Local

House Museum Celebrates Grand Opening


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A phone at the Park Forest House Museum. (Photo: Wendy Heise)

Park Forest, IL–(ENEWSPF)– The 1950s Park Forest House Museum at 141 Forest Blvd. celebrated its Grand Re-Opening on Saturday, February 2, with an Open house from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Forest Boulevard School classroom, on the second floor, was decorated for a 1950s Valentine’s Day Party. Period Valentines decorated the first floor as well. A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at 12:30 p.m. with officials from the museum’s sponsors, AIMCO, Village officials, Board members of the Park Forest and members of the Historical Society manning the scissors. Immediately following the ribbon cutting, from AIA-Illinois honored Park Forest for being on the AIA-Illinois list of 150 Great Places in Illinois. Jim Prybys of the Eastern Illinois Chapter, which nominated the Village for its planning design, presented the plaque. The AIA list and photographs of the towns nominated can be seen at www.illinoisgreatplaces.com.

The 1950s Park Forest House Museum shows an original rental unit the way it might have been furnished from 1948-1953. Docents are on hand to tell the history of Park Forest and to talk about social and fashion trends. One room represents Forest Boulevard School which opened in the rental units in 1949.

The museum is at the corner of Forest and Fir. Directions are available on the society’s website at www.parkforesthistory.org. For more information, contact Jane Nicoll at parforesthistory1 at yahoo.com.

Pictures from the event are in the eNews Park Forest Photo Gallery:

http://enewspf.smugmug.com/gallery/4290486_9iPmF#251421971


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