History

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Explore the Skokie Heritage Museum and Skokie’s original 1847 Log Cabin through all-age programming offered by the Skokie Park District, including crafts, field trips, and summer camps –– and for adults –– beer, wine and painting events.

Other programs include Devonshire Playhouse shows at the Log Cabin, and free self-guided bike and walking tours.  

The two sites are also home to permanent and temporary exhibits, the Skokie Historical Society and the museum archives.

info-icon2 Emily England at eengland@skokieparks.org

Please note that while classes may display below as available, registration does not open until the following dates:
•  Winter: December 15 for residents, December 22 for non-residents
•  Spring: March 15 for residents, March 22 for non-residents
•  Summer: May 15 for residents, May 22 for non-residents
•  Fall: August 15 for residents, August 22 for non-residents

The Skokie Historical Society assists in the maintenance, preservation and presentation of the 1982.005.010historical artifacts that reside at the Skokie Heritage Museum and online.

For information about the Skokie Historical Society, call (847) 674-1500, ext. 3000.

Women's History Walk

Walk through women's history in downtown Skokie. Learn about important women and pivotal moments in the struggle for equal rights, including Skokie's first resident doctor and the development of the first commercial contraceptive. Drop-ins welcome. Children under 10 free with a paid adult.
Women's History Walk
M Tu W Th F Sa Su
9/6
10:00 am-11:30 am
AGES
10 - 99
LOCATION
Skokie Heritage Museum
FEES (Res / Non Res)
$15.00 / $15.00
AVAILABILITY
Available
Register
Women's History Walk
M Tu W Th F Sa Su
9/21
3:00 pm- 4:30 pm
AGES
10 - 99
LOCATION
Skokie Heritage Museum
FEES (Res / Non Res)
$15.00 / $15.00
AVAILABILITY
Available
Register

Cold War and Civil Rights Walking Tour

Meet in the Devonshire Park gazebo to learn about the site's past as a Cold War military base, and then set off through the Devonshire Manor neighborhood to discover Skokie's Cold War-era history. The tour will cover the development of Skokie's Jewish community, mid-century modern aesthetics, the evolution of the nuclear family and second-wave feminism, and the 1960s civil rights and fair housing movements in Skokie. Drop-ins welcome. Children under 12 free with a paid adult.
Cold War and Civil Rights Walking Tour
M Tu W Th F Sa Su
9/13
10:00 am-12:00 pm
AGES
12 - 99
LOCATION
Devonshire Park
FEES (Res / Non Res)
$20.00 / $20.00
AVAILABILITY
Available
Register
Cold War and Civil Rights Walking Tour
M Tu W Th F Sa Su
9/28
10:00 am-12:00 pm
AGES
12 - 99
LOCATION
Devonshire Park
FEES (Res / Non Res)
$20.00 / $20.00
AVAILABILITY
Available
Register

Historic Downtown Skokie Walking Tour

Learn about the historic buildings, people, and events that made Skokie what it is today through this guided tour of historic downtown Skokie. This will be a casually paced walk with stops throughout the downtown area. Drop-ins welcome. Children under 10 free with a paid adult.
Historic Downtown Skokie Walking Tour
M Tu W Th F Sa Su
10/5
3:00 pm- 4:30 pm
AGES
10 - 99
LOCATION
Skokie Heritage Museum
FEES (Res / Non Res)
$15.00 / $15.00
AVAILABILITY
Available
Register

Rise of the Bungalow Walking Tour

Learn about bungalow architecture and how the design reflects shifting societal values in the early 1900s, inspired in part by Jane Addams' Hull-House reformers and Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie School. This will be a casual stroll with frequent stops to look at building exteriors around the Lorel Park area. Drop-ins welcome. Children under 10 free with paid adult.
Rise of the Bungalow Walking Tour
M Tu W Th F Sa Su
10/19
3:00 pm- 4:30 pm
AGES
10 - 99
LOCATION
Skokie Heritage Museum
FEES (Res / Non Res)
$15.00 / $15.00
AVAILABILITY
Available
Register

Murder and Mayhem in Skokie Walking Tour

Listen to spine-tingling and sometimes silly stories of murder and mayhem in Skokie. Explore downtown and learn about the ghosts of Skokie's past, including a serial arsonist, the attempted murder of Skokie's founding father, local ties to infamous gangsters, and some eccentric small-town emergencies. Drop-ins welcome. Children under 10 free with a paid adult.
Murder and Mayhem in Skokie Walking Tour
M Tu W Th F Sa Su
10/29
5:30 pm- 7:00 pm
AGES
12 - 99
LOCATION
Skokie Heritage Museum
FEES (Res / Non Res)
$15.00 / $15.00
AVAILABILITY
Available
Register
Murder and Mayhem in Skokie Walking Tour
M Tu W Th F Sa Su
10/31
5:30 pm- 7:00 pm
AGES
12 - 99
LOCATION
Skokie Heritage Museum
FEES (Res / Non Res)
$15.00 / $15.00
AVAILABILITY
Available
Register

Haunted Heritage: Cemetery Walking Tour

Just in time for Halloween, get spooky with a tour of St. Peter's UCC Cemetery (8530 Harms Rd.), featuring some of Skokie’s local legends! Each year features new stories and ghosts. Set off among the tombstones to meet our friendly graveyard ghosts and hear their stories about Skokie's early days. Tours last about an hour and depart the front gates every 10 minutes, with last tour leaving at 11 a.m. Tickets are $15 with pre-registration or $20 at the gate.
Haunted Heritage: Cemetery Walking Tour
M Tu W Th F Sa Su
10/25
10:00 am-12:00 pm
AGES
5 - 99
LOCATION
Skokie Heritage Museum
FEES (Res / Non Res)
$15.00 / $15.00
AVAILABILITY
Available
Register

Firehouse Winterfest

Hand dip candles for the holidays, craft festive garlands, and make a variety of vintage wintery crafts while enjoying hot chocolate in our cozy, historic firehouse. Holiday carolers will perform from 3-3:30 p.m.
Firehouse Winterfest
M Tu W Th F Sa Su
12/13
2:00 pm- 5:00 pm
AGES
5 - 99
LOCATION
Skokie Heritage Museum
FEES (Res / Non Res)
$15.00 / $20.00
AVAILABILITY
Available
Register

Vintage Kitchen: Chocolate Spice Cookies

Bake up some vintage holiday cheer with a cookie recipe straight from the museum archives! Learn to make Mrs. Mayer's Chocolate Spice Cookie recipe from start to finish just as she wrote it in 1929 for the District 69 PTA Cookbook. Enjoy a taste test and have enough to take some home.
Vintage Kitchen: Chocolate Spice Cookies
M Tu W Th F Sa Su
12/15
5:30 pm- 7:00 pm
AGES
6 - 99
LOCATION
Devonshire Cultural Center
FEES (Res / Non Res)
$35.00 / $44.00
AVAILABILITY
Available
Register

Millennium Movie Mania

Revisit Millennium-era fan-favorite movies like Shrek, Legally Blonde, Lord of the Rings, and post-Renaissance Disney films in this presentation exploring their legacies today. Enjoy light refreshments and share your thoughts on what pop culture today should be included in Skokie's next 25-year time capsule.
Millennium Movie Mania
M Tu W Th F Sa Su
12/17
5:30 pm- 7:00 pm
AGES
21 - 99
LOCATION
Skokie Heritage Museum
FEES (Res / Non Res)
$15.00 / $15.00
AVAILABILITY
Available
Register


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