Special Exhibitions
Pursuit of Happiness: Many Journeys, One Community
On exhibit through September 20 | Included in General Admission
This year marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. To commemorate this moment in our nation’s history, explore the stories of Lake County individuals through photographs and artifacts from the Dunn Museum’s collections, exemplifying community and the common good.
Dancing for Our Tribe: Potawatomi Tradition in the New Millennium features the work of photographer Sharon Hoogstraten (Citizen Potawatomi). Through vivid portraits and accompanying personal statements, Hoogstraten highlights contemporary Potawatomi individuals wearing traditional regalia from all nine Potawatomi nations. Blending art, history and cultural identity, the exhibition reflects an enduring connection to their ancestors. Discover the story of the Potawatomi people and their relatives as they fiercely preserve and restore their traditions—claiming a place in the modern world.
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Carving Out the Future: The Rotblatt Amrany Studio Story
On exhibit through January 3, 2027 | Included in General Admission
Discover the story behind one of the world’s most influential sculpture studios, nestled in the heart of Fort Sheridan, Illinois.
Founded in 1992 by artists Julie Rotblatt Amrany and Omri Amrany, the Rotblatt Amrany sculpture studio and school is responsible for statues, memorials and parks around the globe. The couple met while learning to carve marble in the international sculpture hub of Pietrasanta, Italy. The studio remains family-owned and operated, with their son, Itamar Amrany, now serving as creative director.
The studio is known for iconic works such as The Spirit, the Michael Jordan statue at the United Center, and Quest for Exploration, a tribute to astronaut James Lovell at the Adler Planetarium. This exhibition showcases three decades of powerful public art and private commissions by the artists of Rotblatt Amrany Studio, offering a glimpse into the legacy that continues to shape the future of sculpture.
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Abuelita’s Kitchen: Mexican Food Stories
December 5, 2026–February 28, 2027 | Included in General Admission
Experience the stories and traditions passed down through generations in Abuelita’s Kitchen: Mexican Food Stories. Through family recipes, photographs, film and personal histories, this special exhibition features 10 indigenous, mestiza, Mexican- American, and Afro-Mexican grandmothers who shaped culture and community one dish at a time.
Abuelita’s Kitchen: Mexican Food Stories was developed by USC professor, Sarah Portnoy with support from California Humanities and LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes. The exhibition tours through Exhibit Envoy. Photo © Jessica Magaña-Sandoval
Permanent Exhibitions & Gift Shop
Prehistoric Lake County
The history of Earth’s life is an incredible story that began some 4 billion years ago with life’s origin in primordial seas. Since that time, an untold number of forms have evolved and fallen to extinction. The only records of their existence are the remains—or fossils—they left behind. Entombed within the rocks beneath our feet are clues to this ancient world and the history of our own region.
Exhibition highlights:
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See the Dunn Museum’s oldest artifact, a fossil rock estimated to be 420 million years old
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Learn more about the dinosaurs that lived in Lake County, and get up close and personal with our very own Dryptosaurus
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Help excavate an ice age dig site
Virtual Exhibit
The First People
The story of Native Americans in Lake County stretches back 12,000 years and continues today. Over this long period, the indigenous inhabitants adapted, innovated, persevered and survived through change and adversity. Today, people from various tribal nations call this area home and they continue to sustain their cultures, languages and traditions.
Exhibition highlights:
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Explore a full-scale reproduction of a wigwam, built with guidance from local Native American tribe members on authenticity
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Learn about the lifeways of Native Americans in Lake County through the Museum’s remarkable collection of artifacts
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Meet Native Americans who continue to call Lake County home
An American Frontier
Settlers—both American and immigrant—began to arrive in Lake County in the early 1830s. They found a region rich in available, cheap land. The black soil, clear water, and abundant forests of oak and hickory supplied the resources needed to build homes and communities. Many of these early settlers would later go off to fight in the American Civil War, the majority of which fought in the 96th Illinois Volunteer Infantry.
Exhibition highlights:
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Hear the individual stories of Lake County's early settlers
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Discover Lake County’s role in the abolitionist movement and Underground Railroad
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Visit a reproduction of a one-room schoolhouse and learn why they were so important to early Lake County communities
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Navigate historic maps to see Lake County settlement over time
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Learn the stories of life on the homefront when nearly 2,000 men from Lake County enlisted to fight in the Civil War
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See an authentic Gatling gun and artifacts from the Civil War era
Virtual Exhibit
Innovations and Preservation
In the decades following the Civil War, the rapid expansion of railroads and highways brought a boom in industry, agriculture and population, and the rise of the preservation movement. People came to Lake County to live and raise families, and to work and play, and many were inspired to preserve its rich historic and natural heritage.
Exhibition highlights:
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Have a picnic in an old lotus boat, a favorite legacy piece brought over from the former Lake County Discovery Museum
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Learn about the early motion picture industry in Waukegan and see the first practical 35mm motion picture machine
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Try your hand at developing Lake County at our interactive play table
Virtual Exhibitions
Experience a selection of highlights from our current and past special exhibitions virtually. To view the full collection of our current exhibition, please visit us in-person.
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Virtual Exhibitions