New Exhibits Coming to Raupp Museum

The Buffalo Grove Park District's Raupp Museum has received a state grant that will be used to create larger, more interactive historial exhibits.

Buffalo Grove’s Raupp Museum will gain three new exhibits, thanks to a grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). The Buffalo Grove Park District will receive a $149,250 grant for the project, the district announced in a press release. The money will be used to update the Raupp Museum’s Crossroads exhibit (formerly known as the Town Square exhibit). Additions will include The Prairie View Train Station, The Weidner General Store and the Geimer Greenhouse. “Everyone is so excited to get this grant to renovate the Town Square exhibit.  While the exhibit is a favorite with all of the guests, it has remained almost unchanged since it was built over 30 years ago,” Raupp Museum Curator Debbie Fandrei said in the release. “…

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Patch Passport: Travel Back In Time

What do buffaloes, a python and President Gerald Ford have in common? They are all highlights in Buffalo Grove’s history.

Buffalo Grove's history is well known. It was incorporated in 1958, and the village received its name because a herd of buffalo grazed by the trees along Buffalo Creek. But did you know that Buffalo Grove’s history is much older? According to Debbie Fandrei, the Raupp Museum’s coordinator, Buffalo Grove has an intriguing history. The Potawatomis once lived in the area. Settlers from New England arrived in the 1830s, and farmers from Germany arrived in the 1840s. “Until the 1950s, Buffalo Grove did well, but it wasn’t growing,” Fandrei said. The following were the key factors that influenced Buffalo Grove’s early years as an incorporated village. By the 1960s, Buffalo Grove’s population would total more than 1,500 residents. The village had…

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Learn About the Past at Local History Fair

The event will take place Oct. 21 at the Vernon Area Public Library.

Get a peek at what life was like in south central Lake County over the past 100 years and more at the Local History Fair from 1-4 p.m. Oct. 21 at the Vernon Area Public Library.  From 1–2 p.m., local history experts will present highlights from their books about Buffalo Grove, Lincolnshire, Long Grove, Mundelein and Lake Zurich. Learn about the early influential families whose names adorn local roads, parks, and landmarks. Featured authors will include: From 2–4 p.m., drop in to peruse exhibits and learn what local historical societies have to offer history enthusiasts. Participating organizations include: This event is free and open to all. Registration is recommended for the author presentations. Register in person at the Vernon Area …

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Raupp Museum Offers Ballots, Babes and Beer Exhibit

Special exhibit commemorates the 99th anniversary of women winning the right to vote.

It’s the 99th anniversary of Illinois women winning the right to vote for president, and the Buffalo Grove Park District’s Raupp Museum has a special exhibit commemorating this historic event. Visit Ballots, Babes And Beer and find out the fascinating story of women’s struggle for the right to vote in Illinois, including the role of Lake County women, why saloon owners were against women voting, and the final battle in Springfield. The museum has special Girl Scout election badges and adult presentations in conjunction with this exhibit. Ballots, Babes And Beer runs from thru Nov. 21 at the Raupp Museum. For museum hours and more information, visit the Raupp Museum page at bgparks.org, or call the Raupp Museum at (847) 459-2318. — …

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Things To Do When It's Hot

Here are some places to go throughout the north Chicago suburbs to escape the heat. Check them out and add your own!

It's hot. We know. That's an understatement. Buffalo Grove Patch wants to help you beat the heat in these record-breaking temperatures. We've put together a map of places to go and things to do in Buffalo Grove and other nearby towns during this heat wave. You can also help Patch readers (and your friends and neighbors!) by clicking "Edit" on the map and dropping a pin on the map to tell us your favorite things to do when it's 105 degrees. Or, just sit back and enjoy the map we've put together for you. It's too hot to work.

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Buffalo Grove Park District Has Plans for You Once School Year Ends

Finding family-friendly actitvities over the summer is made easy with a wide range of free exhibits and events offered through the park district.

With the last day of school just a week away, many parents may be looking for ways to keep the kids busy this summer. The Buffalo Grove Park District has a vast array of choices for kids of all ages--along with parents and caregivers--to be enjoyed once school lets out.  Raupp Museum Exhibits Beginning June 4 through July 27, the Raupp Museum will have a Kites exhibit on display. “The amazing history of the ultimate flying machines that are kites will be displayed-people will see they are much more than just toys,” said Kim Cashmore, Buffalo Grove Park District superintendent of recreation. If you’re looking for a night activity, you can drop by Mike Rylko Community Park to enjoy Park in the Dark, where visitors can hear about local …

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Art Students Showcase Work at Raupp Museum

Annual "Everybody's Got a Gift" exhibit opens Dec. 4.

The Raupp Museum's 10th annual "Everybody's Got a Gift" exhibit opens Dec. 4. This year's exhibit showcases the art of Enid Silverman’s adult drawing and painting students at the Buffalo Grove Park District. The 48 artists range in age from 28 to 86, and include husbands and wives, sisters, sisters-in-law and a mother and her daughter-in-law. Although some of the artists have been painting for years, others are brand new. "Originally, the exhibit was planned just to give the artists a chance to show their work outside of the classroom; however, it has been great to see people grow with the exhibit,” Debbie Fandrei, museum curator, said. “We have one artist who displayed a painting of her daughter as a toddler on the beach for our first …

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Scouts Spruce Up Raupp Museum Gardens

Cub Scout Pack 36 members offered helping hands during last weekend's beautification project.

Despite a light rain and a high of only 50 degrees, 15 members of Cub Scout Pack 36 and their families spent Saturday morning assisting in a beautification project at the Raupp Museum. “The Scouts are encouraged to do beautification projects during May,” Andrew Stein, the Pack’s Cubmaster, explained. “The Raupp Museum is part of Buffalo Grove’s heritage, and it is nice to do a project that people can see and appreciate.” Prior to the Scouts digging in and planting geraniums, celosias and petunias in the flower beds in the front of the museum, Museum Coordinator Debbie Fandrei explained how to dig holes for the flowers and spread the mulch. She also explained that mulch retains moisture for plants, and that worms are good for the soil. The …

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The Raupp Review

How to be the Best Field Trip Chaperone Ever

Fun advice from a museum manager on how to be a great chaperone.

As April turns into May, and the change of seasons from winter to spring finally looks like it is really going to happen in Northern Illinois, there’s a change of seasons inside museums as well. May signals the end of field trip season at the Raupp Museum, with a short break before summer programs begin. Students are back in the classroom, busy beginning the final push to the end of the year, and parents are dreaming of summer vacation, while wondering how they’ll ever pay for the gas. While the museum had fun hosting over 3,000 students this year, so many students gave us a chance to observe a lot of field trip chaperones too. And although we like every parent who comes to the museum as a chaperone, we love some of you. With those parents…

The Raupp Review

Introducing the Raupp Museum

Museum coordinator Debbie Fandrei kicks off Buffalo Grove Patch's new historical column.

Hi. Every relationship begins with a great introduction, so let’s begin. The Raupp Museum is the local history museum for the Buffalo Grove area — we tell the story of Buffalo Grove from Native American settlement in the early 1800s, through one hundred years of dairy farming life and on into the bustling suburb of today. However, one of the most romantic stories of all is the story of how the museum came to be. During 1960s Buffalo Grove was growing like mad — farmland was being sold, houses were being built block by block, and families were moving in every day. Literally, every day — the principal of the grade school at that time remembered that every Monday morning he would come to school and have at least two or three new students to …

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