RomanceEverAfter

The Victorians

Family Heritage Days
at the Naper Settlement

The Naper Settlement, with more than one hundred museums, libraries, and civic organizations throughout Illinois participate in Family Heritage Days.  The purpose of the Family Heritage Days weekend is to provide a venue for visitors to participate in workshops, exhibits, and events to commemorate and foster the preservation of family heritage in the state of Illinois.

The Log House

The Naper Settlement provides a wide range of activities during Family Heritage Days weekend for visitors, including a Civil War era wedding re-enactment of a Union soldier and a Southern belle.  The wedding is held at the historic Century Memorial Chapel.  (If you want your own wedding held in the chapel, private ceremonies are permitted).  Other activities include--

Old-fashioned games
Learning about diaries and creating your own diary
Wedding dress conservation
Horse and carriage rides around the village
Research Library open - learn about genealogical research

If you can not make a visit to the Naper Settlement during Family Heritage Days weekend, there are other historic experiences to enjoy on the grounds.

The Village offers an educational experience into the daily life of nineteenth century mid-America.  The settlement encompasses 13 acres and has 30 historic structures.  The Victorian mansion is the centerpiece of the Village with costumed interpreters hosting visitor tours.  The mansion contains Victorian era furniture, furnishings, clothing, and other decor indicative of the time period.  Visitors may also view the log house, fort, one-room school house, print shop, blacksmith shop and other homes open to visitors.  

The Naper Settlement is attractively maintained and costumed volunteers bring a historic authenticity to the surroundings.  If you would like more information about the Naper Settlement, visit their Web site at www.napersettlement.org.

Whether touring one of the houses, seeing a Conestoga Wagon (covered wagon) or playing in the fort, the Naper Settlement offers the visitor a glimpse into America's nineteenth century past.

Naper Settlement Photo Gallery