Rosemont History Museum now open, documenting village's growth from swampland to commercial district

ROSEMONT, Ill. (WLS) -- A new museum in Rosemont is documenting the village's 70-year history, tracing its growth from swampland to a major entertainment and commercial destination alongside the development of nearby O'Hare International Airport.

The Donald E. Stephens Rosemont History Museum includes aerial views of Rosemont from a DC-3, one of the first planes to fly out of O'Hare, illustrating how the airport's growth paralleled the village's expansion.

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Among the exhibits is an animatronic figure of Donald Stephens, the village's founder and former mayor, seated at the desk in the office where he led Rosemont for about 50 years. His son, Mayor Brad Stephens, who has served as mayor for the past 20 years, said the museum brings back personal memories.

"Oh yeah, a trip down memory lane," Stephens said.

The museum took more than two years to assemble and chronicles Rosemont's development from its earliest days.

"I think it's important to know the history and heritage of where this all began," Stephens said. "This was property nobody wanted."

The exhibits also address Donald Stephens' reputed mob ties, which Brad Stephens said affected efforts to secure a casino license for Rosemont.

"And he was labeled with that moniker till the day he passed, and it haunted him," Stephens said.

According to Stephens, the village instead focused on developing an entertainment district and other attractions, including the Fashion Outlets of Chicago.

"That generates tens of millions of dollars in revenue for Rosemont," Stephens said.

The museum also highlights other aspects of the village's history, including professional baseball, softball and hockey teams that have called Rosemont home. Exhibits feature the Allstate Arena, now one of the region's top concert venues, and document the collapse during its construction that killed five workers.

Interactive displays allow visitors to engage with the village's history, including an exhibit where guests can pose as if they are painting Rosemont's well-known water tower. Another feature, an artificial intelligence photo booth, lets visitors see themselves as a hockey player, rock star, pilot or as they might have appeared in the 1950s.

Despite many of Rosemont's developments occurring during his tenure, Brad Stephens credited his father with the vision that shaped the community.

"He was a dreamer. He dreamed big," Stephens said.

The museum, located at 9501 Technology Blvd., is open to the public with free admission. Visitors are asked to register online before attending.