In the Summer this year the Tanner House Museum in Aurora will be open to the public Sunday afternoons beginning May 29. The season will run through September 4. Hours will be 1 p.m to 4 p.m..
Visitors may come at any time during those hours. Reservations will not be needed. Docents will be on hand throughout the building to answer questions and provide information. Although closed July 3 to allow time to prepare for the holiday, the House will be open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Fourth of July during the traditional ringing of the bells and family picnic.
Admission is free of charge, but donations are appreciated. Masks will be encouraged, but not required.
“Basically, we’ve been closed since the Spring of 2020, as a result of COVID,” said John Jaros, executive director of the Aurora Historical Society which owns and operates the Museum. “As with many Victorian-era homes, the rooms are crowded with furniture and the passageways are congested. There was no way to social-distance during the pandemic, and we felt the safety of our visitors was paramount, so we just closed except for a handful of open houses last holiday season.”
Greg Probst, vice president of the Board of Trustees, said, instead of the traditional format of a docent-led tour around the house, visitors will be invited to walk through at their own pace and in their private clusters. “This should allow guests to find their own comfort levels,” he said. “Of course, for those who have questions or want more information, our docents are always glad to share information.”
The house, built in the graceful Italianate style popular in the Victorian age, was built in 1857 for early pioneers William and Anna Tanner and their nine living children. It was donated to the historical society in 1936 by two of their children, the twins Martha Tanner Thornton and Mary Tanner Hopkins. It is at 304 Oak Avenue.
The Passport to Adventure program coordinated by the Kane DuPage Regional Museum Association has returned after a COVID hiatus and Tanner House guests can have their passports stamped after a visit to the house.
For more information, visit aurorahistoricalsociety.net.
— Aurora Historical Society