April events at Naper Settlement

Naper Settlement presents the following events and programs during April 2023. The museum is open Tuesday-Friday from 10AM-4PM with general museum admission $6 for adults (13+), $5 for seniors (62+), and $4 for youth (4-12). Naperville residents with proof of residency, children under 4, and members receive complimentary admission. For more information about a specific event or program and to purchase museum admission tickets,  visit NaperSettlement.org.

 

Onsite Walking Tours • 1:30-2:30PM – Tuesdays through Fridays 

Enjoy a one-of-a-kind guided walking tour around Naper Settlement. Learn interesting facts and information about the museum’s historical houses and grounds. These tours will provide an overview of the more than 30 buildings onsite. Onsite Walking Tours last approximately one hour.

 

Mansion Tours • 3-3:30PM Tuesdays through Fridays 

This guided tour takes visitors through the Victorian home of Naperville’s earliest entrepreneurial family. Built of brick and stone, the home showcases the products of the Martin family’s limestone and brickwork business. Mansion Tours last approximately 30 minutes.

 

“Inspiring Curiosity” Exhibit • On view through April 7

Naper Settlement in collaboration with the Naperville Art League are pleased to present the exhibit, “Inspiring Curiosity.” The exhibit features over 60 works of art based on the theme of curiosity by Naperville Art League members.

 

Education Volunteer Informational Meeting • 6-7PM Thursday, April 6 

Naper Settlement invites those interested in becoming an Education Volunteer to attend this informational meeting to learn more about the position. To sign up for the meeting, email NSteenadult@naperville.il.us.

Joe Naper’s Discovery Play: Earth Day • 10:30AM-noon Tuesday, April 11

Children ages 3-5 and their adults are invited to join Naper Settlement for Joe Naper’s Discovery Play. This program engages curious pre-school aged children through social engagement and learning. The museum’s team will guide children and their caregivers through fun activities and explorations based on the theme of Earth Day. Pre-registration is required. 

 

Professional Development: The Underground Railroad in Northern Illinois • 4:30-6:30PM Wednesday, April 12

Teachers will examine primary resources, learn important historical concepts surrounding the anti-slavery movement, and enrich student experiences by using primary resources to connect local history to national stories and their continuing impact. This professional development workshop is for middle school teachers.

 

Homeschool Days: Artifact Encounters •  10AM-4PM Thursday, April 13 

Homeschool families and groups are invited to encounter and investigate artifacts while enjoying Naper Settlement’s 13-acre outdoor campus. The past will come alive as you learn about the museum’s historic houses and discuss their place in Naperville’s history. Homeschool Days: Artifact Encounters is designed to engage homeschool students in inquiry skills and discussion about the people who lived in this area and shaped our community.

 

Homeschool Homestead Walking Tours • 11AM-12:30PM or 2-3:30 PM Thursday, April 13 

Join this walking tour from Naper Settlement to Joseph Naper’s Homestead site, about a two-mile walk, and learn with the museum’s curatorial and education team. Learn more about Joseph Naper and early Naperville as you are introduced to the site of his original homestead. The tour will return to Naper Settlement where you will have the chance to meet with the curatorial team to study artifacts retrieved from the Homestead site during an archaeological dig. Homeschool Homestead Walking Tours are not recommended for children under the age of 7. The route requires uphill walking with little to no stopping.

 

Naperville Plays • 1-4PM Sunday, April 16

Celebrate spring at Naperville Plays! Join Naper Settlement, the Naperville Public Library, and the DuPage Children’s Museum for three times the spring fun. Pre-school aged children and their families will enjoy playing and learning at Naper Settlement and can visit select historic houses. All guests are welcome to stay at Naper Settlement for the duration of open hours from 1-4PM.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Historian: Unintended Consequences of a Plank Road • 6-7PM Thursday, April 20 

Learn about fascinating topics in history and hear museum staff and occasional guest historians debate challenging questions. This session’s theme is “Unintended Consequences of a Plank Road.”

 

10:30AM-noon Tuesday, April 25 

Children ages 3-5 and their adults are invited to join Naper Settlement for Joe Naper’s Discovery Play. This program engages curious pre-school aged children through social engagement and learning. The museum’s team will guide children and their caregivers through fun activities and explorations based on the theme of life cycles. Pre-registration is required.

 

Recollection Roundtable: In Style • 2-3PM Tuesday, April 25

Recollection Roundtable engages local seniors with theme-based artifacts and images from the museum’s collection. The goal of each visit is to provide opportunities for seniors to recollect the past and share memories with other seniors, their guests, and museum staff. In addition, Naper Settlement will also offer opportunities for seniors to record oral histories. This session’s theme is “In Style” – review fashion trends of the past and how they have come back in recent years.

 

Paint by Numbers (Beer) • 7-9PM Thursday, April 27

 

Naper Settlement is a nationally accredited, award-winning outdoor living history museum set on 13 magnificent acres in the heart of Naperville. Located 30 miles from Chicago, the museum is home to thirty-one historical structures dating back as early as the 1830s. Featuring exhibits, special events, educational programming and more, Naper Settlement is where history comes alive and the community comes to connect. For more info, visit www.napersettlement.org or call (630) 420-6010.