Ellwood House Museum

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DeKalb, IL
Ellwood House Museum

Historic mansion built in 1879, surrounded by a 10-acre park located in DeKalb, Illinois. Please call 815.756.4609 to confirm availability.

Guided Tour Options:

MANSION TOUR: A guided tour through 3 floors of the 1879 mansion. The Mansion has closed for the season from December 18, 2022 through March 1, 2023. VISITOR CENTER EXHIBITS: Free and open to the public 12:30pm to 4:30pm Tuesday through Friday.

05/30/2026

As we finalize our preparations for Evening at Ellcourt, we wanted to give a shoutout to our amazing sponsors for this event. We wouldn't be able to have this exciting night without them!

05/28/2026

‼️Brown Bag Lecture Series: From Inventory to Exhibition‼️

On Thursday, June 4, Nancy Leone, Carpenter Fellow in Asian Collections at the Ellwood House Museum, will discuss the processes of inventorying, cataloging, and preserving Asian art objects, as well as the research involved in understanding their historical context and provenance. Nancy will also highlight her role in developing an upcoming exhibition, showing how collections work translates into public interpretation and display.

The “Brown Bag Lunch Lecture Series” is a series of free monthly programs offered in collaboration by the Ellwood House Museum and DeKalb County History Center. Registration is not required for this event, and participants are welcome to bring lunch and eat during the program. This lecture will be held at the Ellwood house Museum Visitor Center at 12pm.

05/26/2026

We want to highlight our former intern Janine Salapantan!

Janine just graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Anthropology from Northern Illinois University. Prior to graduation, Janine participated in the NIU Conference on Undergraduate Research and Engagement (CURE), where she presented her research on Ellwood House "Chinese" and Chinoiserie items. Her research won first place in the CURE Award category of Arts and Humanities for her paper “Chinese” and Chinoiserie: Exoticization and Orientalism in the 19th and 20th century and its effects in Museum Practices.

Congratulations Janine on your amazing accomplishments at Northern Illinois University!

05/24/2026

America 250 - New Exhibits

A few weeks ago, we unveiled a new exhibit in the Visitor Center lobby entitled "Life as a Teen in 2026." Curated by students from Phoenix Academy at Kishwaukee Education Consortium, this project began as a way to engage youth in national and local history. Over the 2025-2026 school year, students met with representatives from the DeKalb County History Center and Ellwood House Museum to discuss meaningful objects they could use to represent their lives while learning research methods and museum best practices.

The students' stories explore themes of peer pressure, gun violence, and discovering one's identity in the age of social media. Each project is presented in the shape of a school locker. The exhibit will be on display through October.

05/23/2026

Join the City of DeKalb and the Ellwood House Museum for a Memorial Day Celebration!

Starting at 9am on Monday, May 25, view a parade travelling from downtown DeKalb to Linden Place behind the Ellwood House Museum. Following the parade, a program will be held on the Ellwood House front lawn consisting primarily of speakers, but also including singing, the DeKalb High School Choir, and a 21-gun salute. Stick around after the program for self-guided first-floor tours of the Ellwood House. Docents will be available for any questions during these tours.

We hope to see you there!

05/21/2026

Need a Memorial Day Weekend activity?

The Ellwood House Museum will be hosting an In-Depth Tour on Saturday, May 23 at 10am! This tour provides guests with the unique experience of viewing both the 1900 Ellcourt House and the 1879 Ellwood Mansion, led by a knowledgeable docent. The In-Depth Tour lasts approximately two hours. Due to limited tour capacity, pre-registration is required.

Register for In-Depth Tour here: https://book.peek.com/s/ee79b363-72d6-4abe-bd4d-c4968b3128a4/qxxdv?gaClientId=1430136281.1709399898&gaSessionId=1740073205

Can't make it to the In-Depth Tour? Don't worry! We'll still be open for our regular tours and hours on Memorial Day Weekend. Mansion tours are held at 1pm and 3pm, and the Visitor Center will be open from 12:30pm-4:30.

05/19/2026

Irises, Lilacs, and Peonies, oh my!

The gardens are really starting to show their colors at the Ellwood House! Thanks to the DeKalb Park District, we have some new America 250 themed flower combinations in the Wedding Garden, the Berg Garden has been filled with flowers by volunteers and caretakers, and the rain gardens are bursting with life from this beautiful weather. We are even seeing some peonies bloom early in the Berg Garden!

05/18/2026

🏛 Happy International Museum Day from your local historic house and barbed wire museum! 🖼

While we may not be open today, guests are welcome to visit the grounds to explore the beautiful gardens, check out the exteriors of our seven historic structures, and learn more about the Ellwood family from our outdoor signage.

We hope everyone has a wonderful day!

05/17/2026

✨Evening at Ellcourt✨

In just two weeks we will be hosting our 4th Annual Evening at Ellcourt celebration, with this year's theme being ✨Masquerade✨. There are limited spots still
available, so do not dawdle, ensure you reserve your place for this event today!

For more information and to purchase tickets, click here: https://www.ellwoodhouse.org/evening-at-ellcourt

05/16/2026

‼️Announcement‼️

The Ellwood House is pleased announce we are participating as a Blue Star Museum this summer! This program provides free admission to currently serving U.S. military personnel and their families from Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 16, 2026, until Labor Day, Monday, September 7, 2026.

Address

420 Linden Place
Dekalb, IL
60115

Telephone

+18157564609

Website

https://www.ellwoodhouse.org/

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