PATIOS, POOLS & THE INVENTION OF THE AMERICAN BACKYARD
Explore the mid-century backyard—from the rise of suburbs and tract houses, to the beauty of postwar garden design and the birth of the environmental movement—in the Chicago area debut of this new traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian.
Filled with vintage photographs, historic drawings, and period advertisements, the exhibit reveals how these spaces evolved into an integral part of American popular culture. View a supplementary local component featuring photos shared by Elmhurst families depicting their own backyards of the era. Take a seat on a lawn chair in the interactive patio display where kids can flip burgers on the “grill.” Patios, Pools & the Invention of the American Backyard is presented by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the Smithsonian Garden’s Archive of American Gardens.
Sponsored by locally by Bartlett Tree Experts with additional support from: American Gardens, Inc.; Baralt’s Custom Landscapes, Inc.; McFarlane Douglass & Companies; NightLight, Inc.; Erwin Steinhebel & Sons, Inc.
Location: Elmhurst History Museum, 120 E. Park Ave., Elmhurst
Hours: Sun., Tues.-Fri., 1-5 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Third Thursdays, 1-8 p.m.
Admission: FREE
More info: www.elmhursthistory.org or (630) 833-1457
