Browse Exhibits (18 total)
Resources for Educators
Are you an educator looking for resources on local history? Check out our list of videos, downloadable lessons, and more. If you have ideas for areas that would help in your classroom, leave us a message on the Contact Us page, or email museum@bgparks.org.
Current lessons are listed below and on the right.
- A Child's Life 100 Years Ago
- Archaeology!
- Adaptations
- Buffalo Grove Then & Now
- Chicago History and the Suburbs
- Invention vs. Innovation
- Measurement
- Packing for Pioneer Life
- Potawatomi Pathways
- Tiny Traders
- What Makes a Good Exhibit?
- World War II and Buffalo Grove
- 1950s Buffalo Grove
- Craft Videos
Interested in an in-person educational program at the Museum? We are currently open to groups for in-person programs. To see a full list of programming, visit our School Programs Listing. Call 847.850.2135 or email museum@bgparks.org to schedule.
Thanksgiving History After the Pilgrims
Thanksgiving history lessons often focus on the meeting between the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Native Peoples in 1621, after the first fall harvest. But what about the 400 years in between?! This exhibit explores Thanksgiving in early 1900s Buffalo Grove and the local and national traditions that were prevalent at the time. Learn about and compare your Thanksgiving to the early settlers.
Begin exploring the exhibit by clicking here or on the right.
The Hottest - and Coldest - Kitchen Technology
When we think of the newest and latest technology, the kitchen doesn’t always come to mind. The variety of technology to help us heat up food, keep food cold, and mix ingredients changed quickly. Some items, like toasters, have been around for over 100 years but the design has been updated and made safer. Newer technologies, like the microwave, didn’t become popular (and affordable) in homes until the 1970s. Take a look at some of these kitchen tech tools from the 1920s – 1980s.
Threshing: A Midwest Tradition
Threshing: A Midwest Tradition
Just like farmers across the Midwest, Buffalo Grove farmers in the early 1900s participated in the annual tradition of Threshing. Threshing is the process of removing grain or edible parts of a plant from its stalk. This happens at the end of summer. Threshing is a difficult and time-consuming process, which took even more time 100 years ago than it does today. In the past, threshing was often a group activity - everyone in the family was involved and neighboring families would help each other during threshing season.
Learn more about the technology and traditions of threshing season in the midwest, and for farmers in Buffalo Grove in the early 1900s.
Click here to get started: What is Threshing?
Tokens of Another Time
While traveling was not as easy as it is today, the early residents of Buffalo Grove did travel to local fairs, Chicago, and even farther! Along the way, they picked up souvenirs to remember the place they visited or exciting events they attended. These souvenirs were kept safe for many years and sometimes passed down as heirlooms. This exhibit explores some of the mementos picked up from around the world and right around the corner.
What's in Style? C. 1890
Today, fashion changes constantly. But what was it like for the people that lived in Buffalo Grove over 100 years ago? The people of Buffalo Grove were always fashionable, keeping up on the latest trends from the big cities. Explore fashion trends from Buffalo Grove between 1850 and 1920, including everything from wedding dresses to undergarments.
You will learn about fashion in this exhibit by examining historic clothing and photographs in the Raupp Museum collection. This exhibit has six parts: learning about where people shopped for clothing, how clothes were made, men's fashion, women's fashion, hats, and undergarments.
Start exploring by clicking a topic on the right.
What's In The Barn?
Using historic photographs, we have an idea of what the farms of Buffalo Grove looked like between 1880 and 1970s. While it was popular to take photos from the outside, we don't have any of the inside of the barn!
In this exhibit, we explore what was in the barn in our iconic photograph of John Raupp farm in 1910. We take a closer look at the varied and important tools needed to complete work everyday for the farmers in Buffalo Grove and where you could find them.
Women in Buffalo Grove: The Nurses Club
There are many women who have played an important role in making Buffalo Grove a great place to live throughout the past 200 years. In the 1960s and 1970s, The Nurses Club was a women led organization that had an important and meaningful impact on keeping the community healthy. Learn more about the work of these women as part of the Women in Buffalo Grove exhibit.