A retired Naperville firefighter who served at Ground Zero will share his story at Naper Settlement next month, anchoring a September calendar packed with escape rooms, walking tours, family science nights and a 21-and-over show-and-tell with beer.
The full lineup, published by Positively Naperville, includes more than a dozen programs across the museum's 13-acre grounds at 523 S. Webster St.
The Sept. 9 commemoration marks the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Retired Naperville firefighter Chuck Wehrli, who deployed to Ground Zero in the aftermath, will give a first-hand account during the free "Your Friendly Neighborhood Historian" program from 5 to 6 p.m. Registration is required.
The month opens Sept. 1 with the weekly Farmers Market (Tuesdays through Sept. 22, 3–7 p.m., free admission) featuring live music, hands-on demos and kids' activities.
For educators and families
STEM educator Steve Spangler leads a free, full-day workshop on Thursday, Sept. 3, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., covering more than 30 hands-on activities for pre-K through fifth-grade teachers. That same afternoon, homeschool families can sign up for Pioneer Chores (1–4 p.m., $8 per person), where kids wash clothes on a washboard, carry water and grind corn.
Family STEM Night: Pollinator Power (Thursday, Sept. 10 or Sept. 24, 6–7 p.m., $8 per person) lets children ages 5–11 build butterfly shelters and explore Monarch migration with their caretakers.
Walking tours and escape rooms
Two themed escape rooms rotate through the month: The Great Decoding, set in 1915 during World War I (Saturday, Sept. 5, three time slots starting at 10:30 a.m., $15), and the Prohibition-era Speakeasy room (Sunday, Sept. 13, 1–2 p.m. or 2:30–3:30 p.m., $15).
Architecture buffs can join the Naperville Architecture Walking Tour on Sept. 3 (5:30–6:30 p.m., $15), covering two miles of downtown buildings dating to the 1800s. The Origins of Naperville Walking Tour on Sept. 17 explores the city's founding and the legacy of Caroline Martin Mitchell ($15).
Adults and seniors
As we reported Aug. 24, Craft by Beer: "That Belongs in a Museum" returns Thursday, Sept. 17, from 7 to 9 p.m. ($20, ages 21+, valid ID required). Bring your strangest personal object and argue why it deserves a museum case.
Golden Days programming for adults 55 and older includes a Lunch and Learn on Naperville in the Cold War (Thursday, Sept. 10, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., free with registration, lunch provided) and a Grimm Brothers Walking Tour featuring an outdoor performance with traditional German snacks (Saturday, Sept. 26, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. or 3–6 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 27, 3–6 p.m.; free with registration).
Accessibility and cost
Sensory Friendly Saturdays run every Saturday in September from 10 to 11 a.m., offering hands-on sensory stations in a calm atmosphere; the program is included with general admission. Naperville residents with proof of residency get in free. Standard admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, $9 for veterans and $8 for youth ages 4–12.
The Weed Ladies Fall Sale (Sept. 10–12, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; Sept. 13, 1–4 p.m.) offers one-of-a-kind dried and silk floral arrangements, with proceeds supporting the Naperville Heritage Society's preservation work. Admission to the sale is free.
The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m. Full details and registration links are available at napersettlement.org or by calling (630) 420-6010.
Naper Settlement's next major event after September is Howlin' at the Moon, scheduled for Oct. 23–24.
