Historical society presents virtual Dollhouse Tour
Just in time for the year-end holidays and the cold months of winter, the Mount Prospect Historical Society is pleased to present its first online, video Dollhouse Walk.
Like many other organizations, the society has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of its in-person programs and events have been canceled this year, including the popular annual Holiday Housewalk - the society's major yearly fundraiser since 1987.
With homeowners justifiably hesitant to allow others into their homes during the current pandemic, the society's director, Emily Dattilo, and board member/videographer Ed Johnson got creative.
They came up with a virtual Dollhouse Tour that rewards the imagination as curious visitors tour six furnished homes of different eras, all viewed from a doll's scaled-down perspective.
Five of the featured dollhouses are from the society's own collection. The sixth is owned by a former Holiday Housewalk homeowner, Julie Michalik, who has graciously allowed the society to showcase her dollhouse that originally belonged to her mother, Judy Connelly Hasenjaeger, also of Mount Prospect.
The scaled-down tour was created with a tiny camera that allows viewers to feel like they're walking through the miniature homes while listening to narrators describe the homes' histories and details.
The "Dollhouse Tour" portion of the Mount Prospect Historical Society's website also discusses the venerable, several-century history of dollhouses and includes an "I Spy"-style game asking viewers to locate certain items in each house.
Dollhouse lovers around the world, as well as locals who were looking forward to the annual walk-through of local homes, are encouraged to visit www.mtphist.org to participate in the unique tour from Dec. 15 to Feb. 15. The cost is $10 per household.
"Your participation in this unique tour will help the Mount Prospect Historical Society recover some of the funds typically raised by our annual Holiday Housewalk," said Deb Rittle, Mount Prospect Historical Society president.
"Our staff, board and many volunteers work hard year-round to make the Mount Prospect Historical Society a vibrant part of our community, and the proceeds of this special event will allow the society to continue to provide history-themed programs, seminars and events for all ages.
"We offer a huge thank-you to our six Realtor sponsors - Bill Farrell of ReMax Suburban; Kelly Janowiak and Laura Parisi of @ Properties; Mary O'Malley of @ Properties; Jim Regan of ReMax Suburban; Judy Muniz of Habloft LLC; and Tom and Mary Zander of Picket Fence Realty."
For information, call (847) 392-9006.