num_pages: 90
description: On November 12, 1920, the Lord Memorial Museum opened its doors to the public at last. One hundred years later, the Elgin Public Museum continues to serve as one of Illinois' oldest natural history institutions. The museum has educated and entertained generations of Elgin citizens and remains the hidden gem of Lords Park. Museums hold many stories and secrets within their walls. Some can be found in the display cabinets, but most are often hidden away deep in the collection vaults. Elgin's White Elephant brings this hidden history to life. EPM Education Coordinator Sharry Blazier discusses the life story of the Elgin Public Museum, examining its origins and development over the past century. Blazier also casts a spotlight on many of the museum's most notable objects and exhibits, such as the infamous two-headed calf, the Leopold birds, and Tillie the bear. Written as a detailed companion piece to the anniversary exhibition of the same name, Elgin's White Elephant provides a humorous, down-to-earth, and honest look at the little-known past of one of Elgin's longest-running cultural institutions.
language: English
title: Elgin's White Elephant: 100 Years of Elgin Public Museum of Natural History & Anthropology
publisher: Elgin Public Museum of Natural History and Anthropology