249 W. 2ND STREET, LOCKPORT, ILLINOIS 60441
WILL COUNTY HERITAGE VILLAGE OPEN-AIR MUSEUM
The buildings located in the Heritage Village were rescued from demolition around Will County in the 1970s and 1980s. Originally known as the Pioneer Settlement, the buildings were moved to their present location in 2010.
The buildings are open the first weekend of the month from May October, and for special events.
Visitors Center
Wells Corner One-Room Schoolhouse (Homer Glen)
Calaboose (Mokena)
Begin your journey into Will County's past here in the Visitors Center, learning about the history of each building. Also, view the NRG Energy exhibit (information about the exhibit below).
We have renovated the inside of the Visitors Center, and it is now as available to the public as a meeting space. Contact the Will County Historical Museum for more information.
Calaboose (Mokena)
Wells Corner One-Room Schoolhouse (Homer Glen)
Calaboose (Mokena)
The calaboose was a local facility to house short term offenders, and consisted of two cells warmed by potbelly stoves.
Built in 1881 for $125, and then moved in 1916 when the Village Hall was being built, it was brought to Lockport in 1973.
Wells Corner One-Room Schoolhouse (Homer Glen)
Wells Corner One-Room Schoolhouse (Homer Glen)
Wells Corner One-Room Schoolhouse (Homer Glen)
The Wells Corner schoolhouse, built in 1856, was located near present day Cedar Road and Route 7. It was in use by the Homer Congregational Church as a school through 1957.
It was an ungraded school that focused on the subjects of reading, writing, arithmetic, spelling, and geography. It was moved to Lockport in the winter of 1980-81.
Greenho Farmhouse (Crest Hill)
Wabash Railroad Depot (Symerton)
Wells Corner One-Room Schoolhouse (Homer Glen)
According to census records, the house was occupied at the earliest in 1863 by Andrew and Margaret Greenho, and the land was later sold multiple times, including to the Gaskin and Gaylord families.
It was located at present day Division Street and Gaylord Road, and the house was moved to Lockport in 1985 after being purchased from the E J & E railroad.
Wabash Railroad Depot (Symerton)
Wabash Railroad Depot (Symerton)
Wabash Railroad Depot (Symerton)
The old Wabash depot, built in 1881, was located in Florence Township along the Wabash, St. Louis, and Pacific Railroad.
It operated until 1979, when it was moved to Lockport.
Smokehouse (Lockport)
Wabash Railroad Depot (Symerton)
Wabash Railroad Depot (Symerton)
While its construction date is unknown, the Smokehouse spent more than a century on the property of the pioneer Wilhelmi family.
Smoking was a process used to preserve and flavor meat, while also keeping insects away.
Privy (Reproduction)
Brown Log Cabin (Wilton Center; In Progress)
Brown Log Cabin (Wilton Center; In Progress)
A forerunner of the modern bathroom, privies were structures on every homestead.
They were cold in winter, and hot in the summer.
Brown Log Cabin (Wilton Center; In Progress)
Brown Log Cabin (Wilton Center; In Progress)
Brown Log Cabin (Wilton Center; In Progress)
Built in 1834 near what became the Joliet Arsenal by Peter and Mary Brown for their daughter and her husband until after the Civil War. Sold to the Redemacher family who used it until the early 1940s.
It was moved to the Grundy County fairgrounds until the land was sold to a private developer in 1972.
But instead of being demolished, the cabin was offered to the Will County Historical Society and moved in pieces to Lockport.
We are seeking to rebuild the log cabin, and are in the process of raising funds through our Capital Campaign. Check out our updates and how you can contribute.
Medicine Wheel Garden (Native American)
Brown Log Cabin (Wilton Center; In Progress)
Medicine Wheel Garden (Native American)
The Medicine Wheel Garden was established by Native American group SOARRING. It mainly contains sage, and is divided into four sections
The number four is a powerful and sacred number in Native American cultures, as it represents many aspects of the world: the seasons, winds, directions, colors, and much more.
Exhibits at the heritage village
Immigrant Workers of the Illinois and Michigan Canal
Immigrant Workers of the Illinois and Michigan Canal
Immigrant Workers of the Illinois and Michigan Canal
Come and view this exhibit of Creative Director Mirjana Urulesku in the Wells Corner Schoolhouse and Greenho Farmhouse that showcases immigrant workers and their contribution to the building of the Illinois and Michigan Canal.
QR Codes
Immigrant Workers of the Illinois and Michigan Canal
Immigrant Workers of the Illinois and Michigan Canal
In May 2020, Jeffrey Brining of Lockport Boy Scout Troop #50 approached the Will County Historical Museum about installing QR codes throughout our buildings as an Eagle Scout project. Once installed, they have allowed visitors to the Heritage Village to learn about the buildings when staff is not present.
NRG Energy
Immigrant Workers of the Illinois and Michigan Canal
NRG Energy
Come and view our exhibit at the Visitor's Center about the NRG Coal-Fired Power Plant in Romeoville that closed in November 2022. Employees and Executives of NRG Energy volunteered their time and artifacts to showcase it's history.