“We
have lived with these things and enjoyed them; they are a part of our
lives. We don’t realize how many they are and how much a part of
us they are until we begin to catalogue them in our minds.”
John Glessner, The Story of a House
Email
Alerts
If you would
like to receive email updates about upcoming events, please send your
name and email address to glessnerhouse@sbcglobal.net
and we will be glad to add you to our list.
125th
Anniversary Fund
This fund was
established by the Board of Directors of Glessner House Museum in 2011
as part of the 18-month celebration commemorating the 125th anniversary
of the building of Glessner House. Officially launched on June 1,
2011 (the 125th anniversary of the groundbreaking for the house), a goal
of $125,000 was established to provide funds for the ongoing restoration
of the museum, focusing on those projects which would increase the authenticity
of the museum and significantly improve the experience of our thousands
of annual visitors.
In February 2012,
Richard H. Driehaus provided a $50,000 matcing gift to the Fund requiring
the museum to raise an additional $100,000 by the time of the Gala Celebration
at Symphony Center on September 13, 2012.
The museum is delighted to announce
that it not only met but exceeded its goal, raising just over $209,000
for restoration projects. However, gifts are always welcome to allow
more projects to be undertaken.
To download a
donation form, click here.
To read more
about the restoration projects to be undertaken with gifts to the fund,
click here.
Support
At Glessner House
Museum, our work is three-fold: to preserve and protect our National Historic
Landmark; to care for our remarkable decorative arts collection; and to
interpret the building and its contents, as well as the history of the
Glessner family and Chicago, through tours, exhibits, educational outreach,
and public programming.
Gifts from generous
friends of Glessner House Museum account for 86% of our annual operating
expenses. As is true with many museums, fees from tours, programs and
seasonal events generate only a small fraction of what is needed to cover
expenses. Our annual fund covers the gap between earned income and expenses
for tours, educational programs, communications, staffing and basic month-to-month
maintenance of our historic landmark building.
Your support
for the annual fund through memberships and contributions will help us
continue and improve the tours and educational programs that we offer.
Your support will also help us expand our audience, so that more people
can experience wonder at the architecture of Henry Hobson Richardson,
enjoy the Museum's collections, and feel immersed in the history of Chicago
as it was during the heyday of Prairie Avenue.
To make a contribution
to Glessner House Museum, download a form by clicking here.
Memberships
As
a member of Glessner House Museum, you will enjoy free admission for guided
tours of the museum's period rooms, and you'll help secure the future
of this national architectural treasure.
To become a member of Glessner
House Museum, download a form by clicking here.
Junior
Memberships
Kids
are invited to become members of the Glessner House Museum for just $5.00
per year! With a junior membership you will receive:
-a
quarterly Junior newsletter;
-special
discounts on children's programming;
-invitations
for "Junior Members Only" events
-age
appropriate activities for all.
Recommended
for children ages 3 through 13. Click here
to download a Junior Membership application.
Volunteer
Glessner
House depends on volunteers to give tours, conduct research, help care
for the collection, and a host of other activities. Please email glessnerhouse@sbcglobal.net
and include your mailing address for a volunteer packet or call 312-326-1480
and request more information.
Download
a volunteer application by clicking here.
Docents
Glessner
House relies on volunteers to give tours of the
Clarke and Glessner Houses to thousands of visitors from all over the
world. As a volunteer docent, your job is to lead an exploration of the
rich topics each house had to offer. Whether your group is a classroom
of school children or people from the neighborhood, there is always the
possibility of insightful dialogue and new discoveries – for the
visitors and for you!
To
prepare volunteers to give tours, GHM offers an individualized docent
training program that covers architecture, decorative arts and social
history as they relate to each house. Docents must commit to 24hours of
volunteering per year, which works out to one 2-hour shift per month.
Docents lead public tours on afternoons Wednesdays through Sundays, in
addition to custom tours which are offered seven days a week.
The Benefits
*
Occasional continuing education programs through the Docent Council
*
Invitations and discounts to lectures, programs and special events
*
10% off on merchandise in the museum gift shop
*
Annual recognition party
*
The chance to make connections with people who are interested in the same
things that you are!
Other Volunteer Opportunities
We
also have volunteer opportunities for those with an interest in the museumand
our work who may be too busy (or just a bit too shy) to make the docent
commitment. We'd love to hear from you, too!
Internships
INTERNSHIP POSITIONS
ARE FILLED THROUGH SUMMER 2013
Tours, exhibits, and public programs are the most visible ways in which
the organization interprets the resources of Glessner House. Another important
method for sharing the cultural riches of the house is the museum's internship
program. Through internships, we provide educational outreach to university
students who come to Glessner House to learn about the architecture, art,
and social history of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries,
as well as the many aspects of museum administration. Staff works closely
with the students to determine internship objectives and to set project
priorities. Many Glessner House interns are fulfilling a degree requirement
and will receive course credit; several of our interns have come to Glessner
House to experience working in the museum field before making an academic
or professional commitment.
Glessner House has so many resources that we are able to take students
from a wide variety of fields: historic preservation, decorative arts,
museum studies, history and more. We provide interns with knowledge and
training they can take with them into their careers, placing each student
into a working environment where each becomes part of the Glessner House
team. Here we are able to take that one step further and combine the theory
with hands-on professional training and real work experience.
Download an internship
application by clicking here.
Research
opportunities
Glessner
House Museum offers research opportunities for those interested in the
Glessner Family, Henry Hobson Richardson, Isaac Scott, architecture, historic
preservation, decorative arts, social history, and Chicago history during
the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as it pertains to the Glessner
family and the Prairie Avenue District.
Limited resources include historic photographs, family papers, restoration
files, drawings, and various published articles. The archives may be accessed
by appointment only, Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
