Elmhurst Art Museum’s Monsters in Wilder Park

Art in Wilder Park, the Chicago suburb’s family-favorite juried art festival now in its 27th year, drew over 11,500 visitors in 2023 and features a variety of artisans selling one-of-a-kind jewelry, paintings, sculptures, ceramics, prints, fiber arts, and mouthwatering treats from local food vendors. The event will host a variety of activities for the whole family from the Monsters in Wilder Park public art installation to a scavenger hunt and a life-sized costumed Donkey Hodie in the Kids Court.

In tandem with Designing Donkey Hodie, the museum will feature a newly commissioned public art installation Monsters in Wilder Park: A Kid-Powered Art Show by artist and illustrator Dave Pryor, who designed puppets for Donkey Hodie in addition to working on a variety of popular licenses including “The Wizard of Oz”, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”, and “The Simpsons”. Monsters in Wilder Park will feature large-scale cut-out sculptures inspired by monster drawings created by over 300 local children for the festival.

The Elmhurst Art Museum is located at 150 South Cottage Hill Avenue in Elmhurst (IL), 25 minutes from downtown Chicago by car or public transportation (Metra). On the museum’s campus is the McCormick House, a single-family home designed in 1952 by Mies van der Rohe, one of the great architects of the 20th Century. The McCormick House is one of only three residences designed and built by Mies in the United States – and one of only two open to the public.

The museum’s purpose is to foster community by cultivating a creative space where art is for everyone.

The Museum is open Wednesday and Thursday from 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., Friday through Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Regular admission prices are $18 for Adults (ages 18+), $15 for Seniors, $10 for Students, and $5 for Children. For more information, please call 630.834.0202 or visit elmhurstartmuseum.org.