Discover Elmhurst: History, Architecture, and Trails

Elmhurst combines a vivid local history with modern architecture, seasonal flower shows, and extensive opportunities for walking and cycling. This creates a wide range of ideas for families and other travelers who want to combine culture and activity: You can learn about the development of the area, discover buildings through an audio tour, or plan a section of the regional trail system.

Discover History and Architecture

The Elmhurst History Museum offers an award-winning exhibition about the growth and development of Elmhurst throughout its more than 165-year history. The Elmhurst history exhibition includes artifacts from local businesses, residents, and organizations, rare photographs, an interactive tabletop map, and a documentary film. This means you will encounter not only individual historical objects, but also several different ways of engaging with the history of the area.

The museum is located in downtown Elmhurst, half a block east of the Elmhurst Metra Station, south of the tracks and directly east of York Street. This precise location is helpful if you would like to plan your stay around a museum visit. For a different cultural perspective, the Elmhurst Art Museum offers a self-guided audio tour of Elmhurst’s modern architecture. The tour can be completed by car or on foot and provides historical context as well as interesting facts about architectural works by Wright, Mies, Walter Burley Griffin, R. Harold Zook, Dirk Lohan, and other architects.

The Elmhurst Art Museum also includes McCormick House, which was designed and built by Mies van der Rohe. This allows you to explore the theme of architecture not only through explanations, but also through a specifically named building.

Trails, Prairie, and Seasonal Plants

Travelers who enjoy covering longer distances on foot or by bicycle can access the nearly 25-mile regional Salt Creek Greenway Trail in Elmhurst. In Elmhurst, the walking and cycling trail can be accessed via Eldridge Park, the Illinois Prairie Path at St. Charles Road west of Route 83, Maple Trail Woods, and the intersection of Thomas Street and Monterey Avenue at Pick Park. This allows you to consider various starting points for planning your own day without limiting yourself to just one way of exploring.

Another aspect of the landscape is the Keith A. Olson Prairie. It is located within Wild Meadows Trace north of the Prairie Path between Spring Road and Salt Creek and was formerly called Elmhurst Great Western Prairie. The Keith A. Olson Prairie is the oldest living environment in Elmhurst. In addition, the Wilder Park Conservatory was established in 1923 as the first capital project of the Elmhurst Park District. Today, the Conservatory hosts three seasonal flower shows.

Which Accommodation Location Suits Your Plans?

Your choice of vacation rental can be guided by the focus of your trip. If history and architecture are central, the History Museum, Art Museum, audio tour, and McCormick House offer several cultural points of interest. For active days, you can consider including the access points to the Salt Creek Greenway Trail in your plans. Those who are also interested in landscapes and plants can add the Keith A. Olson Prairie and the seasonal flower shows at the Wilder Park Conservatory to their itinerary. For a trip involving a range of interests, this combination helps you choose an accommodation location that fits your preferred daily activities.

More Destinations for Orientation

If you would also like to compare other places when planning your trip, here are more destinations: Glendale Heights, Westmont, Lombard, Warrenville, Addison, Carol Stream, Oak Brook and Darien.

Back to the overarching travel overview: DuPage.