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The 1950s Park Forest House Museum is featuring displays on the 70th Anniversary of Park Forest and on the history of the Park Forest Aqua Center into mid-August 2019. The museum is at 227 Monee Road, Park Forest, Illinois, inside St. Mary’s Catholic Church in the last two rooms at the far end of the building. It is open Wednesday and Saturday 1-3:30 p.m.; or for small groups by appointment. An admission/donation of $5 for Adults is required; kids 12 and under are free with an adult.
The 1950s Park Forest House Museum represents an original rental townhome, furnished as it might have been from 1948-1953, the first five years of the village. Park Forest is the first fully-planned, post-World War II suburb, built to give preference to returning World War II veterans. It was the subject of William H. Whyte's, "Organization Man," and of Gregory Randall's, "America's Original GI Town."
A museum visit is a great way to get acquainted with Park Forest Illinois' unique history. It is a nostalgic trip down Memory Lane for anyone who lived in the 1950s or 1960s, or for those interested in that period, and offers a great destination for a “staycation”. Visitors are encouraged to open drawers, cupboards and closets to discover period treasures inside. Contents of the house, furnished as though a young veteran and his family of small children occupy it, include dolls, toys, dollhouses, children’s and adult books, dishes, serving pieces, furniture and clothing from the period. When is the last time you said "Hello" to Howdy Doody, Zippy the chimp, or revisited your metal dollhouse?
One room represents a classroom in the first school, Forest Boulevard School, which was set up in a row of townhomes. The museum is decorated seasonally for vintage holiday exhibits.
A guide will tell village history, and social and fashion trends of the era. A self-guided tour script is available. The Park Forest Historical Society is eagerly seeking more volunteers to show the museum. Contact Jane Nicoll, Museum Director at 708-481-4252 for information and training.
Park Forest Historical Society also operates the Local History Collection and Archive. In the museum visitors or researchers will find more than 270 subject files on Park Forest. Oral histories exist of early residents telling their own stories of how Park Forest was settled. Several of these are on Illinois Digital Archives, in “Park Forest: An Illinois Planned Community” which can be accessed through the Society’s website, www.parkforesthistory.org.
The Archive is housed in a separate room at St. Mary’s and is open most Fridays from 10-12; or by appointment. A call to Jane Nicoll, Archivist, 708-481-4252 is recommended before coming.