ARTGUILD25

Des Plaines Art Guild Opening Reception and Q&A with the Artists.

NOTE: RSVPs are required for this reception. Via email or phone: 847-391-5399.

Meet the young artists whose work is in the Student Showcase show on the final day of the exhibit. Enjoy cookies and camaraderie while you view their wonderful pieces. Q&A with Rhonda Popko and the artists.

Usher in the spooky season at our October Coffee Talk, celebrating the Master of Suspense himself, Alfred Hitchcock! Join Film Historian Dr. Annette Bochenek for a discussion about Hitchcock's career, his memorable films, and his legacy.
Hitchcock revolutionized the thriller genre with his psychological depth, innovative camera work, and ability to keep audiences on the edge of their seats.
This talk includes a multimedia presentation with photos, video clips, and captivating stories—perfect for October chills and thrills!

NOTE: The October Coffee Talk is being presented at the Des Plaines Public Library. Map and directions
Doors open at 12:30p. The program will begin promptly at 1:00p. Woe be to those who arrive late.

These popular Coffee Talks are always free for History Center members. Non-members are $10, in advance or at the door.

To pay $10 in advance, please Click Here

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED as space is limited and these talks quickly reach capacity. To reserve your seat(s), please email us at contact@desplaineshistory.org, or call 847-391-5399.

Our monthly Coffee Talk series is supported by sponsorships from Village Bank & Trust and the Kiwanis Club of Des Plaines.
Please consider a donation of any amount to help us sustain future programming.

Join us for a fascinating presentation and discussion of the French Colonial influences in early Illinois.Learn about the vast and often prosperous forts, churches, and villages that French explorers, soldiers, missionaries, merchants, and fur traders established between the mid-1600s and the War of 1812.Colonial History in Illinois: C’est français! Read more and register here.

Closing reception for the Gallery exhibit Malcolm Mlodoch, Des Plaines—Past and Present.
Reception from 5:30–8:00. Artist talk and Q&A at 7:00p. Reservations to attend the reception are requested. Please email us at contact@desplaineshistory.org.

Everyone is invited to enjoy a nostalgic summer afternoon at Family Day: Old-Fashioned Games & Ice Cream Social, on Sunday, August 24, from 1:00 to 4:00p.

Throughout the afternoon, families can drop in and take part in a variety of hands-on, history-inspired activities. Try your hand at vintage lawn games like croquet and graces, make your own ice cream in a bag, and churn butter in a jar—just like it was done in the early 1900s. The historic 1907 Kinder House Museum will be open for tours, offering a glimpse into everyday life in Des Plaines more than a century ago.

During the afternoon, we encourage you to explore two special exhibits located in the Education Center. The main exhibit, “Women in Des Plaines” highlights the contributions of local women in the 19th and 20th Centuries. In the Gallery, Malcolm Mlodoch: Des Plaines Past and Present, is a captivating new art exhibit of drawings and paintings highlighting iconic landmarks and hidden corners of Des Plaines through recent decades.

This event provides kids, families, and adults an opportunity to connect with the past and experience the ways people lived, worked, and played before modern conveniences.

A suggested donation of $10 per family is payable at the door, to support the Des Plaines History Center’s mission to preserve and share the stories of our community.

Pre-registration is recommended, but walk-ins will be welcomed as space allows. To register, call 847-391-5399 or email contact@desplaineshistory.org.

Ever wonder why townships like ours exist—and how they got their start? Join Philip Mohr and explore the story of Maine Township, founded in 1850. Read more and register here.

This year’s event takes place on the Forest Elementary School and Algonquin Middle School grounds, Tuesday, August 5, 2025, from 5:00–8:00p. Map

The History Center will be there. Come see us!

City of Des Plaines specialty Fire Department and Police Department vehicles will be there: come learn all about what they do.
See K9 Jager show off his skills and check out a demonstration of the City’s Tactical Response Team.
The evening will also include games, activities and displays from lots of Des Plaines community groups.

There will be Food Trucks, so come hungry! There are a few picnic tables. You are welcome to bring lawn chairs and blankets. 
Portable restrooms and indoor facilities will be available. NOTE: No alcohol is permitted on School District 62 property.

Everyone in the community is invited to attend! Play yard games, grab a bite to eat from one of the food trucks, and listen to live music by Justine Ewald beginning at 5:30 p.m. Limited seating is available. Attendees are welcome to bring lawn chairs. There will be a mini market with a variety of artisans in the Square. READ UPDATES HERE

Parking is available at the Metropolitan Square Parking Garage, Civic Center Garage, and the Des Plaines Public Library Garage. ADA parking spots are available in the Metropolitan Square Parking Garage.

Long before the Tuskegee Airmen, African Americans in Chicago took flight breaking many barriers that kept them grounded. Aviation historian Michael Haupt, author of Aviation Chicago Timeline, introduces pioneering Black aviators Bessie Coleman, Cornelius Coffey, and John C. Robinson (or the Brown Condor) and others who shaped aviation prior to World War II. Chicago’s African American aviators broke through major obstacles, both inside and outside the U.S. Discover how their determination and achievements helped pave the way for greater diversity and inclusion in the aviation industry.

The annual Independence Day Parade is always a highlight of the Des Plaines community. Come out and watch as we proudly march down Center Street! READ MORE HERE

Community fireworks will be on Sunday, June 29, at Oakton College in Des Plaines. Bring your blankets and lawn chairs to watch the fireworks extravaganza among your neighbors to celebrate the holiday! Dance to the DJ and play yard games with family and friends before the fireworks show illuminates the sky.

Admission is free.

This event is weather-dependent, and updates will be communicated through our Facebook page at facebook.com/cityofdesplaines.

No alcohol is permitted on Oakton property. Bringing pets to this event is strongly discouraged.

Gates open at 7 p.m. and the fireworks show begins at dusk (approximately 9:15 p.m.). Entry to Oakton College will be from Golf Rd. only. There is no parking allowed in the lanes, grassy areas, or unpaved areas on College or Circle Drives. ADA parking is available in Lot A. Please have your parking placard available to show the parking attendants upon arrival.

Food truck items and glow products will be available for purchase. Attendees are welcome to bring in food and non-alcoholic drinks from home, however, any food brought in should be ready to eat. Cooking food on-site will not be permitted. Check back soon for information on attending food trucks and menu offerings!

Read all about it HERE. Come see us at our tent!

Read all about it HERE. Come see us at our tent!

NOTE: As of 3:30p on June 10 we have just 2 seats left for this Coffee Talk.

Educator and Historian Mike Haas of the DANK Haus German American Cultural Center explores the rich, surprising history of German Chicago. Learn how German immigrants shaped the city through events like the 1854 Lager Beer Riot, the Civil War, and the 1886 Haymarket Riot. Discover their influence on music, including the founding of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and on architecture—churches, schools, parks, and skyscrapers. Meet entrepreneurs like Ignaz Schwinn, Oscar Mayer, and Emil Brach, and stroll through Lincoln Avenue’s historic “Sauerkraut Boulevard,” from Old Town to Lincoln Square.

SPEAK Des Plaines, in partnership with the Des Plaines Clergy Alliance and Christ Church United Church of Christ, is hosting a Community Pride Celebration on Saturday, June 7, 2025. The event is free and open to all. Come see us at our tent! READ MORE HERE

We’re bringing old fashioned games to this annual Park District event!

Calling all kids in grades K–8 to the fourth annual KIWANIS CUP race around beautiful Lake Opeka! Read all about it on the Park District website.

58th Annual Members Meeting. Board elections; dinner, entertainment. Shoreline Room at the Lakeview Center, 1177 Howard Ave. RSVP by May 7 at contact@desplaineshistory.org, or 847-391-5399. Members are free. Non-members are $25. Read more HERE.

This year’s featured presentation, Edith: The Rogue Rockefeller McCormick, is a compelling living history performance and author talk, that brings to life one of the most fascinating and misunderstood women of the 20th century.

Hers was not a wonderful life … but had it never been, we may not have Brookfield Zoo, Chicago opera, James Joyce’s Ulysses, a cure for scarlet fever, and the popularity of Jungian psychoanalysis.

The daughter of oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, Edith (1872-1932) married into the wealthy McCormick family and was once estimated to be the nation’s richest woman. She was a patron of the arts, a champion of science and health, and an unapologetically independent thinker. And yet, her life ended in financial ruin and isolation.

Historical interpreter Ellie Carlson steps into Edith’s shoes, while biographer Andrea Friederici Ross shares insights from her acclaimed book. Together, they illuminate the complex, often controversial legacy of this remarkable woman. Please join us for an insider’s look at Edith and to hear Edith’s “opinions” on how she has been portrayed by history.

2:30p at the Des Plaines Public Library
Presenter: Bucky Halter.
Coal miners in Illinois and the rest of the US have a long tradition of writing poetry and music related to their occupation. This program brings that tradition to the forefront. “Down in the Mine” combines music performance (guitar and vocal) and spoken commentary.

The presentation features songs and poems by coal miners, including Illinois miners. The commentary places this important folk tradition in a broader historical context and offers details on coal mining, coal-miner bards and songwriters, early country music, and individual songs.

1:30p Based on his just-released book, “Dead Air: The Night Orson Welles Terrified America” William Hazelgrove uses the actual broadcast and many media stories to detail the great Halloween hoax of 1938. That’s when 23-year- old Orson Welles broadcast to the world that Martians had landed in New Jersey and were exterminating humans with heat ray guns and poisonous gas. The coast-to-coast terror takes viewers on a wild ride through America as people head for the hills, contemplate suicide, get into accidents, run out of restaurants, theaters, and churches believing the war had ended.

1:30–2:30p
Stroll the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition with presenter Krista August! View monumental sculpture that decorated the buildings, bridges, lagoons, as well as private viewing rooms. Learn exciting history behind these mostly temporary sculptures that dazzled before they disappeared.

You are cordially invited to a special reception celebrating the Des Plaines Art Guild’s 2025 exhibit. This free event offers a wonderful opportunity to meet the talented local artists behind the exhibit. Enjoy refreshments, and connect with fellow art enthusiasts.

The show features an impressive collection of works from 15 local artists, showcasing a diverse range of styles and mediums, including watercolor, oil, acrylic, photography, and scratchboard. You will find a mix of creative expressions that highlight the skill and passion of artists in the Des Plaines community!

The winter prairie may appear quiet, but beneath the snow-covered landscape it remains a vibrant and essential ecosystem. Guest speaker Cindy Crosby, a master gardener and natural history writer, will share insights into how the prairie continues to support diverse wildlife, even in the coldest months. Through stunning photography and engaging storytelling you’ll learn how animals, pollinators, and birds rely on native plants to survive the winter.

This free program is open to the public, but registration is encouraged as space is limited and these talks often reach capacity. To reserve your spot, call 847-391-5399 or email contact@desplaineshistory.org.

Our monthly Coffee Talk series is supported by sponsorships from Village Bank & Trust and the Kiwanis Club of Des Plaines. While these events are free, donations are always appreciated to help sustain future programming.

History Center Board Meetings are the second Wednesday of every month, at 6:00p in the Visitor & Education Center. If you wish to address the Board, please send your name and topic to contact@desplaineshistory.org no later than the 5:00p on the Monday prior to a meeting. Community members are allowed 5 minutes for their presentation.