Lake Bluff every summer for speakers, music and debates on the era's major questions.

This summer and fall, Lake Bluff History Museum is bringing Chautauqua back with a series of Sunday afternoon programs led by local historians. The first two events are:

Remarkable Women of Lake Bluff
• Sunday, June 14 at 2 p.m.
• Grace United Methodist Church Community Room (244 E. Scranton Avenue).
• Discover the stories of the women who shaped our community's history, culture and civic life.

Railroad Junction: How the Railroads Shaped Modern Lake Bluff
• Sunday, June 21 at 2 p.m.
• Grace United Methodist Church Community Room (244 E. Scranton Avenue).
• Learn how the arrival of the railroad transformed Lake Bluff into a permanent village.

The events are free, but registration is requested. Please visit our website to reserve your spot: https://lakebluffhistory.org/events/lake-bluff-stories-chautauqua-style/

Brothers Paul and Jay Risk stopped by the Museum today and took a nostalgic trip down memory lane with our communication...
06/03/2026

Brothers Paul and Jay Risk stopped by the Museum today and took a nostalgic trip down memory lane with our communication manager Adrienne Fawcett, reminiscing about growing up on Briar Lane in the late 1950s.

From catching smelt and climbing beach rocks to roaming the wooded ravines, their childhood was full of classic Lake Bluff adventures. They also shared fond memories of playing with friends from the Lake Bluff Children’s Home—an experience that deeply influenced their lives.

Guided by a foundation of service from their parents, both brothers dedicated their lives to helping others: Jay became an Episcopal priest, and Paul went into social work with Child Protective Services.

We love hearing how Lake Bluff shapes the lives of our residents. Thank you, Paul and Jay!

06/02/2026

See you in downtown Lake Bluff July 27 from 2 to 5 pm!

What does a glamorous opera star dressed in bling have in common with a philanthropic Methodist deaconess wearing all bl...
06/01/2026

What does a glamorous opera star dressed in bling have in common with a philanthropic Methodist deaconess wearing all black? The answer is ... Lake Bluff! Come see Kathy O'Hara's presentation on the Remarkable Women of Lake Bluff.

This is the first of Lake Bluff History Museum's Chautauqua-style Program series that we're hosting in celebration of the USA's 250th anniversary. It's at 2 pm on June 14 in the community room of Grace United Methodist Church of Lake Bluff.

The program is free but registration is requested. Link to do so is in our bio.

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/lakebluffhistorymuseum/2237649

05/29/2026

Save the Date for the Lake Bluff History Museum Auto Show — the most fabulous classic car auto show around. The fun returns to downtown Lake Bluff on Saturday, June 27, from 2 to 5 p.m.
To mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, we are going PATRIOTIC! Tthis year’s event features a new, dedicated exhibition space for red, white and blue vehicles.
The main show will feature our traditional lineup of classic, vintage and custom vehicles, including muscle cars, imports, hot rods and trucks.
Attendees can purchase food and drinks from local downtown merchants. Free parking is available at the Metra station, and accessible parking is located in the Walnut Street lot.

Vehicle registration is open on our website , lakebluffhistory.org

Save the Date for the Lake Bluff History Museum Auto Show -- the most fabulous classic car auto show around. The fun ret...
05/29/2026

Save the Date for the Lake Bluff History Museum Auto Show -- the most fabulous classic car auto show around. The fun returns to downtown Lake Bluff on Saturday, June 27, from 2 to 5 p.m.

To mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, we are going PATRIOTIC! Tthis year's event features a new, dedicated exhibition space for red, white and blue vehicles.

The main show will feature our traditional lineup of classic, vintage and custom vehicles, including muscle cars, imports, hot rods and trucks.

Attendees can purchase food and drinks from local downtown merchants. Free parking is available at the Metra station, and accessible parking is located in the Walnut Street lot.

Vehicle registration is open online: https://lakebluffhistory.org/exhibitor-registration/

The fifth episode of our new podcast, View from the Bluff, drops today, Thursday, May 28.Hosts Kathy O'Hara and Joanna R...
05/28/2026

The fifth episode of our new podcast, View from the Bluff, drops today, Thursday, May 28.

Hosts Kathy O'Hara and Joanna Rolek take a deep dive into the legacy of the Lake Bluff Children’s Home. Founded in 1894 during a severe economic recession, the institution grew to span the entire 200 block of Scranton Avenue, providing a safe haven for thousands of children over its 75-year history.

In this episode, you'll learn how local benefactors funded the facility, how its leadership came directly from our community, and how the children became an integral part of village life by attending local schools.

This 16-episode series is produced in partnership with the Lake Bluff 250 Committee to honor the USA’s upcoming anniversary.

Choose how you tune in:

Stream the Audio: https://sites.libsyn.com/616765/site
(or search for View from the Bluff on your favorite podcast app.)

Watch with Visuals on our Lake Bluff History Museum YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwv8ARy9myROtmDphDZd94LknYn5nGw3n

Did you get your surplus trash to the curb for the village's recent big-item pick-up? It made us nostalgic for the old d...
05/15/2026

Did you get your surplus trash to the curb for the village's recent big-item pick-up? It made us nostalgic for the old days, when garbage piled up right in town where the Public Safety Building is today, 45 East Center Avenue. This photo from 1971 shows a police car and village truck from the pre-GROOT era, plus garbage bags being dropped off by residents.

What did it smell like on a hot summer day? 😣

Address

127 E Scranton Avenue
Lake Bluff, IL
60044

Opening Hours

Monday 1pm - 4pm
Tuesday 1pm - 4pm
Wednesday 1pm - 4pm
Thursday 1pm - 4pm
Friday 10am - 1pm
Saturday 10am - 1pm

Telephone

(847) 482-1571

Website

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