The History Center Anderson Multi-Purpose Room

The Anderson Multi-Purpose Room is available for rent. It is approximately 68 feet by 35 feet in size wall to wall. (That includes the wheelchair ramp at the end of the room.) It seats up to 200 theater-style, and up to 96 for a seated meal or for conference style seating at 8-ft. rectangular tables. It has the original concrete floor, now polished.

We are currently accepting rental reservations during regular business hours Wednesday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Please be advised that we can not offer AV or technical support for hybrid meetings, integrating an in-person meeting with a Zoom program. If your group chooses to do that, you need to provide your own equipment and technical support. If you choose to have a Zoom presenter broadcast to an in-person audience, that can be projected through our equipment to people in the room, but you would be responsible for handling any/all interaction between the in-person audience and the presenter. That is the only kind of Zoom hybrid program we are able to support at this time. Here is an article about hosting hybrid events: 

Rental rates vary according to the type of group and time of day desired and whether the renter is a member of the Historical Society, or a Glen Ellyn non-profit or civic/service group.

All rentals require a $100 refundable deposit if room is returned to original condition.

For rentals from Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.:

• For members of the Historical Society for private events (birthdays, anniversaries, family reunions, showers, etc.): $35/hr
  
• For members of Glen Ellyn Civic/Service/Non-Profit Organizations, and for GEHS members for group events: $35/hr
  
• All other individuals/organizations/businesses: $60/hr

Rental price includes use of rectangular tables (8 feet long) and chairs.

Our room is arranged in a standard face-forward auditorium (theater) style, with a podium and screen (for projector) at the front. If you would like a different format of seating, there is an additional charge of $50 to customize the set up. Or you can set the room yourself as you like it, and reset it (as you found it) after your event concludes, at no additional charge. A standard wired microphone is available at the podium. A wireless microphone is also available. Please include its use in your request; no additional charge.

Theater-style seating: room capacity 200+

Dinner-style seating or conference seating at tables:  8 foot rectangular tables: 96 capacity

Coffee pot and pot for hot water are also available. There is a charge of $1 per person, minimum charge of $20 per event. This includes a pot of caffeinated coffee (decaf upon request) and a pot of hot water, with a box of assorted teas, as well as creamer, sweetener and cups. (Hot chocolate also available upon request.) 

For renters to serve alcohol, in any form, including wine and/or beer, at a public event, you must have a special event policy from your insurance company that names the Glen Ellyn Historical Society and the Village of Glen Ellyn as additional insured. We must have a copy of that insurance policy and/or appropriate licenses on file prior to your event. You are required to get any special event permits/licenses the Village of Glen Ellyn and the State of Illinois require, and to meet all additional requirements under the law, as well as having certified BASSET servers.

We have a small kitchenette that is available to renters at no additional charge. This includes a refrigerator, sink, garbage disposal, and microwave, as well as limited counter space.

Use of our overhead projector: additional $25 per event. No charge for screen.

Minimum rental time: three hours.

Please reserve for the entire length of time you need. For instance, you might reserve for three hours if you want to offer a two hour program. That will give you time for set up and clean up.

Renters are expected to set up the room, clean up the room and take all trash out. Any spills should be cleaned up. If the rest rooms have received a lot of use during the event, they should also be checked during the clean up process and cleaned. There is a trash bin and a recycling bin behind the History Center. Trash bags are in the kitchen -- we supply them. We highly encourage that bottles and cans are recycled, and have recycling bins in the History Center that guests can use. For large events, an additional cleaning fee may be assessed of $50 - $150, depending on the type of event and number of people attending. 

We do have Wi-Fi available. However, if your guests tap into the Wi-Fi signal, it will reduce the bandwidth and may interfere with access to an online site/video/presenter.

There is a parking lot at the History Center. Additional parking is usually available behind Stacy's Tavern Museum. Evenings and weekends, there may also be parking by Forest Glen Elementary School, at the District 41 Administration Offices across the street, and on surrounding residential streets. The front entrance is wheelchair accessible and the back entrance has an indoor ramp into the room.

Tours of the museum can be offered to groups in connection with a rental, or separately. Please ask us about availability. 

Decorations may not be affixed to the walls. However, we have a number of glass display windows around the room -- decorations can be taped to the glass. Please ask about any decorations you are considering before your rental.

No confetti or glitter is allowed, either in the History Center or on its grounds. On the grounds, birdseed should be thrown for weddings instead of rice. The museum is available for very small wedding ceremonies.

Candles used for decoration should be battery operated, not with a live flame. Exception: you can use real candles on birthday cakes.

Smoke machines are not allowed as the humidity can damage our collections.

For memorial or celebration of life services, or post-funeral meals -- we do have two screens on opposite sides of the room which can be used to project images from your laptop. We have one projector available on-site.

You are welcome to use a caterer, or bring in food yourself. We only have a small microwave to reheat meals -- no stove or oven.

​For more information, or to check on desired dates, contact director@gehs.org or phone 630-469-1867 and ask for the director. Thanks for your interest!