The America 250 flag flies high with the Stars and Stripes to mark the location of Naper Settlement, Aurora Avenue at Webster Street, where a free Presidents’ Day Celebration & Exhibit Opening aim to kick off the Museum’s USA 250 Celebration on Mon., Feb. 16. (PN Photo)
Naper Settlement Report
Naper Settlement will host a free Presidents’ Day Celebration on Mon., Feb. 16, from 10AM to 4PM in honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026. Visitors are invited to experience 250-themed historical activities, crafts, living history demonstrations, and the opening of “We the People: Naperville and the American Story,” a new interactive exhibit that connects Naperville’s history to the Semiquincentennial through thought-provoking local stories, rarely seen artifacts and a series of new hands-on learning experiences.
The Presidents’ Day Celebration is one of over 30 educational programs included in the museum’s year-long, USA 250 Celebration. Other USA 250 Celebration programs include teacher workshops, escape rooms, lectures, and more.
To see a full list of programs and to register for the museum’s Presidents’ Day Celebration, visit NaperSettlement.org/250Celebration.
Scheduled Activities & Attractions Set for Feb. 16
All activities and attractions are free with registration and will take place from 10AM to 4PM unless otherwise noted.
• Be the first to experience “We the People: Naperville and the American Story” exhibit.
• Join George Washington’s spy network, The Culper Ring, and learn the techniques and tools used to spy on British troops during the Revolutionary War. Activities take place on the half-hour.
• Experience the Declaration of Independence read aloud by the 16th Artillery. Performances take place on the hour.
• Discover electricity like Benjamin Franklin with a fun, hands-on Electroscopes activity.
• Create your own crafts to take home including a patriotic pinwheel.
• Join us for Illinois Humanities’ “Community Conversations: History Belongs to All of Us” and explore the founding of the United States through the lens of local history. This facilitated conversation will encourage shared conversation, learning, and connection through the exploration of the Declaration of Independence from 10:30AM to 12PM.
• Experience living history demonstrations in the Blacksmith Shop, Print Shop, Copenhagen Schoolhouse, and more!
• Take a tour of the Martin family’s Victorian mansion and discover how Caroline Martin Mitchell made a lasting impact on Naperville. Tours are on the half-hour from 10:30AM to 3:30PM.
Naper Settlement since 1969
Naper Settlement is an award-winning, outdoor history museum set on thirteen beautiful acres steps from Downtown Naperville and the Naperville Riverwalk. Whether watching the blacksmith at the forge or sitting down for a lesson in the one-room schoolhouse, each visit immerses visitors in the sights and sounds of the past while inspiring connections to the present and future. Explore over 30 historic buildings and interactive exhibits including “Building Naperville: Tallgrass Prairie to Today” and the new “Thresher Experience” that brings Naperville’s agricultural history to life!
For more information, visit www.napersettlement.org or call (630) 420-6010.
