This fall marks a significant milestone for the Glenview History Center, as it reopens the doors of its Farmhouse Museum while welcoming a new full-time curator to its team. After nearly three years of extensive repairs and renovations, the Farmhouse Museum will be ready to receive visitors once again, with a grand reopening on Saturday, September 20.
These exciting developments were made possible through a collaborative intergovernmental agreement between the Glenview History Center, the Village of Glenview, and the Glenview Public Library. This partnership underscores the community’s shared commitment to preserving and celebrating Glenview’s heritage.
The History Center’s new curator, Riley Ellison, has been busy preparing for the Farmhouse Museum’s reopening. We sat down with Riley to learn what visitors can look forward to when they step through the doors this fall.
What can visitors expect in the improved museum?
Visitors can expect all the charm of the original Farmhouse with some new developments. Multiple rotating exhibits will showcase many different aspects of Glenview history, delving into different facets of our collection and highlighting both known and unknown parts of our shared past. We will also have new programming both at the Glenview History Center as well as the Library.
What exhibits are you excited about?
I am excited for our exhibit featuring some of the different organizations in Glenview and the impact they have on the community. I’m also excited to share the history of the Hutchings family, as they were an integral part of early Glenview and the original residents of the Farmhouse. In fact, almost all downtown Glenview was part of the original Hutchings farm. While the landscape has changed drastically over the decades, the Farmhouse has remained.
Why is it important for Glenview to maintain its history?
The work of local history museums is vital to the communities they serve. The history of Glenview is fascinating, taking us from a time where people were still venturing westward to try and establish homesteads, to the invention of the automobile and rise of the railroads, two global wars, political and economic changes across the world, and the digital age. It is the duty of the Glenview History Center to collect, preserve, and present the fascinating and important history of Glenview.
Don’t miss the grand reopening of the Glenview History Center on Saturday, September 20. Learn more here, opens a new window.