Plan Your Visit
Located in the heart of downtown on Third Street, the Geneva History Museum (GHM) was awarded national accreditation from the American Alliance of Museum in 2022. GHM offers a Main Gallery, “Geneva’s Story,” a feature gallery that changes throughout the year, research facilities, climate controlled storage for collections and artifacts and a Gift Shop with unique Geneva items and souvenirs.
Plan a visit to attend one of our educational programs and events or just stop in to see whats new. There is always something going on at the Geneva History Museum.
The Geneva History Museum is ADA compliant.
Admission includes two galleries.
$5/adult; $2/ages 3-10, students & seniors 65+
FREE Tuesdays!
FREE for Museum Members
Closed on holiday weekends
Exhibitions
FEATURE GALLERY:
Thru December 21
The story of a woman who recognized the gradual decline of a historic site and took action.
In collaboration with Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley.
Funded by the Fabyan Foundation and State Street Jewelers.
In 1971, Darlene Larson visited the deteriorating Japanese Garden on the former estate of Colonel George and Nelle Fabyan and became inspired to restore it. She formed a partnership with the Fabyan Forest Preserve and enlisted her fellow Geneva Garden Club members to roll up their sleeves and raise funds. Six years later they celebrated the restored garden with over one-hundred people at a dedication with a tea ceremony, origami creations and authentic music.
Darlene quickly recognized other restoration needs and created the Friends of Fabyan, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and education of the legacy of George and Nelle Fabyan. Under Darlene’s leadership, Friends of Fabyan assisted with several restoration projects including the Fabyan Villa museum, garage, windmill, lighthouse, and several cement structures on the estate.
Visit this exhibition featuring photographs, in-depth notebooks and scrapbooks from Darlene’s collection. Learn about the structures on the estate with a large touch-screen map of what it looked like in 1920. Inspect objects including the large casting mold that re-created the eagle statues, and pieces of original cement structures.
Learn about the Fabyan staff members and their stories. Be inspired by the long-term goals Darlene outlined in her final newsletter from Friends of Fabyan.
Admission is FREE for museum members, $5 per adult, $2 for children (3-10), seniors (65+), and students and includes the Main Gallery, “Geneva’s Story.”
Programs
2 PM the second Tuesday of each month, September – May
Join us for a 45-minute program on a different topic each month. Registration is recommended and admission is $5 for adults, FREE for Museum Members. (no program December or January)
Museum staff offers guided walking tours with stories of the people and places of Geneva. 50% non-refundable downpayment required at time of booking. Minimum 5 people, $10/person, includes admission to the Museum, and a Goodie Bag full of Geneva Shopping and Dining Offers. Choose your route: Architecture, Cemetery, or Downtown Historic District. Call 630-232-4951 to schedule.
The museum offers several programs throughout the year such as Trolley Tours for Swedish Days in June, Cemetery and Ghost Walks in October, and viewing of our magnificent 18th century Crèche in December. Check our calendar of upcoming programs.
Museum staff offers guided bike tours with stories of the people and places of Geneva. 50% non-refundable downpayment required at time of booking. Minimum 5 people, $25/person with bike rental, $15/person with own bike, includes admission to the Museum, and a Goodie Bag full of Geneva Shopping and Dining Offers.
(Download our Group Program & Tour Brochure.) Have the Museum come to you! The following 45-minute programs include a photographic display and stories from the archives presented by Museum staff. Programs can also be given at the Museum. $10/person, flat rate of $100 for groups of 10 or more. *Can be adapted for ages 8 and up, followed by a child-friendly activity. Call 630-232-4951 to book your Group Program.
About the Geneva History Museum
Learn about our services, programs, upcoming exhibitions and events.
Catalog Homes
View many of the Geneva homes ordered and built from kits.
Famous Geneva
Famous people that have visited and residents who became famous.
Geneva Crimes & Criminals
The darker side of Geneva’s history from the 1800s to the present.
John F. Kennedy's Geneva Visit
J.F.K.'s itinerary on October 25, 1960, including his stop in Geneva.
Hats Off to Geneva!*
The history of hats and Geneva’s millinery greats.
HerStory
Geneva women are responsible for many achievements.
History of The Little Traveler
Learn how this iconic business began in 1922 and grew to become one of Geneva's most famous destinations.
Moved Houses*
How and why many homes have been moved.
Public Art
Murals, statues and sculptures, the artists who created them and why.
The History of South Third Street
Learn how a residential street transformed into an iconic shopping district.
Who Was Nelle Fabyan
Learn about the woman behind Geneva's famous Colonel George Fabyan and the legacy she left behind.
Take a Self-Guided Walking Tour of the Downtown Historic District highlighting 25 buildings with photos and a brief history. Available for purchase at the Museum Gift Shop in a paper booklet version for $2 and on our Online Store.
Explore Geneva in comfort and hear stories of people and places told by a personal guide of the Geneva History Museum. Choose your transportation: Museum staff can Hop On your tour bus, we can rent a 10-13 person High-Top Van or a 30-person Trolley and guide a 45-minute route of your choice.