This house museum is accessible.
This house museum is available for events.
Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday
- Docent Guided at 12 & 1pm (additional 11am tour on Saturdays)
- Self-Guided at 2:00-4:00pm
Maher introduced his motif rhythm theory in Pleasant Home, creating unity by combining unique decorative elements and repeating them throughout the interior. Visitors discover lions’ heads, shields, and circle and square motifs in stained glass, carved wood, and mosaics throughout the home.
Pleasant Home
217 Home Avenue, Oak Park, IL 60302, USA708-383-2654
A National Historic Landmark, Pleasant Home is an opulent Oak Park mansion designed by Prairie School architect George W. Maher in 1897. The Arts and Crafts interior features art glass windows and intricate carved wood. In addition to being the only Maher residence open to the public as a museum, the home is also a popular location for performances, workshops, and classes.
Interior
Exterior
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ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
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PRESERVATION
Pleasant Home is in the midst of a $6 million restoration. In April 2015, the Summer Dining Porch was restored to its turn-of-the-century elegance and grace. Historic preservation is a key topic in workshops and the museum’s annual lecture series.
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PARLOR
Original owner John Farson began hosting music, dance, and drama on Pleasant Home's property more than 115 years ago, before his home was even complete. Continuing Farson’s tradition, our Performing Arts Series features several indoor and outdoor performances each month.
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NATURE
Once a private estate, the four and a half acres surrounding Pleasant Home has been transformed into a lovely community park offering historic vistas, walkways, and a children’s discovery area.
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INVENTIONS
Second owner Herbert Mills and his Mills Novelty Company invented and manufactured the coin-operated slot, paving the way for innovations in slot machines and automated music boxes. A Mills Novelty Company Violano Virtuoso is on display in the home.
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STAINED GLASS
The natural light streaming through 17 stained glass windows provides an extraordinary experience on each level of Pleasant Home. Architect George W. Maher designed the windows to echo decorative motifs found elsewhere in the residence.
FURNITURE
One-of-a-kind furniture, designed specifically for the residence by architect George Maher, include an original dining room suite, library chairs, and a grand foyer settee. These uniquely crafted pieces feature decorative motifs inspired by nature.
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PHILANTHROPY
Beginning with notable philanthropist John Farson, commitment to community organizations extends to Pleasant Home’s philosophy today. Service, religious, and art-based groups have appreciated the graciousness found at the home, then and now.
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BOOKS
The library, with its glass-domed light fixtures, gilded frieze, and large, curved picture windows, was the first room in the home to be fully restored. Books about local history and architecture are sold in the Museum Shop, enjoyed by visitors from all over the world.
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CHILDREN
Farson’s teenage sons built their own playhouse at Pleasant Home. Later the Mills family moved in with eight children, filling all six bedrooms in the house. Today, children of all ages come for field trips, workshops, and educational programming, and to play in Mills Park.
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Interior
image credit:
Exterior
image credit: Darris Harris