Elmhurst Museum Show May Set Record

ELMHURST, IL – The Elmhurst History Museum's latest exhibit, "Lost Chicagoland Department Stores," may set an attendance record if current trends continue, its leader said Monday.

The exhibit launched a month ago and is set to last through Jan. 28.

In a presentation to the City Council, the museum's executive director, Dave Oberg, called the exhibit a "blockbuster."

"It's the strongest foot traffic and media attention I have ever seen," said Oberg, who has headed the museum for six years.

He said the latest exhibit is likely to beat the museum's attendance record set by "Worlds of Wonder" in 2019.

The exhibit has drawn coverage from the Chicago Tribune, WGN, Fox 32 and Forbes, among others, he said.

"If you come to the museum on a weekday afternoon at 1 o'clock, you will see people waiting at our door, having just gone to one of our restaurants and coming as a group to check out this exhibit," Oberg said. "It's been a great success. It's really a feather in the cap of our creative and hardworking staff."

According to the museum's website, the exhibit honors the heyday of Chicago area department stores such as Marshall Field and Carson Pirie Scott, among others.