Naper Settlement presents the following events and programs during September 2023. The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 AM-4 PM and Sunday from 1-4 PM with general museum admission $12 for adults (13+), $10 for seniors (62+), and $8 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.
Origins of Naperville Walking Tour
Thursday, September 7 and 28 • 5:30-6:30 PM
$15/person; free for children under 4 | Register
Listen to stories from Naperville’s founding to the generosity of Caroline Martin Mitchell on a walking tour of the west side of downtown Naperville. The tour lasts approximately 60 minutes and covers about two miles. Open to all ages. Pre-registration is required.
Homeschool Days: Artifact Encounters
Thursday, September 14 • 10 AM-4 PM
$8/person; free for children under 4 | Register
Homeschool families and groups are invited to encounter and investigate artifacts while enjoying Naper Settlement’s spacious 13-acre outdoor campus. The past will come alive as you learn about the museum’s historic buildings and discuss their place in Naperville’s history. Artifact Encounters is designed to engage homeschool students in inquiry skills and discussion about the people who lived in this area and shaped Naperville’s community.
Weed Ladies Fall Sale
Thursday-Saturday, September 14-16 • 10 AM-3:30 PM
Sunday, September 17 • 1-3:30 PM
Free to attend the sale | Learn More
The Weed Ladies Fall Sale features creative seasonal floral arrangements for sale. Each one-of-a-kind silk or dried floral creation has been designed by the Weed Ladies of the Naperville Heritage Society volunteer group. Proceeds benefit the Naperville Heritage Society. Admission to the Fall Sale is free. Please enter the Pre-Emption House Visitor Center and inform the Guest Services Team that you are attending the Fall Sale.
Homeschool Homestead Walking Tour
Thursday, September 14 • 11 AM-12:30 PM and 2-3:30 PM
$10/person; free for children under 4 | Register
Join this walking tour from Naper Settlement to Joseph Naper’s Homestead site, about a two-mile walk, and learn with the 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 study artifacts retrieved from the Homestead site during an archaeological dig. This program is not recommended for children under the age of 7. Route requires uphill walking with little to no stopping.
Town and Gown Walking Tour
Thursday, September 14 • 5:30-6:30 PM
$15/person; free for children under 4 | Register
Explore the east side of downtown Naperville and learn about the ways the community developed along with North Central College. The tour lasts approximately 60 minutes and covers about two miles. Open to all ages. Pre-registration is required.
Vintage Baseball Demonstration with the Rockford Peaches
Sunday, September 17 • 1-4 PM
Included in general admission
Visit Naper Settlement to watch a vintage baseball game demonstration with the Rockford Peaches. The Rockford Peaches is a part of a league that portrays women’s baseball as it was played by the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGBBL) during the first season of play in 1943 when underhand windmill pitching and a 12″ softball was the rule.
Downtown Naperville Architecture Walking Tour
Thursday, September 21 • 5:30-6:30 PM
$15/person; free for children under 4 | Register
Learn about the important and interesting architecture from the 1800s to today that makes downtown Naperville a beautiful place to live, work, and play. The tour lasts approximately 60 minutes and covers about two miles. Open to all ages. Pre-registration is required.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Historian – When Looks Kill: The Past, Present, and Future of Dangerous Fashion
Thursday, September 21 • 6-7 PM
$10/person | Register
Why do we often risk so much to look fashionable? Explore the history and current trends of dangerous fashion during this edition of Your Friendly Neighborhood Historian. This presentation builds on Naper Settlement’s exhibit, “Infrastructure: Creating 19th Century Clothing Then and Now.”
Celebrate Naperville
Sunday, September 24 • 1-4 PM
Included in general admission | Tickets
Celebrate Naperville showcases the city’s vibrant residents in conjunction with a look at how food and harvest shape Naperville’s cultures and communities. Listen to live story telling around a multicultural theme that celebrates Naperville’s residential diversity. Stay for a cricket match on Naper Settlement’s Village Green.
Paint By Numbers (Beer)
Thursday, September 28 • 7-9 PM
$20/adult (must be 21+) | Register
Relive your childhood with Paint by Numbers, only this time enjoy a drink as you fill in the canvas. Learn about the history of Paint by Numbers, get inspired by vintage examples, and take home your own painting. Must be 21+ to participate. Pre-registration is required.
Tales from the Tombstones – Cemetery Walking Tour
Saturday, September 30 • 4-4:45 PM, 4:45-5:30 PM, 5:30-6:15 PM
$20/person | Register
Interact with voices from Naperville’s 19th century past as you take a stroll through Naperville Cemetery and hear engaging stories from past Naperville residents. Participants will meet at Naper Settlement and then walk over to Naperville Cemetery. There are three tour times available. Pre-registration is required.
About Naper Settlement
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 information, visit www.napersettlement.org or call (630) 420-6010.
