I attended my niece's wedding here and it was the most gorgeous venue I have ever seen in my life. Grand main dining area with cozy spots all over. It felt very personal and can I just say- you will never find another backdrop for pictures such as this place. We all enjoyed staying locally in Evanston as there were plenty of nice things to see in the area. read more

The Halim Time & Glass museum has been hosting events such as birthday parties and weddings for a while now. We are going to celebrate my wife's 60th birthday party here in May. Working with Jessica, in the events department, has been wonderful. The location is beautiful, and our guests are free to explore the floor used for the party at no additional cost. The only part of the process that I still don't comprehend is that we can't take home the leftover food. Jessica claims it is due to liability issues. Not sure what liability they are referring to... If I hosted the event at Maggianos our we would be able to take leftover food home. Jessica mentioned the staff will thoroughly enjoy our leftovers. Makes me wonder if that is the reason for the policy? I'll update this review in a few weeks after the event. I'll let everyone know how the event went and how the food was... read more

Fantastic museum!!! NOT enough words in the English language to convey the grandeur, majesty, aristocracy & sheer delight of this splendid museum. Come with family (& kids) or come alone. This will prove literally to be an event of a lifetime. ========================================= If you are ever in/near the Chicago metro area please be sure to place this museum front and center on your "must visit & see" list. I am very fussy when it comes to museums & galleries, so this positive recommendation/compliment does not come easily. This place screams "CLASS, CLASS, CLASS!" in every inch of its domain. This is a totally classy and over-the-top venue. It is a great building that houses by far the nicest and most intriguing rare watch/clock and stained glass pieces that I have ever viewed in a museum setting. Nothing boring at all here ---- you will be utterly fascinated and smitten from the time you walk in until the time you walk out. Everything is carefully chosen for perfect and pleasure-inducing viewing. It is worth spending a few hours here --- again, either alone or with family members. This museum makes for an especially fruitful educational trip for adolescents. There is a little something here for everybody. You will definitely be glad that you made the trip! read more

My husband and I recently held our 130 person wedding at this incredible museum. I can easily say that picking this venue was one of the best decisions we've ever made! From start to finish, the process was a true delight! Paulette, the venue coordinator, and her associate Theodore were both delightful to work with. I was continually impressed by their responsiveness and professionalism. If you've looked at the online photos, then you already know that the venue itself is stunning. We held our ceremony on the roof, and the reception in the gorgeous Wisteria Room. On the day of, every member of the staff, from the elevator attendants, to the servers, blew me away with exceptional service. Many of my guests and family members commented on how impressed they were with all the staff as well- the professionalism, attention to detail, competence, friendliness- exceeded all expectations. The food received rave reviews, and the cake, from Alliance Bakery, was divine. Brides, this venue has it all- incredible beauty, Chivari chairs, gorgeous linens, wonderful food/beverage packages, and fantastic, professional staff. Thank you so much, Halim Museum!!! You truly helped make our wedding vision come to life! We will be forever grateful! read more

Halim Time & Glass Museum - credit: Emma Mullins Photography http://emullinsphoto.com/ - Art Museums Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

See all

A neat little museum hidden in Evanston, IL, celebrating American stained glass windows and the history of clocks and timepieces. It seems expensive, but it is a unique boutique offering. read more

See all

Wonderful addition to Evanston and Chicagoland. Learned more than I would have imagined about stained glass techniques while enjoying its impressive collection. Thank goodness places like this exist to preserve these works. The clock section of the museum is where it really shines, with an unbelievable collection of grandfather clocks, mantle clocks and everything else related to time keeping, divided up by country of origin. The clocks aren't wound or in action but many of them have cool videos with details and show the clocks moving. The Tiffany room was great too. I had no idea that they created such a variety of works. The mosaics in particular were really surprising. I didn't visit the restaurant downstairs, which apparently contains more works. Complaints? They need to turn down the temp on the second floor and it would have been nice if the main stained glass area had been left a little more open, particularly as the building was built for the collection. Expect to spend at least 2 hours there. I highly recommend it. read more

See all

We had our wedding at the Halim and could not be happier with our choice. The venue was perfect in every way. The staff was incredibly accommodating, helpful, and fun. They took care of everything for us to make our day very stress free. We could not stop getting compliments from our guests about how beautiful the space is. The Halim is also in such a convenient location in Evanston. Close to hotels, and downtown Evanston. We also had a lot of guests tell us it was some of the best food they have ever had a wedding. Props to the kitchen for sure! Everything was so tasty. Definitely recommend checking out the Halim if you are looking to host your wedding in Evanston. read more

I found this museum totally by accident. I'm not a huge fan of clocks, but I love stained glass, and the collection here is impressive. You will need at least 2 hours, depending on how much you love clocks and stained glass. I rushed through the clocks and peeked at the paintings by the restaurant and took most of 90 minutes. If you're not passionate about one or the other, you're unlikely to pay the $17 admission (well worth it if you are). The "glass" of the museum's title is 19th century American stained glass. The windows are sort of packed together; they're mostly hung at a level where you could reach out and touch them - which in fact the docents encourage you to do! The only other collection I've seen with windows at visitors' level was the collection at Navy Pier, and the pieces there were behind glass - here you're encouraged to feel the draping, the nobbly glass, the herringbone glass - and I don't remember seeing the kind of layering I saw here (up to three layers of glass in some of the windows). The stained glass collection is two large rooms - one rather labyrinthine dedicated to the windows; one room dedicated to Tiffany himself. The museum commissioned examples of American versus European-style stained glass, and another set of windows done in 1, 2 and 3 layers, which was fascinating, and the explanatory panels include both history, technique, and information on which Bible story the windows are from. A fine collection of Tiffany windows; John LaFarge; Frederick Lamb, and an artist I'd never heard of, Mary Tillinghast, with wonderful deep colors. There's one Prairie School window (unsure if it was a Wright; unlabeled) and a few skylights from the old Auditorium theater downtown. There's also a giant Tiffany window of a Madonna and child with the painting it's based on and the original photographs, and another giant Tillinghast. There is a small display window of arts-and-crafts furniture designed by Tiffany as part of the furnishings for an entire house (including two lamps); some of his watercolors; a few mosaics; a sample panel traveling salesmen used to sell the famous lamps; and even a setting of silver flatware by the other Tiffany. That said, the heart of this collection is the clocks. When climbing the stairs, look up: the building's topped with a zodiac-themed stained glass dome. Turn left at the top of the stairs and start with the reproduction of the large mechanical clock, or you'll go through the collection backwards. The oldest clocks here mostly date back to about 1500, though there is a sundial from Egyptian times. As I said, not a big clock fan, but the Japanese clocks (beautiful and apparently with 9 hours instead of 12) were fascinating; the French industrial clocks (shaped like trains; steam engines; automobiles) very interesting; and there's a giant collection of paste-encrusted Chinese clocks with automata and one plain automaton (a boy pulling a fish out of a net), in addition to a collection of navigational tools (clock-ish; another stained glass dome); "skeleton" clocks with the works exposed; and the sort of fancy porcelain bisque clocks one might expect. There aren't a lot of "mystere" clocks (where one is left wondering where on earth the mechanism is hidden - come to think of it, I only saw maybe one art deco clock; not the owner's period, I guess) but the collection features just about everything else, including several rather prosaic vitrines of pocket watches from various local factories (Elgin!) and some interesting old advertisements praising the watches' durability. The docent in the gift shop was passionate about the collection and gave me a little mini-tour of the stained glass. It's a nice little gift shop, with several books on Tiffany's art, some jewelry, art-print umbrellas, coloring books... (Many of the items in the gift shop appear to be from the Met's gift collection.) With the Driehaus Navy Pier exhibit closed, probably the finest visitable collection of stained glass in Chicago. A world-class little museum. read more

Great collection of clocks! Would have loved a few videos explaining how they were made and repaired, but really worth the visit as it is. I'm sure we will go back again as things change over time (forgive the pun) read more

See all

Awesome Display,Magical,The Reflected of Images,Sandpebbles Infusement of Perfect Glass

I went as a museum visitor to the private collection that is open to the public. Others may be reviewing the upper floor that is available for luncheons or weddings, so reviews can be confusing to understand. The time collection is really the star of this museum, with incredible timepieces and automatons going back centuries. Extremely detailed and interesting narratives make this approachable for those walking in with little background. Videos show the items actually moving, and the Chinese room is especially delightful. Good for adults and older children, not suitable for toddlers or young primary grades. read more

Halim Time & Glass Museum - View of Halim museum from sidewalk - Art Museums Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

We had our wedding dinner for 50 people there in February and it exceeded our expectations. It was held in the Tiffany Gallery and they did an amazing job. The room is exquisite, the perfect setting for an intimate dinner, with stained glass and gorgeous art covering the walls. The tables were set to perfection--I used Four Finches in Evanston for flowers and they did a wonderful job. Paulette was professional and delightful to work with as was the food director (Ted?). They both hosted our food tasting, which almost as fun and delicious as the party itself. I highly, highly recommend Halim Museum for any event. I believe they can hold up to 200 people, so if you're within that limit, go for it. They have an outdoor rooftop patio which we couldn't use in February, but it looks beautiful. read more

A lovely small museum with a phenomenal selection of clocks and some nice stained glass. Thanks to the Halim family for sharing this with the public. read more

WOW! I mean like WOW! This place is a mind bender. Up close and personal with some really artistic stained glass works. The visitor is allowed to touch these works, which are usually "out-of reach". The Clocks are even more impressive. A collection 1/4 the size would still be worth the visit. We spent over 2 hours trying to absorb the craftsmanship and beauty. We decided to leave and come back to see the rest of the collection. Can't stress enough, this place is EXTRAORDINARY!! read more

I recently took 2 of my kindergarten classes for field trips to the museum and had wonderful experiences both times. Truthfully, I was a little hesitant initially, to take a group of 5 and 6 year olds to a museum filled with priceless treasures. After taking a preliminary trip of the museum however, where I met with the very receptive museum staff to go over logistics, and saw that the artifacts were safely protected, I was motivated to share the magic of the museum with my classes. Upon our visits, we were warmly greeted by the staff and treated to customized, age-appropriate tours. After listening to exclamations of wow, awesome, so beautiful, we knew that our decision to take the children to the museum was the right one. Many thanks to the Halim Time and Glass Museum for the wonderful tours! read more

Had a wonderful bridal shower luncheon here, and strongly recommend!! The venue is beautiful, and the customer service exemplary! Jessica was excellent to work with, extremely caring and accommodating. The food was wonderful - we had two vegetarian options and the tofu was really good! The steak salad and chicken brochettes were wonderful too! After the luncheon and gifts, we were allowed to roam the museum, with Jessica and Aaron acting as knowledgeable docents. The Tiffany room was beautiful, and the stained glass displays jaw-dropping! The colors and artistry was so beautiful! Will Aaron providing our group with insight, seeing the layers of glass and changes in design and technique thru the years was fascinating. Altho we did not have alot of time in the time museum (no pun intended!) because of the time spent in the stained glass section, it was also fascinating, making our digital clock look like junk!! Again, highly recommend for a venue for shower, wedding, etc. We had all ages and "types" at the shower, and everyone found something to enjoy!! read more

The museum is spectacular!! The Tiffany glass pieces were so much larger than I expected and of a variety that was awe inspiring. Upstairs are the time pieces. I expected watches and a few clocks. The ornate structures of the Asian clocks were mesmerizing. Each of the pieces has a video monitor that will demonstrate the clocks in operation. To assemble this comprehensive of a collection from different cultures and time periods in history is such a gift to our community. I highly recommend visiting! read more

We held out wedding reception at the Halim Time & Glass Museum this month (May 8th, 2021). It is a gorgeous venue. More importantly, the staff are a blessing and they slightly adjusted pricing for Covid regulations. Throughout our planning, staff changed a few times and it was difficult. They made the transitions as easy as possible, and once Carolyn came aboard, everything was easy! She communicated with our coordinator for the entire month beforehand, and with us throughout our planning process. On the day of, it was basically like having another coordinator. Overall, our day was pretty seamless with the staff moving guests from one section to another. The elevators had some issues, but they made it work (and I am sure they'll be working on this issue). They made sure everyone was where they should be at any given time, and helped make our day into the beautiful experience it was. read more

This is a really impressive museum of Tiffany Stain Glass windows and thousands of historic time pieces. They have organized their collection in a way that lets you experience the progression of time piece craftsmanship over the centuries (including pieces from Napoleon and Catherine the Great, to name a few) and experience the variety of stain glass and other items that the Tiffany family created, such as chandeliers, mosaics, oil paintings, and much more. I was really surprised by the breadth and depth of the collection. They do a great job of providing historical context via plaques. This is a great museum for scholars and families alike. They made it clear that you are welcome to touch the stain glass so as to experience the different techniques of stain glass used to achieve a wide variety of visual effects. There is no touching the clocks but they have them behind glass, so no worries about letting your child explore the exhibits and letting them find their favorites. I didn't explore their event spaces on the upper floors but the photos look great and I can imagine the museum being a spectacular place for an event that caters to the interests of a wide audience. This is definitely worth a visit! read more

Beautiful, extensive collection curated and displayed in a wonderful building. Be sure to take plenty of time to appreciate all there is to see. And the next time you seek a special event space, give this museum a call: banquet room on the top floor plus roof-top deck. read more

We had my cousin's 40th party there and the staff was beyond fantastic! Everybody felt VERY comfortable and safe given the circumstances with Covid. The staff was very diligent with making sure that EVERYBODY followed the CDC guidelines without being overbearing or overwhelming. We were on the Tiffany room which was breathtaking, no decorations needed because the room was so fancy and tasteful. Now the most important part, the food! We had the lamb chops, sliders, the quinoa balls, and a few other things and if it wasn't one of the best dishes I've had, it was definitely up there! The food, the service, the beauty, and the atmosphere of the Halim Museum did not disappoint. Definitely going to be a regular hosting place for me and my family! It's not a top of mind place and will be a great surprise venue for your guests! read more

Exquisite collection of stained glass and clocks. Take the short tours. An hour well spent. Small, immersive, unforgettable.

A hidden gem. Off the beaten path, staffed by well trained and informative docents offering an entry into two unique collections. Well worth the time spent. read more

WOW!! Attended a wedding at the new Halim Museum and discovered an amazing hidden gem in Evanston. The gorgeous ceremony was on the roof filled with wildflowers with a view of the city / lake and the reception was one floor down in the Wisteria Room (which also has a super cool outdoor balcony). Apparently the ballroom is named after a spectacularly HUGE Tiffany stained glass dome of wisteria and fittingly so....it's amazing. For the room itself, it is a work of art - think Tiffany glass installed on every wall, hand painted columns and floor to ceiling windows - and the set up with the table arrangements and dance floor was a huge WOW!! factor when we came down from the ceremony. The food was equally wonderful and the bartenders kept the cocktails flowing. Very impressed!! I understand they are very new and I'm sure, once discovered, will be hottest venue in town. WOW!! read more

On a recent trip to Evanston to visit family, my cousin and I explored the Museum. We started with a guided tour of the clock floor, but soon ventured off on our own as we were so transfixed by the displays and descriptions that we couldn't keep up with the tour. What a delight. I highly recommend that anyone in town visit the museum. It is fascinating and unique. We will be going back on my next trip as we felt we had only scratched the surface. I also recommend you don't miss the gift shop. It is small, but full of delightful surprises. The bonus is that all of the staff are knowledgeable and accommodating. A wonderful afternoon adventure. read more

Our jaws dropped while spending a couple hours here Sunday. The building is modern and gorgeous. The first floor educates about stained glass and wows with beauty. There was a nice little bonus painting exhibit downstairs. But the second floor is what really blew our minds. Going on seemingly forever, we learned that there is an entire language around horology that we never knew about, and clocks and timepieces from all over the world. The watch-and-listen-in-motion videos in the Asian section are akin to being in a toy store, really bringing everything to life. Go soon. read more

The clock repair specialist at the Halim Museum came to our home to fix our old grandfather clock. He did a great job restoring a family heirloom! We really appreciated his expertise and caring. read more

This is an Evanston must see. We were beyond amazed at how much this museum holds in its collection. So beautiful! And even better so much information! We look forward to coming back ! read more

It's a beautiful building filled with a lot of rare and unusual clocks many of which you will never see anywhere else. They have large informative plaques for each piece and often have videos showing them working. A wonderfully informative visit that should not be missed by any clock collector or antique lover visiting Chicago. read more