Late Rosemont mayor’s Hummels collection moving to new museum
Boasting the largest public display of M.I. Hummel figurines in the world, the Donald E. Stephens Museum of Hummels in Rosemont is set to close by the end of the year.
But some of the collection will be incorporated into a new museum that will showcase the Northwest suburb’s history and also bear the late mayor’s name.
The new 4,300-square-foot space within Rosemont’s new village hall building might also include a robotic likeness of the legendary mayor and town founder — inspired by the animatronic depiction of late Chicago Mayor Harold Washington at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center.
Also sparking the idea was a recent visit to the Hall of Presidents at Walt Disney World in Florida by the current mayor — Stephens’ son Brad — and 11-year-old grandson, Joseph.
Brad Stephens, who became mayor after his father’s death in 2007, said he’s already talked to some people who would be more than willing to raise money to develop the talking and moving life-size tribute. But it’s not cheap, with the cost estimated to be anywhere from $100,000 to $200,000, he says.
“If we’re gonna do it, we’re not gonna cut corners,” Stephens said.
The design, development and build out of the Donald E. Stephens Rosemont History Museum — planned on the first floor of the village hall at 9501 Technology Blvd. — is already budgeted for $1.5 million, of which the village board this week inked a $1.1 million contract with museum exhibit creator Chicago Scenic Studios.
Though studio principals just had their first meeting with village officials, the robotic mayor is among a growing list of ideas for exhibits and interactive experiences.
The new museum could also include a flight simulator — since Rosemont’s 68-year history is tied to O’Hare International Airport.
“Without O’Hare, we probably wouldn’t look like this,” Stephens said.
An entertainment area could include audio clips of past shows in town, like the Rolling Stones concert at the Rosemont Horizon or Jerry Seinfeld’s standup at the Rosemont Theatre.
The former mayor’s old desk is in storage, but like the Washington exhibit at the DuSable museum, the robotic mayor could be seated there in the new museum.
Already, a larger-than-life bronze likeness of Don Stephens is in place in the lobby. The eight-foot, 1,500-pound statue was relocated over the summer from the courtyard of the old village hall at 9501 W. Devon Ave.
And what’s sure to be part of the exhibit space — albeit a scaled-back version of what’s currently on display — is Stephens’ cherished Hummels.
He discovered the tiny porcelain pieces in the 1960s on a trip to Europe, and soon became an avid collector. He amassed 2,500 Hummels, in addition to ANRI wood figurines and Disney collectibles, and formally donated his private collection to the village in 1984.
Initially at the convention center, but later at a strip mall at 9513 W. Higgins Road, the Hummels will be photographed, inventoried, packed up and put into storage. The plan is to rotate them in and out of the new museum, Brad Stephens said.
The current Hummels Museum — a quirky roadside attraction for at least a decade — has ebbs and flows of foot traffic, experiencing a recent bump after a visit by WGN Morning News’ “Around Town” reporter Ana Belaval in September. But more people visit the liquor store and Moretti’s restaurant next door.
“Today, the collectibles are Tom Brady’s autograph. Nobody collects Lladros and ANRIs and Hummels and things like that anymore,” the current mayor said. “There’s not a lot of people that come for that stuff. But if it’s a part of the history — which it is and was — we want to incorporate that into (the new museum) somehow, someway. It’s a little bit of a challenge, but we’re up for the task.”
The history museum is slated to open at the end of 2025.