Museum Mondays: What It Takes to Run a Museum
Have you ever wondered what it takes to bring the West Chicago City Museum to life? Beyond the galleries and exhibits, the West Chicago City Museum is a bustling ecosystem of dedicated professionals working tirelessly to preserve local history, inspire learning, and connect our community. That’s why we’re thrilled to introduce Museum Mondays, a new series where we’ll explore the inner workings of museums and the people who make it all happen.
A Bit About Us
The West Chicago City Museum, established in 1975 and housed in the historic 1884 Town Hall building, serves as a dynamic history and art center dedicated to preserving and promoting the rich heritage of West Chicago. As the first Illinois town created by the arrival of railroads, West Chicago has a unique and vibrant history.
1884 Turner Town Hall, now the West Chicago City Museum
Today, with a diverse population of over 25,000, the museum's collection reflects nearly 175 years of history, helping to make meaningful connections between past and present.
We offer two galleries of changing exhibits highlighting West Chicago's history and culture, present special traveling exhibits from state and national venues, and provide school, group, and public programs throughout the year.
West Chicago City Museum’s second floor newest display about the Burlington Route, one of West Chicago’s 6 historic train lines.
Our archives, photographic collections, reference library, and research files are available for public use, and we have researched and published several books on West Chicago's history and culture. We also feature the historic Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy Railroad depot, built in the 1860s, which includes a turntable model of the 1869 Chicago North Western Roundhouse.
The 1860s CB&Q Depot; members of the Friends of the West Chicago City Museum cleaning the C&NW West Chicago Roundhouse model.
What to Expect
Over the coming weeks, we’ll dive into the fascinating tasks we at the City Museum do every week, including:
Collections: We are guardians of the museum’s treasures, responsible for preserving and managing objects in our care.
Registration: The meticulous record-keeping, tracking every item that enters and exits the museum.
Education: The stories we tell, outreach visits to schools and other community groups, and how we design programs and resources to engage visitors of all ages.
Administration: The organizational backbone that keeps the museum running smoothly.
Research: Our vast collection of research files that help local home owners, businesses, families and history lovers dig deeper into area history.
Volunteers: The dedicated individuals who generously give their time and energy to support the museum.
Each Monday, we’ll spotlight one of these areas, sharing insights into our work and why it’s vital to the museum’s mission. Whether you’re a local history enthusiast, an aspiring museum professional, or simply curious about what goes on behind the scenes at the West Chicago City Museum, this series is for you.
Get ready to discover the magic that happens beyond the exhibits. Stay tuned for our first post next week, where we’ll start with the Collections Department! Have questions or topics you’d like us to cover? Let us know in the comments!
Behind the scenes look at Museum storage
