Fall 2024 – I&M Canal Area Gathering

Gaylord Building, Lockport 200 W. 8th Street, Lockport, IL, United States

Don't miss this excellent opportunity for organizations and interpretive sites to engage with other leaders from communities within the I&M Canal National Heritage Area and beyond. 9:30 AM Registration 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Introductions 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Bob Navarro, President & CEO, Heritage Corridor

Think & Drink: Singing Bird & the Importance of Native American Women in Illinois History

Gaylord Building, Lockport 200 W. 8th Street, Lockport, IL, United States

For November's Think & Drink, join award-winning Ojibwa author and Illinois Humanities Road Scholar Kim Sigafus McIver for an interactive presentation on Native American women in Illinois history. Dressed in her native regalia, Sigafus McIver will highlight the lives of influential women like Singing Bird (Blackhawk’s wife) and

Think & Drink – “Okterberfest: A History (with Beer)!”

Gaylord Building, Lockport 200 W. 8th Street, Lockport, IL, United States

Tickets are almost sold out for this fun history presentation that pairs the story of Oktoberfest with samples of delicious, seasonal beers. Host Michael Pezan explores the history behind the German festival and the many refreshing and robust beers this annual event provides. Michael is a professionally certified

Think & Drink: Freedom Seekers and the Underground Railroad in Northeastern Illinois

Gaylord Building, Lockport 200 W. 8th Street, Lockport, IL, United States

Historian, Larry McClellan, author of Onward to Chicago: Freedom Seekers and the Underground Railroad in Northeastern Illinois (Southern Illinois University Press,  2023), shares untold stories of enslaved people escaping north to Illinois and the Chicago area. McClellan's research explores multiple escape routes, including the pivotal role of

Think & Drink – Rise from Ruins: The Great Lockport Fire of 1895

Gaylord Building, Lockport 200 W. 8th Street, Lockport, IL, United States

For this month’s Think & Drink, we’re doing something a little different: we’re opening a new history exhibit! Beginning Thursday, August 8, our 3rd floor gallery will feature Rise from Ruins: The Great Lockport Fire of 1895. This exhibit coincides with Main Street Lockport’s Fire Fest, taking

The Gaylord Building – Honoring the Past, Embracing the Future

Gaylord Building, Lockport 200 W. 8th Street, Lockport, IL, United States

The Gaylord Building played a vital role in the creation of the Illinois & Michigan Canal.  A landmark since 1838, this handsome limestone warehouse originally stored canal construction materials and later housed a variety of commercial ventures. Today the Gaylord Building is a national example of adaptive

Think & Drink – The Happy Invention: History & Significance of Picture Postcards

Gaylord Building, Lockport 200 W. 8th Street, Lockport, IL, United States

Did you know that the first picture postcards in the United States were printed for the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair? Which means Illinois played a pivotal role in postcard development. Join us for our May Think & Drink as we delve into the fascinating history of picture

Think & Drink – Windy City Weather: A Look at Argonne National Laboratory’s Research into Urban Climate Change

Gaylord Building, Lockport 200 W. 8th Street, Lockport, IL, United States

Join atmospheric scientists Matt Tuftedal and Paytsar Muradyan as they share insights into changing weather, climate studies, and their work with Argonne’s Community Research on Climate and Urban Science (CROCUS) project. CROCUS deploys cutting-edge scientific instruments across the region to measure temperature, wind speed, air quality, soil

Thursday Think & Drink: History of Lockport High School’s Central Campus

Gaylord Building, Lockport 200 W. 8th Street, Lockport, IL, United States

For our inaugural event, we'll be exploring the history of Lockport High School's Central Campus! This iconic Lockport landmark dates back to 1909 and has ushered generations of Porters through its storied halls. The banquet room and bar open at 6:30pm. The presentation begins at 7pm. What

The Historic Gaylord Building Plein Air Painting

Gaylord Building, Lockport 200 W. 8th Street, Lockport, IL, United States

Join the Lemont Artist Guild and Gallery Seven for a Plein Air Painting Event. Capture the Lincoln Landing's Fall Colors!!!

Regional History Symposium: Place and the Environment on the occasion of the 175th Anniversary of The Illinois & Michigan Canal

Gaylord Building, Lockport 200 W. 8th Street, Lockport, IL, United States

Lewis University and the Gaylord Building Historic Site invite you to a symposium marking the 175th anniversary of The Illinois & Michigan Canal - part of a year-long series of events held along the 96-miles of the nation's first National Heritage Area. 9 - 9:25 am  

Plein Air Painting at the Historic Gaylord Building

Gaylord Building, Lockport 200 W. 8th Street, Lockport, IL, United States

 Join the Lemont Artist Guild and Gallery Seven for a Plein Air painting event at the Historic Gaylord Building. Open to the public. Sign up at Galleryseven.net.

Reclaiming the Narrative

Gaylord Building, Lockport 200 W. 8th Street, Lockport, IL, United States

Now on display in the Gaylord Building’s first-floor gallery through July 14th! African Americans called the Joliet region home before its incorporation in 1852. They have built up the community, found jobs, and enjoyed life in the Des Plaines River Valley. In spite of this long history,

Lockport Dinner Lecture: Pullman: 125 Years After the Strike

Gaylord Building, Lockport 200 W. 8th Street, Lockport, IL, United States

Join us on Thursday November 14th 2019, 6pm - 8:30pm, for an entertaining evening at the beautiful, historic Public Landing Restaurant in Lockport, IL, with National Park Ranger Sue Bennett and her presentation Pullman: 125 Years After the Strike. The local Pullman strike in the summer of 1894

Dinner & a Little History: World War II on the Great Lakes

Gaylord Building, Lockport 200 W. 8th Street, Lockport, IL, United States

Join us, Wednesday November 14th 2018, at the Gaylord Building for our Dinner Lecture Series: World War II on the Great Lakes! The Great Lakes of North America were far from the battlefields of World War II but the factories, training camps, and shipyards of the region