Waukegan Historical Society Inc

Outreach to the community of waukegan - a)school history outreach-free history programs are provided from the society to schools and other community organizations. These programs cover a wide range of topics such as "native american history in waukegan", "influential women of waukegan's past", "ray bradbury: waukegan's influence on a visionary". In 2024, there were 10 programs run with 385 participants. B) newsletter-the society publishes a quarterly newsletter for its members and friends to keep them up to date on the latest news, programs, and events of the society, as well as features and interesting stories on local history. It is sent to over 300 people. C) annual holiday open house: the public is invited to attend this event at the museum to experience the holiday spirit of the late 1800's, tour the decorated historical home, and join the board of directors to celbrate the season. D) annual meeting-members are invited to an annual meeting to learn about projects underway by the society, and to vote on election of officers and new board members. The 2024 meeting was delayed until 2025 when the new carnegie facility was available. There were approximately 225 members at the end of 2024.

Special events (walks, tours) -these were mostly paused during 2024 as the carnegie museum restoration work was underway. Examples of typical special events include: a) oakwood cemetery walk: the oakwood cemetery walk is a "living history" event showcasing the rich history of waukegan, featuring costumed actors portraying local historic figures with connection to the cemetery and waukegan. The theme for the last walk in 2023 was "get waukegan out of the mud", inspired by the initiative of the same name in the 1920's to pave and improve waukegan streets. It provided the opportunity to share many of the stories of people who helped shape the growth of waukegan with both common and uncommon jobs. This walk will be held in 2025. B) walking tours for the public of other waukegan areas of interest. C) school outreach walking tours (one was held in 2024 for 70 participants). D) tours of historic waukegan homes (over 300 visitors attended a holiday home tour in late 2023 and the next event will be held in 2025).

Other program expenses