Villa Park
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Review
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VOL. 16 • NO. 30
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also serving Oakbrook Terrace
THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2020
Villa Park Historical Museum opens for the 2020 season Opening delayed by about three months because of pandemic; four updated exhibits featured this year
The Villa Park Historical Museum, located at 220 S. Villa Ave., opened for the 2020 season last week. The museum normally opens for the year in early April, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the 2020 opening. The museum opened on July 7. Its hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The museum is closed each Monday. Admission is free. Monetary donations are accepted and appreciated. The museum is offering four updated exhibits this year. Those exhibits include “Little Orphan Annie.” Harold Gray of Lombard developed the famous character in 1924. Gray was an artist for the Chicago Tribune. Little Orphan Annie was featured in a comic strip in that newspaper from 1924 until 2010. Little Orphan Annie was also the star of a popular radio show from 1930 to 1942. Additionally, the character was featured in advertising campaigns for the Wan-
der Company, which manufactured the Ovaltine drink in Villa Park from 1917 until 1988. The museum’s other updated exhibits this year are: “Radio—A Favorite Pastime,” “Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railway” and “Coca-Cola.” The museum has implemented new policies because of the pandemic. Adults and children (ages 2 and up) must wear masks inside the museum. Due to space limitations, the museum can accommodate only 10 visitors at one time. Visits are limited to 30 minutes. Social distancing of 6 feet is required. Strollers are not allowed inside the museum. Self-guided tours will be conducted during opening hours on the hour and half hour. The museum door entrance will be locked from the outside. Visitors are invited to view the outside window displays, or form a line respecting social distancing. A hand sanitizing station is located at the check-in desk. All visi-
tors must fill out a contact information form. The museum reserves the right to carry out a temperature check before allowing entry. The museum asks its visitors to not touch the exhibits, displays, signs and glass cases. Due to limited staff and the complex cleaning requirements imposed by the State of Illinois, the museum
has closed its bathroom to the public. The museum will sell water for $1 a bottle. Exact change is appreciated. All gift shop purchases are cash only. Docents will wear gloves when handling money. The Villa Park Historical Museum, which was founded in 1979, is located in the former Chicago Auro-
ra and Elgin Railroad (CA&E) station that served the community from 1929 to 1957. The museum was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. Since 2009, it has served as the Villa Park Visitor Center, providing business information, maps of the Illinois Prairie Path and guides to local restaurants and shops.
CHRIS FOX PHOTOS Villa Park Review
The Villa Park Historical Museum opened for the 2020 season on July 7. The museum usually opens for the year in early April, but this year’s opening was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The museum is located at 220 S. Villa Ave., just south of the Illinois Prairie Path. It is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum is offering four updated exhibits this year, including “Little Orphan Annie,” pictured above. Harold Gray, who lived in Lombard, developed the famous character in 1924. Gray was an artist for the Chicago Tribune. Another updated exhibit is “Radio—A Favorite Pastime.” The photo (at left) shows some of the recently donated radios that depict a variety of style, size and technology. Due to the pandemic, the museum has implemented new policies. The museum can accommodate only 10 visitors at one time. Visits are limited to 30 minutes. Social distancing of 6 feet is required. Face coverings are required for everyone age 2 and older. A hand sanitizing station is located at the check-in desk. The museum’s bathroom is closed to the public. 377325
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