Dupage Policy Journal

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County's Graue Mill and Museum, located at 3800 York Road in Oak Brook within the Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve, will open for the 2023 season on Saturday, April 15. The site is a popular destination for school field trips and family adventures.

The museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through Sunday, Nov. 19. It will remain closed Mondays through Wednesdays.

Programs focused on milling, spinning, and weaving will demonstrate the impact mills had on local culture. Each Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m., historical interpreters will present demonstrations related to life in the 1850s and '60s, including spinning, weaving, wool dyeing, mill mechanics, and corn grinding.

"We’re thrilled to be able to open the doors for the season and continue to offer the level of high-quality historical interpretation that generations have come to expect at the mill and museum," said Anamari Dorgan, director of Community Engagement for the Forest Preserve District.

Visitors can also enjoy a walk along Salt Creek to the Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center after their visit. The center is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., while the surrounding preserve is accessible daily from one hour after sunrise until one hour after sunset.

Admission to both Graue Mill and Museum as well as Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center is free. For more information, call 630-850-8112.

Graue Mill and Museum is noted as the only operating waterwheel gristmill in the Chicago area listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Additionally, it has been recognized as an Illinois Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers due to its significance in American technological history.

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County has connected people with nature for over a century. Annually attracting more than 6.2 million visitors across its forest preserves, trails, education centers, and programs each year, it remains dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, belongingness while providing facilities free from discrimination or harassment.

For further details or inquiries about their programs or facilities visit dupageforest.org or contact them at 630-933-7200.