Events

Need a little writing inspiration? Interested in historical fiction? Join us for a generative fiction workshop to get those creative juices flowing. We'll use photos from the collection at OPRF Museum as our inspiration for a series of writing prompts. We'll explore character, setting, and point of view. Our goal is to generate one to two pages, but you can write as much or as little as you like

Want to learn more about Oak Park’s path to Fair Housing? Frank Lipo, executive director of The Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest, will give a talk, “The Long Road to Fair Housing,” at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, at The Nineteenth Century Club, 178 Forest Ave. Admission is free.

History lovers and readers unite for the History Book Club. This month the book for discussion will be Stony the Road: Reconstruction, White Supremacy, and the Rise of Jim Crow by Henry Louis Gates Jr. Book Club is open to all current members of The Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest. Space may be limited. To reserve your place or check your membership status, please email

Tickets for the OPRF Museum Gala and “Heart of Our Villages” Award Ceremony on March 13, 2025 are now available! Join us for our annual fundraising gala at the Nineteenth Century Club, 178 Forest Ave. The event kicks off with entertainment, hors d'oeurves, and beverages at 6:30 p.m., and the awards ceremony begins at 7:30 p.m. Proceeds benefit the operations of The Historical Society of Oak Park

Michele Weldon, author of The Time We Have: Essays on Pandemic Living, will give a presentation looking back on five years after COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and to have signed by the author. Also, there will be opportunities for the audience to share their most surprising memories from the pandemic. OPRF Museum’s regular admission rates

History lovers and readers unite for the History Book Club. This month the book for discussion will be Blood Moon: An American Epic of War and Splendor in the Cherokee Nation by John Sedgwick. Book Club is open to all current members of The Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest. Space may be limited. To reserve your place or check your membership status, please email oprfhistorymatters

The History of River Forest's Edgewater Park Join us at Oak Park River Forest Museum at 3 p.m. on Saturday April 12 when Historical Society volunteer Frank FioRito presents his research on Edgewater Park, a forgotten piece of River Forest history. Very little trace of it remains today, but once there was a quirky subdivision tucked away in what is now the Thatcher Woods Forest Preserve. How it

The Oak Park Farmers Market is celebrating its 50th season this summer. Oak Park River Forest Museum will host a panel discussion of vendors and others associated with the popular market at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 26, at the museum. Doors will open at 10:30 a.m. for coffee and Pilgrim Church donuts. Hear how the market started with one farmer in 1976 and has grown into a beloved summer community

Comic artist Caitlin Cass will discuss how she began making historical comics in this interactive talk geared toward young people ages 7-17. Caitlin's work has been published in the New Yorker, the Lily and The Nib. Her book Suffrage Song: the Haunted History of Gender, Race, and Voting Rights in the U.S. (Fantagraphics, 2024) was awarded Best Graphic Non-fiction by Broken Frontier and named a Top

Spring is here and that means it’s time for The Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest’s annual spring house walk, “Tales Our Houses Tell.” This year, five beautiful homes in southwest Oak Park will be open for interior tours from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 4. The event is limited to those over age 12 and pets will not be allowed in these private homes. These homes are not ADA/wheelchair