Learn about Joliet’s rich history
Many of downtown Joliet’s buildings are more than 100 years old.
Downtown Joliet Architectural Tours, which depart on Oct. 17, Nov. 7 and Nov. 14 fromJoliet Area HistoricalMuseum on Ottawa Street, offer the chance to learn about some of the architecture on streets including Jefferson, Chicago and Cass. An Oct. 31 tour is sold out.
“This is somethingwe’ve wanted to do for quite some time,” said LizMcNeil, program and community events manager for Joliet Area HistoricalMuseum and Old Joliet Prison Historic Site.
“The Joliet Public Library actually approached us in early summer with a partnership to do some local programming and an architectural tourwas something theywanted to see.”
The Saturday tours, which have limited capacity, launched Sept. 5 and often sell out. Attendees mustwear masks throughout the 90-minute, rain-orshinewalk.
The 12 stops featured on Downtown Joliet Architectural Tours include Barrett’s AceHardware, the Courthouse, the Cutting Building built in 1897, Joliet Public Library’s main library, which opened in 1903, and the Rialto Square Theatre, which opened in 1926.
“We’ve had a number of school programs that go through an architectural seek and find in the downtown area but nothing for the older residents where we delve into more of the actual styles of the architecture thatwere used,” saidMcNeil of Joliet.
“It gets people to look at buildings that they might not look at justwalking by day to day. Trying to write the tour script and really learn about the buildings that I’m talking about forcedme to look at the downtown in a newway.
“On the tourwe will stop and look at the buildings. We’ll talk about all the little details thatwent into the building and the history of the building aswell as some of the architectural characteristics. Whether it’s neoclassical or Gothic revival a lot of these styles have the same underlying characteristics.”
McNeilworked with Joliet Public Library staffers including adult services managerDawn Ritter and local historian BarbNewberg to put together the Downtown
Joliet Architectural Tours, whichMcNeil often leads withNewberg.
“I’ve always been interested in architecture. My background is art-based so, for me, diving deeper into some of this stuff has been really fun,” McNeil said.
“Even justwalking around and really analyzing and picking out some of the features for the buildings has been fun to do. The
materials like Joliet limestone and Bedford limestone have been able to withstand the test of time.”
With Joliet Area HistoricalMuseum closed until further notice due to COVID-19, the focus has shifted to smaller outdoor gatherings, including a summer concert series on the rooftop terrace and an August screening of the 1980 film “The Blues Brothers” outdoors at Old Joliet Prison.
“Wewanted to still celebrate the 40th anniversary of the movie, but in a safe environment,” McNeil said about the latter event.
“We found that doing a movie in the prison yard felt safer for everybody that attended orworked the event.”
Joliet Area Historical Museum has teamed with Rialto Square Theatre for Fall Flicks in the Yard, which features the 1988 movie “Beetlejuice” at 7 p.m. Oct. 23 and the 1984 film “Ghostbusters” at 7 p.m. Oct. 24 at Old Joliet Prison, 1125N. Collins St.
Admission is $50 for a two-person, 8-foot circle. Each additional admission is $20 and circles are limited to six people per circle. Tickets are available at
jolietprison.org. Proceeds benefit Rialto Square Theatre and Joliet Area HistoricalMuseum.
“We’re abiding by all the state guidelines with 8-foot circles. You have to preregister and masks must be worn at all times outside your circles. It’s a 16-acre site sowe can easily selfdistance,” McNeil said.
Joliet Area Historical Museum also raises funds through daily self-guided Old Joliet Prison tours that were launched in June. Tickets are $20 per adult, $15 for Joliet residents, $10 per child (ages 3-12) and free for ages younger than 3 (reservation required). There is a limit of 10 individuals per appointment.
“They’ll be able to peek their heads into the east andwest cellblocks. There areQR codes for visual walk-throughs of five of the buildings,” McNeil said.
Information on donations, memberships, sponsorships, rentals for a maximumof 50 people, volunteering and otherways to support Joliet Area HistoricalMuseum is at jolietmuseum.org.