Meet us where our story begins
The Oak Park River Forest Museum is both a place of history and a piece of history.
The museum's home is a brilliantly restored firehouse over a century old, making it the the only municipal building predating the incorporation of the village of Oak Park! Within the walls of the former Cicero Firehouse sits artifacts, documents and photographs that tell the history of the two villages.
Although it was built in 1898, the old firehouse has undergone significant renovation to make it the eco-friendly space it is today.
You can learn about famous past residents, as well as everyday people who helped shape the two villages. The museum's ample exhibits explore the legacy of fair-housing in Oak Park and River Forest, the area's history of LGBTQ and civil rights activism and more.
You'll be fascinated both with the building and with what's inside the building, making a visit well worth your while!
Be sure to check out the museum's website too. The Oak Park River Forest Historical Society, the organization that operates the museum, also hosts bus and walking tours that take you around the two villages.
The best time to visit the Oak Park River Forest Museum is during regular hours: Wednesday through Saturday 1pm-5pm.
The museum is open by appointment only on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Be sure to check the schedule for community events hosted by the Historical Society at the museum.
Oak Park and River Forest residents: $5
Non-residents: $7
Students (grade school through college): $3
Museum members and children under 7: Free
The members of the Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest are pleased to welcome you to the OPRF. If you have a specific question about the history of Oak Park or River Forest, the extensive collection of research materials in the Jeanette S. and Ellis K. Fields Research Center are available during regular museum hours.
Appointments are not required, but it’s best to contact the museum before you arrive at the research center so that members of the OPRF staff are available to help.
The OPRF is a 20-minute drive from downtown Chicago and just a four-block walk from the CTA Green Line. The museum is 1.5 miles east of the Metra Union Pacific Line. PACE bus route 309 stops right at the OPRF corner on Lake Street and Lombard Avenue.
