Grayslake Heritage Center & Museum

The Grayslake Heritage Center & Museum opened their present-day facility on August 15, 2010. This state of the art history museum features multiple exhibition galleries, a community room, archives and collections storage. It also incorporates the original Village Hall, a former one-room school house moved to the site and expanded in 1895.

A centerpiece of the new Grayslake Heritage Center & Museum is an exhibition titled Embracing Change: The Growth of Grayslake, created in partnership between the Grayslake Historical Society, the Village of Grayslake and Taylor Studios, Inc. This engaging, family-friendly exhibition provides a detailed look at how our community has grown and changed over time through rare images and artifacts, stunning graphics and innovative interactives highlighting distinctive Grayslake scents of yesterday. Embracing Change has garnered significant recognition at the state and national levels. The exhibition received Superior Achievement Awards from the Illinois State Historical Society and the Illinois Association of Museums and an Award of Merit from the American Association for State and Local History. These awards are given to organizations which embody the highest professional standards and serve as models to the museum community.

The Grayslake Heritage Center & Museum’s exhibit, Postmarked: Grayslake, 60030, opened on February 10, 2024 exposes past and present stories that you may not expect! From a Grayslake Postmistress who was accused of opening mail and starting rumors to the Grayslake matchmaking organization who inadvertently introduced a killer to their victims, there’s more to Grayslake’s postal history than you might think! From what you expect to see—old stamps and information about Grayslake’s postmasters—to what you may not—rarely seen photos of old Grayslake—this exhibit has it all.  Open now – October 2024.

Closing June 15, 2024, the Biking Through the Years: Cycling in Grayslake exhibit is full of artifacts from the Grayslake Historical Society and community members. It explores the history of cycling both on a national and local scale. Starting with the early history of the bicycle, the exhibit will follow the evolution of the machine over three hundred years, society’s attitudes towards the sport, safety advancements, and the past century of Grayslake’s contributions to the progress of bicycles.

To learn more about the exhibits and other offerings at the Grayslake Heritage Center, visit their website.