Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie

09/04/2026

Planning your Saturday? 🏛️☀️

If a museum trip is on your weekend itinerary, please take note of our schedules for tomorrow:
✨ Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie is OPEN regular hours tomorrow from 11AM - 3PM! Come spend your Saturday exploring our galleries, including our new immersive Ray Bradbury Library Exhibit and special America 250 exhibit, and beating the end-of-summer heat.
🚪 Haines House Museum at Bowen Park is CLOSED tomorrow (Saturday) for the Labor Day holiday weekend. We hope to see you over at the Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie!

Enjoy your Saturday, and have a safe holiday weekend.

09/04/2026

"Threads of Greatness: Waukegan’s Links to Iconic Americans" continues now through September 27, 2026, at the Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie.

Presented in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, this engaging exhibit reveals surprising local ties to legends, including Abraham Lincoln, Al Capone, Jackie Robinson, Amelia Earhart, Marilyn Monroe, Jane Addams, General George Custer, and Walt Disney. Through compelling narratives, the exhibition highlights how national history intersects with our community, showcasing Waukegan’s unique place in the American story.

Don't miss your chance to experience this incredible journey through time before it closes later this month—plan your visit to the Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie today!

09/02/2026

We are grateful to our Ray Bradbury Library exhibits team for their extraordinary vision and creativity to bring Ray Bradbury's story to life in his childhood library. A big thank you to Josh & Ali Bill, Diana Dretske, Dr. Jonathan R. Eller, Bryan Escobar, Lori Nerheim, and Ty Rohrer, as well as our incredible design partners, Luci Creative, Ravenswood Studio, Inc., Angle Park, Inc., Workbench Inc. and the amazingly talented Warren Rudd.

Come visit and experience the magic they all created.

[Left to right: Bryan Escobar, Roman Pylypczak, Lori Nerheim, Martin Baumgaetner, Warren Rudd, Dr, Jonathan R. Eller, Emma Horvath, Hannah LoGalbo, Diana Dretske, Ty Rohrer]

09/01/2026

Huge thanks to our incredible summer history intern, Julia Waelder, for doing a fantastic job working hands-on with the Waukegan Historical Society's accession records, artifacts, and collections storage. Her hard work and dedication have made a meaningful impact on preserving our local history, and the entire team at the Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie is deeply grateful for her contributions. We wish Julia the absolute best as she heads back to school and returns to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign!

08/31/2026

Big news from Waukegan's Green Town!
We are absolutely thrilled to share a look back at the magic from our recent unveiling of the permanent Ray Bradbury Library Exhibit right here at the Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie!

From Bradbury's childhood imagination sparked on these very streets to the timeless worlds of The Martian Chronicles and Dandelion W**e, this exhibit brings Green Town to life like never before.

Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate Waukegan's master storyteller. If you couldn't make it to the opening, press play for a quick highlight reel of the animated storytelling, interactive displays, exclusive artifacts, and opening ceremony remarks.

The brand-new immersive Ray Bradbury Library exhibit is officially open to the public! Come find your own inspiration where Ray found his.
📍 Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie, 1 N. Sheridan Rd, Waukegan, IL
📅 Open Wednesday – Saturday
🎟️ Included with general museum admission

08/28/2026

Congratulations on a great start to the school year! Bring Waukegan history to life with new field trip programs at the Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie. Students can explore local history while practicing real historian skills.

New offerings include:
*Geography and Native Americans (Grades 1–2)
*The Underground Railroad (Grades 4–5)
*Ray Bradbury Short Stories (Middle School)

Schools may also schedule exhibit tours at the Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie or visits to the Haines House Museum at Bowen Park. Learn more at Waukegan Historical Society and Waukegan Park District websites.

08/26/2026

Thank you to Dr. Jonathan R. Eller (advisor and retired director of the Ray Bradbury Center) for a wonderful member-only program on Ray Bradbury for the Waukegan Historical Society. Drawing from a 25-year friendship and his biographical trilogy, Dr. Eller shared intimate stories, rare insider insights, and answered fantastic questions from our audience.

Want access to our next member event? Join the Waukegan Historical Society today!

08/26/2026

The Waukegan Historical Society has opened an immersive, permanent Ray Bradbury Library exhibit at the Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie—housed in the very room where the legendary author first discovered the magic of books. Read the full feature at Chicago Tribune.

Lori Nerheim, the president of the historical society, said the library was where Bradbury discovered “the magic of books.”