But while water parks are fun, they don’t offer the thrills of rollercoasters and other rides that people travel some fair distances to enjoy. At the turn of the century, though, Kendall County residents didn’t have to drive for hours to enjoy amusement rides.

From information gathering to catching up, many visitors walked into the Polo museum on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025.

A plaque rededication in memory of the late Stephen Small at the B. Harley Bradley House in Kankakee will be held Oct. 12.

The Lombard Historical Society’s new exhibition, “Breaking the Mold: Lives Beyond Convention,” is on display until June 6, 2006.

The Fox Valley Native American Artifact Show is returning to Yorkville on Sunday, Oct. 5. The show is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Admission is free and members of the public are encouraged to bring their own Native American artifacts. A food truck will be on-site.

Join the DeKalb County History Center on Sept. 25 to explore the special relationship between people, animals and the land.

The McHenry VFW and the McHenry County Historical Society and Museum joined up to host a Victory Dance to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the WWII and revisit the sounds and steps of the era.

Guests can tour the cemetery in small groups and meet costumed interpreters portraying early pioneers and other historical figures from Montgomery’s past.

“The History of the Nachusa Grasslands and Bison Returning to Illinois” will be given by Mark Herman at 7 p.m. in Dixon.

Developer Shodeen Group sued the city of Geneva over its insistence that a tarp be placed over the top of a circa-1843 limestone structure officials deemed historic. A judge will issue a decision Oct. 2.

McDermott: It is not possible to tell the complete life story of anyone in 1,000 words, much less two life stories. But let’s take a glimpse into two amazing people that not only were artists but spent much of their lives creating more artists.

The featured speaker for this month’s Oregon Depot Museum “Those Were The Days” program on Saturday, Sept. 27, will be Jim Owens of Pecatonica.

Voices from the Dixon Mausoleum will rise to observe the structure's 100th anniversary during the annual Oakwood Cemetery Walk. Five volunteers will portray historically significant people buried in the mausoleum during the cemetery walk from 1 to 3 p.m. Sept. 28, 2025.

The Ogle County Historical Society will have its monthly meeting Monday, Sept. 29, in Oregon.

City officials said the site is already part of Oregon's riverfront district.

Columnist: The picnic at Henry School was a festive evening and the school was all dressed up in fall by Ted and Joanne. They had cleaned and decorated for the event so the school was sparkling.

What is typically one of the biggest parades in Joliet coincides with the start of a big federal crackdown on illegal immigration coming to Chicago and aimed primarily at Mexicans and other Hispanics.

Little White School Museum in Oswego hosts “The Fox River Trolleys” at 11 a.m. this Saturday, Sept. 13. Register in advance – $5 fee – by calling the Oswegoland Park District at 630-554-1010 or pay at the door.

A wood relief mural celebrating the history of Oswego and Montgomery was recently installed near the entrance doors to the campus, located at 32 W. Jefferson St. in downtown Oswego.

OBENDORF: We seem to have an early fall and the migration of the birds has begun.

MCDERMOTT: The story of Rochelle cannot be told without a mention of the taverns and Cherry Avenue.

The Elmhurst History Museum has opened “World of Tomorrow: A Century of Progress,” an exhibit celebrating the 1933-34 Century of Progress International Exposition in Chicago.

The town celebrated 2025 as its sesquicentennial anniversary.

Community leaders, business associates and society members will participate in a Show and Tell program hosted by the Grayslake Historical Society at 7 p.m. Sept. 10 in the community room of the Grayslake Heritage Center, 164 Hawley St., Grayslake.

Record stories that captured people's attention in years passed.

Joliet is one of five cities that will host a festival to kick off the 100th Anniversary of historic Route 66.

Museum's Waterbury doll sent out for repair; plans in the works to plant prairie flowers around Aplington House.

The former Boulder Hill Stock Farm—purchased from the Bereman family in 1955 – transformed into the Boulder Hill subdivision and today the unincorporated community is home to more than 9,000 residents.

Members of the Crystal Lake Community High Class of 1965 were nearly done with high school when the Palm Sunday tornado struck that spring. They recalled the impact during their reunion this weekend.

Visitors will discover the wildlife that called the area that would become Will County home and view these creatures from the past through their fossils.

The new owner of a 160-year-old building in downtown Cary, now apartments, hopes to restore the exterior to its original state with help from a village grant that's usually reserved for businesses.

Former Plainfield resident shares how her childhood memories of the Plainfield tornado lead to her career in meteorology.

Tim Carlin now is a member of the Joliet Certified Emergency Response Team, a corps of volunteers trained and ready to help when disaster strikes.

The F5 tornado on Aug. 28, 1990, started inear Oswego in Kendall County before cutting through Plainfield, Crest Hill and Joliet in Will County. A total of 29 people – none in Kendall County – were killed in the tornado and another 353 injured in Kendall and Will counties.

It's been 35 years since a violent F5 tornado ripped through Will County destroying parts of Plainfield, Crest Hill and Joliet, and Oswego killing 29 people and injuring 353. Here are some images captured from that date, Aug. 28. 1990 and the days following.

Mound Grove Cemetery in Kankakee came alive with the sounds and stories of Kankakee County’s history during the biennial Cemetery Walk: Voices of the Past on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025.

Mound Grove Cemetery in Kankakee came alive with the sounds and stories of Kankakee County’s history during the biennial Cemetery Walk: Voices of the Past on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025.

The Polo Historical Society is having its picnic on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, at Henry School. The picnic starts at 6 p.m. Bring a dish to pass and your own table service.

The Grayslake Historical Society will again host the popular Reminisce discussion group Saturday, Aug. 23, talking about the well-remembered Last Chance saloon in downtown Grayslake.

Tap into history at a free informational event at an event hosted by the Downers Grove Historical Society and the village of Downers Grove at 7 p.m. Sept. 24.

The 135-year-old tin shop building at 106 N River St. in downtown Batavia will be demolished by mid-November to install public restrooms.

Lincoln spoke in Oregon in August 1856 while on the campaign trail for Republican Presidential hopeful John Fremont. Lincoln came to Polo the night before the meeting and was the guest of Senator Applington.

Residents can take a step back in time this month during the “Oswego History Tour – Downtown,” beginning at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23.

The Class of 2025 was the last class to march into the future in Savanna, as its city prepares to say farewell to its high school before it moves to Mount Carroll.

The Class of 1970 had all sorts of questions about Aplington House and the restoration of it many years ago.

Learn how the city of Joliet earned the nickname City of Stone and Steel during a tour of the Joliet Iron Works Historic Site.

Bring your questions and family stories about Lee County cemeteries to share with others.

About 30 vehicles rolled in to the Kankakee County Museum for the Cruise-In Night at the Museum on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025.

The DuPage County Historical Museum is hosting a traveling exhibit, “The American Revolution Experience” Aug. 17-28.

World Tournament of Historic Baseball honors long legacy of 'base ball' in the Midwest.