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    Elgin History Museum

    5.0 (1 review)
    Closed Closed

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    7 years ago

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    Barrington Area Historical Society

    Barrington Area Historical Society

    5.0(3 reviews)
    10.6 mi

    Wow! Over the last few years and especially this summer I've visited quite a few local historical…read moremuseums and this is another one that really stands out as truly excellent. In addition to having some unique items and very nice looking exhibits, the tour given by two volunteers was done very well. Kevin provided an excellent tour of the Applebee House and Donlea-Kincaid house, giving plenty of information about where the various items were from and providing plenty of background about the family and how different items were used. He was extremely knowledgeable about all different questions ranging from the ornate decorations, to the different tools used, challenges faced in different time periods, and how to best preserve all the different items available. Michael provided a great tour of the Blacksmith Shop, with an amazing set of stories about all the different items, how they arrived at the museum, how to restore different items, and about various other topics. He is clearly a history lover with an immense amount of knowledge and a passion for teaching others. He is also excellent at getting others interested in history with his amazing ability to help people relate historic times to modern times, and thoroughly explain anything that is asked about any part of the museum. Definitely worth a visit to learn a lot about local history and historic artifacts. The quality of preservation and the completeness of several collections is truly amazing.

    This was a gem to run across. It's easy to miss on Lake-Cook Road. There is a parking lot in the…read moreback between the two houses. It is hard to find the entrance to the museum but once you get there it is very much worth the effort. We were given a tour by two very knowledgeable and enthusiastic tour guides. They gave us personal attention. There are so many stores and artifacts that an hour and a half want nearly enough. Highly recommend is you live in the Barrington area or like history.

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    Barrington Area Historical Society
    Barrington Area Historical Society
    Barrington Area Historical Society

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    Friends Of The Viking Ship

    Friends Of The Viking Ship

    4.0(1 review)
    10.2 mi

    This is easy to find; you turn into the park, and it's right there, under a tent. They are open…read moreonly specific Saturdays; there's a list at http://www.vikingship.us/tours-of-viking/ . For your entry fee, you get a little slideshow about the history of the ship, a functional reproduction that was displayed at the 1893 Columbian Exposition (after the Norwegians sailed it across the ocean!), then a tour of the ship itself. You walk around it, then get to look into it; the various parts of the ship are labeled, and there are posters on the walls giving more detail on the history the docent provides. Outside the tent there are (sometimes? often?) interpreters dressed in period clothing with a small display of Viking clothes, musical instruments and weapons, and there's a small gift table in the tent, featuring jewelry by the woman who supplies the Vikings TV series; postcards and mini-posters, a coloring book, embroidered polo shirts, and two small histories of the ship, one written by one of the 12 Norwegians who sailed her. It's an interesting visit with a piece of local history, and it's probably your best chance to get this close to a Viking boat, unless you've been to Scandinavia. After the Exposition, the ship spent decades moldering in an open display in Chicago; it's now sitting in what looks like a plastic-tarp covered greenhouse with a bunch of box fans. The Friends of the ship are desperately fundraising to put the ship in a proper humidity-controlled building; when they do, they'll get the fancy dragon-head figurehead and tail back from the Field Museum, where they are safely in storage. I wish them well.

    St Charles History Museum - Special events - check our website

    St Charles History Museum

    4.4(5 reviews)
    9.0 mi

    This is a small one room museum on the history of St. Charles. They really need some more space;…read morethey're set up in an old gas station. One enters through the gift shop; there is a timeline set up that one follows through the room, with several standalone glass cases, and a few cases shoved up against the walls behind the railing showing the timeline. A few costumes (half a dozen) are featured, including a reproduction Civil War uniform and some authentic World War 1 uniforms, a flapper dress and a dress Miss USA 1977 wore during her reign. Standout pieces include an old dentist's chair with various items from a dental office and a beautiful woven cane baby carriage with beautiful lace trim on the canopy. Do spend a minute to stop at the tiny pickle display to read about how St. Charles was the Pickle Capital of the World, even though no pickles were ever made there. There's also some very nice cut glass in a small display. A couple of pianos and a traveling trunk are jammed into the foyer. When there are visitors they turn on several different documentaries; one, from WTTW, includes a fairly interesting bit on Garfield Farm down the road on the 38. There's a lot of information jammed in here, and I came away with an appreciation for all the various industries that once called St. Charles home, but not a good overall picture. They just need more space. Still, donations are voluntary only,they're not getting any support from the city, and they're only asking for two bucks.

    Stopped by the St. Charles Heritage Center this afternoon and checked out the museum and store…read more Pretty cool! Lots of history in a compact space, but well documented. Gives you a deeper appreciation of how the Fox Valley has changed in the last 150 years -- from American Indian paradise to new frontier for folks from Vermont and Massachusetts to industrial powerhouse to cultural destination for folks all around. Check it out -- highly recommended! TIP: They have lots of well-priced St. Charles souvenirs in the store!

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    St Charles History Museum - The largest selection of St. Charles souvenirs in town! Mugs, pillows, t-shirts, and more

    The largest selection of St. Charles souvenirs in town! Mugs, pillows, t-shirts, and more

    St Charles History Museum - Guided group tours!

    Guided group tours!

    St Charles History Museum - St. Charles mugs and other housewares

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    St. Charles mugs and other housewares

    Hickory Knolls Discovery Center - They did the draping with lights for an extra cost but threw in the tables and chairs for free

    Hickory Knolls Discovery Center

    4.8(5 reviews)
    10.1 mi

    Cool discovery center. Great for ages 1-99. Lots of cool animals (I didn't take any pics tho,…read moresorry!). They have a rabbit, snakes, turtles, tortoises, fish, and even a tarantula (not my favorite). My daughter and I went for a birthday party and we had the place to ourselves. I was very surprised at how big the animal exhibit area was. Lots of things to learn about, watch, and discuss. The floor to ceiling windows overlooking the prairie land was wonderful. We were there in early December and winter birds were happily flying back and forth to the feeders and enjoying themselves. We will definitely be going back!!! It was a little hard to find because it's VERY deep into the property but not impossible to find. Just keep driving and you'll get there.

    I went to Hickory Knolls Discovery Center for a wedding. It was a very pretty space with indoor and…read moreoutdoor options. They were originally supposed to have the wedding outside, but it was raining, so they weren't able to do that. Personally, I thought brining the wedding inside made it even better! They have displays and little exhibits talking about the wild life in the area. The space is open which left a ton of room for dancing and just interacting. The pictures outside were very pretty as there was a lot of greenery to work with.

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    Hickory Knolls Discovery Center - Fish tank

    Fish tank

    Hickory Knolls Discovery Center - Great lighting in the banquet room and lovely nature backdrop

    Great lighting in the banquet room and lovely nature backdrop

    Hickory Knolls Discovery Center - They brought out the "residents" to our guests

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    They brought out the "residents" to our guests

    Elgin History Museum - museums - Updated May 2026

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