Welcome to the history knowledge guest blog series! We are looking forward to sharing stories, fun historical facts, and happenings at the DuPage County Historical Museum taking place in 2026!
This year, the Museum has a full slate of exhibits that will be on display throughout various galleries and our auditorium.
NEW Exhibits
First up, we will be exploring the stories of DuPage County veterans in Serving with Honor (opening June 13). This exhibit will offer a glimpse into the way that identities are shaped by military service, through a collection of uniforms that reflect the personal and historical journeys of local veterans. Through these uniforms, the exhibit honors the unique experiences and identities of veterans, revealing how their service shaped both their personal lives and the broader history of our community.
We will be reflecting on what shaped the United States over the course of its 250 years and its impact on DuPage County in Defining US: The 250th Anniversary of the United States (opening July 15). This exhibit explores the significant events, moments, and milestones that have defined the United States over the course of its 250 years as a country. Through wars, elections, protests, and cultural changes, this exhibit emphasizes how these historic highlights resonated in DuPage County.
August 15 will be the launch of our celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Route 66 in The Mother Road & Iconic DuPage Firsts. This exhibit will be on display through November 14. Visitors will take a ride down memory lane on Route 66. Celebrate the legendary “Mother Road” and the golden anniversary along with other iconic firsts in DuPage County. Learn about the first 18-hole golf course in the United States, the first rails-to-trails conversion, the first public library, and the first shot fired at Gettysburg.
These exhibits will focus on connecting our local history to the broader American story and examine how DuPage residents identify themselves.
We are excited to share these rich, diverse narratives. We invite visitors to discover new stories and reflect on the shared experiences throughout our history on a national and local level.
Current Exhibits
We have three intriguing exhibits currently on display.
Tense Times: The Cold War in DuPage County, is on display through March 21, 2026. The Cold War was a period of major scientific advancements haunted by threats of an all-out global war that took place between the late 1940s and lasted until the early 1990s. The exhibit explores how these pressures and global developments shaped the lives of DuPage residents and see its lasting impacts on DuPage County as a whole.
Through their intricate patterns and designs, coverlets preserve and share stories, histories and memories across generations. Woven Together: Coverlets and Community in DuPage County showcase the varied characteristics and techniques used to create these beautiful textiles and discover the tales they tell. The exhibit is on display through April 11, 2026.
On the lower level of the Museum, we have our gallery that is geared towards children. Currently on display is Cabinet of Curiosities. The Museum has a collection of more than 40,000 objects and is home to many unique and surprising items. Come and see some of the more unusual artifacts that you may not have seen displayed at the Museum before and learn why they were preserved in the first place.
In addition to our exhibits listed above, that are on display in our 3 galleries during a 9-month time period, we also have 1-month long exhibits in the auditorium. These exhibits include:
- Muslim American Heritage Month: Diverse DuPage Neighbors (January 2-30)
- Black Trailblazers (February 2-28)
- Built to Last (May 1-31)
Exhibit information can be found at dupagemuseum.org/exhibits.
Coming up next in the blog series we will be sharing what we have planned for celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Route 66!