Tours Of The Elmhurst Quarry Offered In September

ELMHURST, IL — A tour of the Elmhurst Quarry is in the works for a Saturday in mid-September. The public will have what DuPage County Stormwater Management calls a "rare opportunity" to learn about how the quarry works at its flood control facility on Saturday, Sept. 21.

“We always have a strong showing of people interested in learning about how DuPage County manages floodwater," Stormwater Management Committee Chairman Jim Zay said. "This tour gives us an opportunity explain how the Elmhurst Quarry detains 2.7 billion gallons and protects residents and their property during intense rainfall... The magnitude of this facility is very impressive, and we are happy to be able to give residents a chance to see it up close.”

The Elmhurst Quarry is the largest of DuPage County’s 17 flood control facilities countywide, according to the county. Using a predetermined operating plan, DuPage County Stormwater Management staff allows floodwater to enter the Elmhurst Quarry via a 400-foot tunnel, which runs under Illinois Route 83. The Quarry holds the floodwater until water elevations recede enough to pump the water back into Salt Creek.

Tours will start the Elmhurst History Museum’s Education Center, 120 E. Park Avenue in Elmhurst. They will leave via bus every 30 minutes from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. that day.

Each tour will last approximately two hours and cost $12 per person. A self-guided tour of the history museum's exhibit “By All Accounts: The Story of Elmhurst,” which includes more information and a video about the Quarry’s history, will follow.

”The Elmhurst Quarry was one of Elmhurst’s oldest businesses, and it is a site that many people have been very curious about over the years,” said Jessie Wandersee, supervisor of education services at the Elmhurst History Museum. “The Quarry Tour offers a behind-the-scenes opportunity to learn about the facility’s history and view its inner workings from viewing platforms that are usually closed to the public.”

Elmhurst Quarry Tour ticket sales will begin at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 3. Tickets can be purchased online only here. Go to the Special Events section of the Elmhurst History Museum's website to find the ticket link on or after Sept. 3.