The DeKalb County History Center is excited to announce the Grand Opening of the long-anticipated exhibit “The History of DeKalb County in 100 Objects.” The opening is scheduled for Saturday, October 2 from 10:00 – 4:00 p.m.

With over 4,500 objects (not including photos, books, or archival materials) in the History Center’s collection, selecting 100 objects was a challenge. Their committee decided the criteria for choosing an “object” for this exhibit was closely connected to each object’s story. “We believe the best stories are those that help us understand ourselves, our community, and others. Thus, the featured objects reflect a wide variety of perspectives associated with DeKalb County history,” explained Michelle Donahoe, the History Center’s Executive Director. There are 50 objects on display at the History Center and another 50 that are located around the county.

Two of the objects in the exhibit are connected to Wurlitzer, a box created from one of the thousands of pianos they manufactured and the canopy from a World War II drone that was also produced at this factory. To further expand upon the Wurlitzer story, during the Grand Opening DeKalb High School students will be performing on harps that were made by Wurlitzer. Specific times will be announced on the History Center’s website.

A new family program, Hands-on History, will kick-off on October 9. This will be a monthly program where children partake in interactive activities connected to specific objects in the exhibit. In the first program participants will learn fun stories connected to the DeKalb Ag logo – There will be activities between 1:00 -3:00 p.m. Registration is encouraged for this program. This inaugural program is free, but there will be a $5 charge per child starting in November.

To discover more about the 50 off-site objects, people are encouraged to check out the History Center’s exhibit page on their website. Using Google Earth, users will be able to map out the location of the off-site objects, see related images, and discover their interesting stories.

The exhibit is generously sponsored by IDEAL INDUSTRIES Foundation, Shaw Media, First Midwest Bank, LEDiL, Banner Up and OC Creative. The DeKalb County History Center is located at 1730 N. Main Street in Sycamore. Hours are Tuesday – Saturday from 10:00 – 4:00 or by appointment. Admission is free for members and children under the age of 14, $5 for adults. For more information visit dekalbcountyhistory.org or call 815-895-5762.