Events & Programs
Throughout the year, the Evanston History Center hosts community events and a variety of high-quality programming on diverse themes and topics.
Our Talks@EHC series, reaches a broad audience interested in history, art, and culture. Docent-led walking tours of Evanston provide fun and fascinating insights. Community events celebrate Evanston’s history and showcase the Center’s extensive collections housed in the Dawes House.
Scroll down to learn more.
Evanston Architecture and History Walking Tours
The Evanston History Center offers lively docent-led walking tours of Evanston neighborhoods, downtown, and the lakefront. The tours provide fun and fascinating insights into the history of Evanston, its architecture, and the cultural landscape.
- Most tours meet at the Evanston History Center, 225 Greenwood Street, Evanston. Please be sure to confirm the location of the start of the tour.
- Tours begin at 11:00 AM and last for 90 minutes.
- Free street parking is available on Greenwood Street.
- We reserve the right to cancel due to weather or unforeseen circumstances.
- Reservations and payments must be made in advance.
- Group walking tours can be scheduled by appointment. To get more information on group walking tour options, please contact us at (847) 475-3410 or e-mail Kris Hartzell.
Examples of Past Architecture and History Tours
Prairie School Gems
Evanston is a treasure trove of Prairie School architecture, where many of the best-known architects lived.
Evanston’s Activist Women in History
Frances Willard called Evanston “a paradise for women.” Trace the history of these remarkable women and discover how their achievements still have impact today.
Downtown Evanston and the African American Community
Follow the evolution of Evanston, including the role of the African American community in shaping the current cultural landscape.
Architectural Evanston: Styles and Eras
Learn how residential architectural styles in The Lakeshore Historic District reflect changing lifestyles and technologies.
Daniel Burnham: Home in Evanston
Daniel Burnham lived in Evanston, calling it “the most beautiful city in the world.” Explore his neighborhood and his work in Evanston.
Brick by Brick
Unpack the beautiful colors, textures, and patterns that compose Evanston’s remarkable architecture.
Talks@EHC
Our Talks@EHC series provides unique, high-quality programming for a broad audience interested in history, art, and culture. Speakers come from a wide variety of backgrounds and areas of expertise. Past topics have included green architecture, the underground railroad in Illinois, and industrial design. Programs occur in September-November and January-March.
A Few of Our Past Talks@EHC
Kate Masur
Until Justice Be Done: America’s First Civil Rights Movement, from the Revolution to Reconstruction
Brian McCammack
Landscapes of Hope: Nature and the Great Migration in Chicago
Scott Mehaffey
A Look at the Edith Farnsworth House National Historic Site
Jeanine Michna Bales
Standing Together: Inez Milholland’s Final Campaign for Women’s Suffrage
Daniel S. Holt
Dawes’ Crusade Against the Filibuster
Community Events
Evanston History Center hosts fun, engaging community events throughout the year for people of all ages. From a fashion design showcase and exhibition to holiday celebrations and the annual Mother’s Day House Walk, there’s something for everyone.
The inaugural ReFashioning History Opening Night
was on June 27, 2024. Chicagoland fashion designers and creators took inspiration from a curated selection of objects from our extensive, historically significant costume collection and created a new look of their own. Four winners were presented with prizes as part of a fashion design showcase and juried competition.
See the winners! The ReFashioning History Exhibition is on display now through September 2024 at the Dawes House. Click below for event photos.