Constructed in 1923, our building housed the Cook County Sheriff’s Police Department from 1924 to 1984. The building was then leased to the Niles Historical Society who moved here in March 1985. Today the building is one of the oldest municipal structures in Niles and a local landmark. The exhibit features photographs, documents, and artifacts commemorating its longtime tenants; the Cook County Sheriff’s Police Department and the Niles Historical Society.

Tam O’Shanter: Niles’s Link to World Championship Golf

In the mid-1920s, The Tam O’Shanter Golf Club purchased and developed 112 acres of land on either side of Howard Street by the north branch of the Chicago River. They hired Charles Dudley Wagstaff and Company to turn it into an 18-hole golf course. In 1937, they sold it to George S. May, who turned Tam O’Shanter Golf course into a household name.

Currently in development, this exhibit will show artifacts about Golf Mill Mall, including the anchor stores and Mill Run Theater.

If you have any photos or objects from Sears, Woolworth, or other Golf Mill Stores, please consider donating or loaning it to us for this exhibit. Contact our curator, Brianna, at ban@vniles.com if you have questions or donations.

Opens May 2026

Niles Drugstores

at the Niles Senior Center, 999 Civic Center Drive

Pharmacists gave special care to their customers and their businesses were a central part of life for many Niles residents. This exhibit shines a spotlight on select independent drug stores in Niles and their contributions to the community.