The owners of six private River Forest homes have opened up their doors for one day as The Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest hosts its 16th annual spring house walk next month.
This year’s walk, titled “Tales Our Houses Tell in River Forest,” focuses on the far northwest corner of River Forest, land historical society executive director Frank Lipo said was once known as the old Longfield Farm and Keeney subdivision.
The six homes, all built across four decades in the “final frontier” of River Forest, sit just north of Division Street between Thatcher and Lathrop avenues, Lipo said.
According to Lipo, the homes will tell the tales of how families, architects and builders transformed “this wild rose prairie land” into a “pioneer development.”
Each walk focuses not just on the homes and their architecture, but on the men and women who lived in them, and left their mark on the community and the wider world.
Pre-paid reserved tickets are available now for $30 each, $25 for historical society members, and can be purchased online at www.oprfmuseum.org or by calling 708-848-6755.
Advanced tickets can also be purchased at two River Forest locations at River Forest Chocolates, 7769 Lake St., and at Good Earth Greenhouse, 7900 W. Madison St. Tickets can also be picked up in Oak Park at Tulipia Floral Design, 1044 Chicago Ave., The Book Table, 1045 Lake St., and at the Oak Park River Forest Museum, 129 Lake St.
Tickets will be available on the day of the walk for $35 each, with the walk beginning at 12:30 p.m. May 5 at Willard Elementary School, 1250 Ashland Ave., in River Forest. The walk is expected to last from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
All proceeds benefit the historical society, a nonprofit community organization that operates the Oak Park River Forest Museum.