Collection & Research

The collection of the Winnetka Historical Society reflects the growth and development of the village since the 1830s. It includes more than 20,000 photographs, documents, artifacts, historic costumes, and recorded oral histories.

The museum functions as a research institution. An individual may contact the Society with a research request, and staff and volunteers will search the collection for information. Accessible to the public is a resource library on Winnetka structures, information on restoration and renovation, and issues of the local newspaper, Winnetka Talk, dating from its establishment in 1917 to the present. Documents and photographs can be copied for the public.

New items are always being added to the collection. Several criteria are considered prior to accepting, or acquiring, an item into the collection. They include the following:
• the object must have a connection to the village;
• it must reveal an aspect of Winnetka history that is not represented in the collection;
• it must be in good condition;
• the Society must have the storage and environmental conditions to care for the object properly.

If you are interested in researching a Winnetka topic or contributing an item to the collection, please contact the Society at (847) 501-6025.