Welcome

The first Edgewater Hospital building ca 1930
1908 building on Clark at Balmoral having the brick facade replaced
Delivery wagons next to Gengler store on Summerdale at Clark, 1902
Facade of Trumbull School on Foster Avenue, 1908
2009 Kitchen Exhibit at the Museum
Firehouse at Balmoral & Ashland
Firetruck housed at the original firehouse
2011 Edgewater Grocery Stores Exhibit
Greenhouses in the 1930s
Andersonville school view looking south down Ashland 1880
2010 Home Tour (Edgewater North)
Parade on Clark Street, 1966
Maybelline building at Ridge and Clark, ca. 1930s
Postcard of original Edgewater Post Office on Broadway at Catalpa
Postcard of Senn High School prior to the additions, ca. 1920
Saddle & Cycle Club at Foster Ave. 1900
Saddle & Cycle Club at Foster Ave. 1900
Postcard of Edgewater Beach Hotel, pre-1923
Postcard of Edgewater Beach Hotel Yacht Club
2010 Memorial Day Parade

2025 Summer Nights in Edgewater

Submitted by Larry on Thu, 06/19/2025 - 8:24pm

Join your neighbors again this year, on warm summer nights, for our popular community program of free live performances. From July 2 to August 20, 2025, every Wednesday evening from 6 to 8 p.m., different local musicians will entertain you in the beautiful EHS garden. Children and pet friendly! All are welcome. Click here for the 2025 schedule.

Edgewater walking tours

Submitted by Larry on Sat, 05/17/2025 - 10:02am

Walk Edgewater

Enjoy views of the historic buildings of Edgewater in our own unique outdoor museum. Edgewater has four historic districts, designated by the U.S. Department of the Interior, and many blocks filled with historic homes. Tours will be led by knowledgeable guides. For descriptions of the tours, click “more…” below.

Note: There are only 4 tours available. Sign up before they sell out.

Surprising Broadway:
DATE: June 8, 2025; TIME: 1:00 p.m.

Andersonville Historic District:
DATE: June 22, 2025; TIME: 11:00 a.m.

Lakewood Balmoral Historic District:
DATE: July 9, 2025; TIME: 5:00 p.m.

North Edgewater Beach:
DATE: July 10, 2025; TIME: 6:00 p.m.

Magnolia Glen:
DATE: July 12, 2025; TIME: 11:00 a.m.

Discover the Art Underfoot: (Osterman Beach pier)
DATE: July 19, 2025; TIME: 10:30 a.m.

Bryn Mawr Historic District:
DATE: August 2, 2025; TIME: 11:00 a.m.

Edgewater Glen Historic District:
DATE: August 9, 2025; TIME: 11:00 a.m.

Discover the Art Underfoot: (Foster beach house)
DATE: August 24, 2025; TIME: 10:30 a.m.

You must register online for each tour, and pay using this link (bit.ly/ehswalk11)

There is a limit of 20 in each tour. Our tour guides, who will have microphones, will lead you through the tour, and share with you our researched brochure. The fee for each tour is $15, which supports the Edgewater Historical Society Museum.

Here are descriptions of all 8 walking tours and their scheduled dates/times: [more...]

Exploring Broadway’s Architectural Treasures

Submitted by Larry on Wed, 01/29/2025 - 12:23pm

If you missed EHS’s recent program which spotlighted the architectural treasures of Broadway in Edgewater, visit the links below for the presentation and the Q&A session that followed.

You can also see EHS’s survey of Broadway’s architecturally significant buildings here

Chicago Neighborhood Architecture: EHS Explores Broadway’s Architectural Treasures videos

(Part 1)

(Part 2)

(Part 3)

(Q&A)

Chicago's Demographic Shifts Since Covid (Past)

Submitted by Larry on Wed, 11/20/2024 - 1:09pm

Saturday, January 11, 2025 at 10:30 a.m.
Edgewater Branch, Chicago Public Library
Betty A. Barclay Community Room
6000 N. Broadway, Chicago 60660

Until Covid, most demographic groups were growing in Chicago. Did the pandemic change that? Famed Chicago observer Ed Zotti (aka Cecil Adams), editor of the Chicago Reader “The Straight Dope” column and the Chicago Sun Times “City at the Crossroads” series, will examine the demographic shifts in Edgewater – and Chicago – in a compelling presentation. Click here for a flyer.

Click here to view a video of the presentation.

Homegrown history: Honoring Edgewater's heritage trees (2023)

Submitted by Larry on Wed, 05/17/2023 - 12:09pm

After a non-winter and very cold spring, summer finally seems to be coming to Chicago. So what better time for the Edgewater Historical Society (EHS) to launch its latest initiative – Honoring Edgewater’s Heritage Trees. The initiative is multi-faceted and features an exhibit at our museum, a series of tree-related lecture programs, and most importantly a survey of all of Edgewater’s “heritage trees” or those that are more than 50 years old.

This ambitious program grew out of an effort by the Edgewater Glen Association (EGA) block club, when residents became concerned after seeing a number of their majestic parkway trees cut down in recent years. Spearheaded by local resident Andrea Raila, a complete survey of EGA’s parkway trees – along Norwood, Glenlake, Hood and Granville – was conducted over the past year, and the findings and methodology of the survey are documented in the Heritage Tree Audit booklet and the Tree Survey instructions.

As Time Goes By in Edgewater - 1885 to the Present

Submitted by Larry on Fri, 05/13/2022 - 6:48pm

“As Time Goes By” is the title of the newest exhibit at the Edgewater Historical Society Museum, 5358 N. Ashland, which opens the weekend of May 28-29, and will continue for many months.

The exhibit features 150 photos of the story of Edgewater from 1885 to the present. A special section tells the story of the Edgewater Beach Hotel. In the months to come there will be more features on the Schools and Churches in Edgewater.

The exhibit will be open during regular museum hours, but special tours may be arranged for a small donation.

New Exhibit: Indigenous Edgewater: Exploring Native History

Submitted by Larry on Sat, 03/05/2022 - 2:40pm

EHS presents our newest exhibit, “Indigenous Edgewater - Exploring Native History.” The exhibit documents Indigenous culture from 10,000 years ago to the present day. The Indigenous Edgewater exhibit will be available on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. at 5358 N. Ashland Ave.

Natives have lived in the Edgewater area for over 10,000 years. Marsha Holland, exhibit co-curator, discusses Native history in the greater Edgewater area, focusing on the archeological findings of Bowmanville Village and beyond. To view, click here.

Without Natives, would we have Chicago as we know it? Marjorie Fritz-Birch, exhibit co-curator, explores Native contributions to the greater Edgewater area and beyond. To view, click here.

"Remembering Edgewater Beach Hotel" interviews

Submitted by Larry on Sun, 11/21/2021 - 1:56pm

There have been two recent radio interviews with Kathy Gemperle and John Holden, the authors of “Remembering Edgewater Beach Hotel.” If you want to hear the interviews, they can be found at:

WGN Radio: After Hours with Rick Kogan on July 25, 2021

WCPT Radio: Where Are They Now with Art Andros on November 20, 2021

Virtual Museum exhibits

Submitted by Larry on Sat, 07/04/2020 - 7:00am

EHS MuseumWe invite you on a virtual curator’s tour of our recent exhibits:

Edgewater Beach Hotel: 100 Years Later

The Chicago Conspiracy Trial: One Juror’s Ordeal

High Water and Hell: Rising Lake Puts Chicago on Edge

Here is another past exhibit you may remember:

Greetings from Edgewater (2012): description and video

Block Clubs, Democracy and Chicago's Grassroots (Past)

Submitted by Larry on Sat, 06/14/2025 - 9:55am

Saturday, July 12, 2025 at 10:30 a.m.
Edgewater Branch, Chicago Public Library
Betty A. Barclay Community Room
6000 N. Broadway, Chicago 60660

Block clubs have had been one of Chicago’s most important contributions to community-based organizing in the United States. They shape Chicagoans’ environment and daily lives. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Prof. Amanda I. Seligman, author of Chicago’s Block Clubs: How Neighbors Shape the City, will address this underappreciated aspect of Chicago politics and society. Click here for a flyer.

Syndicate content

We welcome you to the Edgewater Historical Society website. Here you will find information about the Society and its Museum, including current exhibits and upcoming events or tours. There is also a searchable archive of newsletter articles and tour booklets going back to 1988. If you have comments or questions, please use the “Contact us” button above.

How to Find Us

The Edgewater Historical Society Museum is located at

5358 N. Ashland Avenue
Chicago, IL 60640
773‑506‑4849

Open Saturday and Sunday from 1-4 p.m. and by appointment.

Regular admission to the Museum is free but donations are gratefully accepted.


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The Edgewater Historical Society is an Illinois not-for-profit corporation. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law for 501(c)(3) organizations.