This century-old museum is the brain child of George and Mary Lord, two early Elgin philanthropists that gifted the museum and the beautiful park around it, Lord’s Park, to the city of Elgin. Construction started on this beautiful Greek Revival building, designed by David Postle, in 1907—but halted after both of the Lords passed away. After being used to house the animals at the nearby zoo, and briefly becoming the city’s dog pound, the Elgin Audubon Society took over and the museum officially opened its doors on November 13th, 1920,…
