Raupp Museum facts for kids

The Raupp Memorial Museum is a special place that tells the story of Buffalo Grove, Illinois. It's like a time capsule, showing how people lived and what happened in this town over many years. The museum is part of the Buffalo Grove Park District and has even won awards from the Illinois Association of Museums!

The Museum's Story

How Buffalo Grove Began

Buffalo Grove started as a small community in the 1840s. Many German families moved there to begin dairy farming. Families like Melchoir Raupp and Jacob Weidner were some of the very first settlers. The community slowly grew bigger. In 1958, it officially became a village.

From Farm to Museum

As Buffalo Grove grew, it changed from farms to a more suburban area. Farmers began selling their land to people who wanted to build houses. In 1964, three brothers named Philip, Carl, and John Raupp, who were descendants of Melchoir Raupp, sold their land. They also gave three acres and their farmhouse to the Village of Buffalo Grove. Later, this land was given to the Buffalo Grove Park District. The only rule was that the land had to be used for a museum or a library.

A New Home for History

The Park District decided to create a museum to share Buffalo Grove's history. They started fixing up the old farmhouse. But in 1972, something sad happened: the farmhouse caught fire and burned down.

Luckily, a local company called Levitt Company stepped in to help. They had just finished building homes in the area. They decided to donate their sales office building to be the new museum! In 1975, this building was carefully moved all the way down Arlington Heights Road. It found its new home at Dunham Lane.

Opening and Renovations

The Raupp Museum officially opened its doors to the public on September 16, 1979. Since then, the building has been updated several times. In 2002, a large new gallery wing was added. This included a main gallery, a lower level gallery, and a special area to store the museum's collection.

In 2013, the museum received a special grant from the state. This money helped them update the old Town Square exhibit. They made it ADA compliant, which means it's easier for everyone, including people with disabilities, to visit. The old gallery was completely redone and reopened in April 2014 as "The Crossroads."

What You Can See

The Raupp Museum has many fun and educational programs. These programs are great for scouts and school groups. They often match the museum's changing exhibits and meet state learning standards. The museum has over 3,000 items that tell the story of local history. These items are shown and stored in three interactive gallery spaces.

Main Gallery: A Walk Through Time

The main gallery takes you on a journey through Buffalo Grove's social history. It starts in the 1830s and shows how the area grew. You can learn about the early people who lived there, like the Potawatomi tribe and the first farm families. Then, it shows how Buffalo Grove became a village and a suburb in the 1950s and 1960s.

The Crossroads: Life in the Early 1900s

The second gallery used to show what businesses looked like in the 1880s. It had a barber shop, a pharmacy, a general store, a saloon, and a school. This exhibit was there since the museum first opened.

After a big renovation in 2014, this space now shows what life was like between 1910 and the 1930s. You can see a greenhouse that represents local nurseries like Geimer and Fiore. There's also a model of the Prairie View train station, a Welter gas station, and the Weidner General Store.

Temporary Exhibits and Events

The third gallery is always changing! It hosts temporary exhibits that rotate several times a year. In the past, these exhibits have shown local painters' artwork, kites, stories from the American Civil War, and the history of women's suffrage (when women fought for the right to vote). This space is also used for special events and educational programs.