The McCormick House is one of only three residences in the United States designed by Mies van der Rohe that is currently open to the public.
The museum structure was designed by DeStefano + Partners and opened at its current site in 1997.
The campus design prioritizes transparency, aiming to blur the boundaries between the museum's interior and the adjacent public parkland.
The museum grounds feature a dedicated sculpture garden that hosts rotating outdoor installations.
The facility serves as a gateway to the Illinois Prairie Path, a historic regional trail system.
The Elmhurst Art Museum is a premier institution for modern art, design, and architecture located in Chicago's western suburbs. The museum’s permanent collection is anchored by the McCormick House, a single-family residence designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Originally built in 1952, the house was physically relocated to the museum grounds and integrated into the campus as an exhibition space. The museum's facility itself is a modern structure featuring expansive glass walls that integrate indoor galleries with the surrounding Wild Meadows Trace park. Its rotating exhibition schedule highlights contemporary artists, regional architectural history, and mid-century modern design principles. The museum actively hosts programs that bridge the gap between academic architectural study and public art education.
The interior of the McCormick House looking through the floor-to-ceiling windows toward the park.
Walk the adjacent Wild Meadows Trace trail after your tour to see how the museum's glass architecture interacts with the natural landscape.
Check the online exhibition calendar before visiting to see if the McCormick House is hosting a specific art installation or an archival display.
Combine your visit with a walk through the neighboring downtown Elmhurst area for local architectural examples.
Do not treat the museum as a shortcut to the park; ensure you enter through the designated main gallery entrance.
Closed on Mondays.
Maintain a quiet volume; do not touch artwork or the historic fixtures within the McCormick House.
