Dates & times
All times are local to the venue · America/Chicago
- 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
These are the previously published dates. Check the organizer for a new edition.
Check the organizer’s latest schedule ↗Evening Shadows brings a candlelight tour to Evanston’s Dawes House
The Dawes House is usually interpreted through the family life of the 1920s. For Evening Shadows: A Candlelight Tour of the Dawes House, historian Kris Hartzell takes an evening look at the building’s unusual features and the people who once lived there.
Before and after the Dawes family
The house on Greenwood Street began as a commission from Robert Dickinson and Virginia Loring Sheppard, who hired New York architect Henry Edwards Ficken in 1894. Charles Gates Dawes and Caro Blymyer Dawes bought it in 1909 and lived there for more than 40 years with their children and longtime domestic staff.
Charles Dawes served as vice president under Calvin Coolidge, but the museum also presents the building as a family home. Its furnishings and artwork are interpreted through the Dawes household’s life in the 1920s. The property has housed the Evanston History Center since 1960 and became a National Historic Landmark in 1966.
Further reading: Dawes House - Evanston History Center ↗
A special tour, with exhibitions
Hartzell’s candlelight tour is billed as a closer look at the less ordinary aspects of the house and its past residents. The center identifies a Great Hall, reception parlors, library, dining room and historic kitchen among the house’s rooms, though it has not specified the route for this particular evening.
The event also includes refreshments and an opportunity to visit Vive la Garçonne and Get out the Votes. If seeing either exhibition is important to your visit, ask the center about its location and access when checking tickets.
Further reading: Evening Shadows: A Candlelight Tour of the Dawes House - Evanston History Center ↗ · Dawes House - Evanston History Center ↗ · Visit Us - Evanston History Center ↗
The evening
The one-hour event combines Hartzell’s guided tour with refreshments and an opportunity to visit two exhibitions.
Friday, October 30, 2026 · Dawes House
- Historian Kris Hartzell leads a candlelight tour focused on distinctive aspects of the house and its former residents; refreshments and visits to the Vive la Garçonne and Get out the Votes exhibits are included.
Before you go
Check availability
Admission is listed at $15–$20. Both ticket offers were marked sold out in the event page’s ticket data when checked; confirm current availability with the center at 847-475-3410 or through its event page.
Evening Shadows: A Candlelight Tour of the Dawes House - Evanston History Center ↗
Ask about the tour route
Wheelchair access is limited to the first floor. A staff-operated lift is at the west entrance beside the driveway; call ahead or notify the front desk to use it. The second floor, where some exhibitions are located, is reached by stairs. Ask the center about the evening’s route and exhibition access.
Getting to Dawes House
Train and parking
Evanston History Center is at 225 Greenwood Street. The Purple Line’s Dempster station is approximately half a mile away; Metra Union Pacific North’s Main Street and Davis Street stations are each approximately nine-tenths of a mile away. The center reports free street parking in front on Greenwood Street.
Visit Us - Evanston History Center ↗ · Evening Shadows: A Candlelight Tour of the Dawes House - Evanston History Center ↗
Entering the house
The front door has six steps with railings. The west entrance beside the driveway has a wheelchair lift operated by staff; call 847-475-3410 or notify the front desk to arrange its use.
Before you make a plan
When is the candlelight tour?
Friday, October 30, 2026, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Evanston History Center.
Chicago's North Shore CVB - Welcome - Evening Shadows: A Candlelight Tour of the Dawes House ↗ · Evening Shadows: A Candlelight Tour of the Dawes House - Evanston History Center ↗
Are tickets still available?
The center lists admission at $15–$20. Both offers were marked sold out in its captured ticket data, so check with the center for current availability before traveling.
Evening Shadows: A Candlelight Tour of the Dawes House - Evanston History Center ↗
Can a wheelchair user take the tour?
The house is wheelchair accessible on the first floor only, using a staff-operated lift at the west entrance. Contact the center about the evening’s route and access to the exhibitions.
Visit Us - Evanston History Center ↗ · Evening Shadows: A Candlelight Tour of the Dawes House - Evanston History Center ↗
Can children attend?
The center requires children to be supervised by a responsible adult. No separate age rule is listed for this tour.
Policies, Guest Expectations, and Waivers - Evanston History Center ↗ · Evening Shadows: A Candlelight Tour of the Dawes House - Evanston History Center ↗
Location & Google Maps
Evanston History Center
225 Greenwood Street, Evanston, IL 60201
Map search by venue and address. Check the organiser’s entrance details before travelling.