Mc Henry County Historical Society & Museum

Providing the methods and means of presenting McHenry County History to enrich life. Celebrating our 50th anniversary in 2013. Organized in November 1963, as a not-for-profit corporation, the McHenry County Historical Society has as its mission to provide the methods and means of presenting McHenry County History to enrich life.  On July 4, 1976 the Society's Museum in Union, IL officially opened to the public. The comprehensive collection includes several preserved buildings: an 1843 log cabin, an 1867 limestone schoolhouse, an 1885 town hall, an 1895 one-room schoolhouse used for c. 1900 school programs, an 1898 country church, and a 20th Century modern tourist cabin. In 1982, a local history research library was added to the museum. In 2002 the Society launched a mobile museum called "The James." Besides operating the museum, the Society plaques historic sites and structures, holds adult workshops and classes, makes available traveling exhibits, and arranges a wide variety of school, scout, and other group programs. Funding for the Society comes from membership dues, admission fees, donations, and a trust fund.