While overall attendance continues to lag from pre-pandemic figures, the number of people who viewed the DuPage County Historical Museum’s exhibits and collections continued to rise in 2024 in year-over-year comparisons, according to a recently released report.
Michelle Podkowa, the museum’s manager, provided a high-level overview of the organization’s annual report at a DuPage County Board meeting Tuesday, June 10.
Attendance at DuPage County Historical Museum in 2024 increased 13% from prior year
By the end of 2024, a reported 6,389 people came into the Wheaton-based museum, which shares its facility at 102 E. Wesley St. with the Wheaton Park District’s administration center.
According to the report, attendance figures this past year were a 13% increase from 2023, but still lagged behind the 7,301 visitors recorded in 2018, which has been viewed by museum officials as the standard pre-pandemic benchmark.
All told, the museum served approximately 43,000 people this past year through events on and off premises.
“This is everyone who comes in contact with the museum, through outreach events, visitors, rentals, educational programming, utilizing our research services or using our online Past Perfect database,” Podkowa said.
For the 10th consecutive year, Podkowa said the museum’s operating budget in 2024 was balanced. The museum brought in $272,254 in revenue — including grants and donations — and recorded $256,765 in expenses.
Looking to the present year, Podkowa said a refresh of some of the museum’s features is underway in an effort to appeal to new and returning visitors alike.
“We started to redesign our permanent exhibit with Taylor Studios,” Podkowa said of the Rantoul-based organization, which specializes in museum exhibit design and fabrication. “We are very excited to continue this into 2025 as we finish that detailed design and move forward with those plans.”
DuPage County Board member makes suggestion on spreading the word
County Board member Lucy Chang Evans, who represents District 3, praised museum staffers for their work, but suggested the venue might be one of the area’s best-kept secrets.
“I just wanted to say I really love this museum,” Chang Evans said. “I didn’t even know about the museum until I was on the County Board, and I brought my kids there, and they really enjoyed it. I think more people would enjoy it, and hopefully donate, if they knew more about it.”
Chang Evans offered one suggestion — which Podkowa said will be considered in the future — on the topic of photography. In the age of social media, Chang Evans suggested museum staffers consider a more permissive stance on photography, which is not allowed in several areas within the facility.
“I think selfies — when people take selfies, and they show what a great time they’re having, it really helps to bring awareness, especially in the summer when we don’t know what to do with our kids,” Chang Evans said.
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