Start Your Visit at the Carriage House
The Carriage House Staff Offices and the Lilac Emporium Gift Shop are open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4pm.
Begin your visit to the Lombard Historical Society at the Carriage House behind the Victorian Cottage Museum. Built-in 1887, the Carriage House features our core exhibit on the history of Lombard, a current temporary exhibition, and the Society archives.
Are you looking to tour the Cottage? Staff members and docents conduct tours of historically furnished rooms in the Victorian Cottage on this hour-long tour. For more details please visit the Victorian Cottage page.
Hours of Operation for our Sites
Mailing Address & Phone Number
23 W. Maple Street
Lombard, IL 60148
630.629.1885
Parking
Designated parking is available in the lot directly west of the museum. There is an accessible parking spot as well as four spots reserved for museum visitors. Additional parking is free in the parking lot adjacent to the Carriage House after 11am and on the weekends.
HOURS
The Sheldon Peck Homestead is open regular hours from Noon to 4 pm Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday. Closed Seasonally December-January
Carriage House & Gift Shop Hours -Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4pm
The Victorian Cottage is open on Fridays and Saturdays. Tours are at 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm. Reservations encouraged. Please visit the Victorian Cottage Page for details.
The office is usually open Tuesday – Friday from 10 - 4. Please call ahead (630.629.1885) before visiting to make sure someone is available.
Rental inquiries here.
630.629.1885
info@lombardhistory.org
The suggested donation is $5 per person.
Ongoing: Footsteps on the Tall Grass Prairie…
This permanent exhibit is the culmination of the three-year Carriage House Expansion Project (2011-2014); an ambitious undertaking that doubled the square footage of this historic structure.
The expansion and permanent exhibit were made possible through two generous grants provided by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the continued support of the Village of Lombard.
Where did the Carriage House Come From?
Carriage House, c. October 1981.
A Carriage House from the Past…
In 1981, the Historical Society obtained an 1887 carriage house from a location on East Grove Street in Lombard. The Carriage House was built on John and Anna Ireland’s farm, most likely with the help of neighbors. By 1896, August and Sophie Kruse had moved into the Ireland house. They passed the property to their son Edward. Edward’s grandson remembered only horses living in the carriage house, along with the family workshops.
How did the Carriage House get to Maple Street?
Carriage House, c. 2013.
Because of the building’s age and fragile condition, it had to be stabilized before moving. The route for moving the Carriage House was carefully planned. Electrical wires had to be moved and trains were notified. It was moved from the back of 25 East Grove Street, across to Charlotte Street, south to St. Charles Road, west to Park Avenue, and south on Park Avenue to the (library) parking lot on the museum's west side.
The Expansion of the Carriage House
2010-2011
Once the Carriage House was in place, it was renovated into a museum building. In 2011, the Carriage House was expanded through a grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and underwent an addition to the south increasing the amount of exhibit, programing, and archive space.
2020-2022
The Carriage House was again expanded in 2021-2022 to the west and now houses the LHS Offices, Lilac Emporium, programming space, and more. The Illinois Department of Natural Resource Museum Public Museum Grant funded the project in 2020 for $750,000. The project took a year to complete.
Looking for a Lombard Souvenir?
Located in Col. Plum’s Garden Shed, the Lilac Time Gift Shop features all things Lombard. The shop carries a number of great items including books, magnets, pillows, posters, and more. The Shop and Sites operated by the Lombard Historical Society remain closed to the public as advised, but items can be purchased through our online store for pick-up on select days, or your order can be shipped. Check out our online store.
If you have any questions, please email giftshop@lombardhistory.org.
