COLLEEN MOORE’S FAIRY CASTLE IN CHICAGO

September 30, 2023October 6, 2023 House Miniatures Blogger

According to the Museum of Science and Industry, approximately 1.5 million people would visit their featured exhibition Colleen Moore’s Fairy Castle every year since October 30, 1949. $500,000 was the original cost to build this miniature castle with such detail and now it is worth $7 million. Go check it out!

LOMBARD HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM

September 29, 2023October 5, 2023 House Miniatures Blogger

I revisited Little Orphan Annie House the other day at Lombard Historical Society in Lombard, IL after I blogged about it several years ago. They’ve updated the museum’s Carriage House since then. Go check it out here.

PHOTOS OF ACTUAL 1881 LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE HOME

119 North Main Street, Lombard, Illinois, United States

(Copied & pasted from their website): Dr. William LeRoy built this striking Italianate style home in 1881 on Main Street in Lombard, Illinois. The house would eventually become the home and studio of Harold Gray, the originator of Little Orphan Annie cartoon strip. Harold Gray used the home’s study to work on the Annie cartoons, and some features of the house are drawn into some of his cartoons, such as the grand staircase and the outer deck. Later, he remarried and moved to the east coast. This large Italianate house is affectionately known as the “Little Orphan Annie home.” Although it is not open to the public, the picturesque façade is worth a drive on North Main Street.

MINIATURE MODEL OF OLD ARLINGTON HEIGHTS TRAIN STATION

March 31, 2022December 1, 2024 House Miniatures Blogger

**Banta House in Arlington Heights, Illinois**

I went to Arlington Heights Historical Society Museum to check out their dollhouse collection. They took place at Banta House – more information here.

Before I go ahead and share the pictures of the dollhouses, their wooden miniature model of Arlington Heights Train Station really caught my eye!

**Miniature Model of original Arlington Heights Train Station**

It is believed the actual Arlington Heights Train Station was built in 1892 between Dunton Avenue and Evergreen Avenue. Here is the postcard photo of the AH train station — and a wonderful photo cover of this book!