Holiday Scavenger Hunt
Don't miss the fun at Gail Borden Public Library this Holiday season. With 33 Olmec Origin heads gracing the main library, there is a new Holiday scavenger hunt with great prizes to entertain people of all ages.
Extension of Olmec Origins
Library officials are happy to announce that the Olmec Origins Exhibit will be at the Main Library through the Holidays and it has been extended through February 2025.
The Olmec Origins culturally decorated heads exhibit is currently at the Gail Borden Public Library at 270 N. Grove, Elgin, Illinois. While the original Olmec heads from 1600 BCE weighed tons and were 10 to 15 feet high, the 33 Olmec heads at the Library are somewhat smaller (a little over 5 feet), featuring a variety of colorful and cultural designs. The exhibit will be at the Library through February 2025.There is no charge and ample parking.
In partnership with the Mexican Cultural Center of DuPage (MCC), the Library is hosting the large, artisan Olmec heads that represent individual artists' sense of Mexican cultural history as well as their home cities. Many of the Olmec artists hail from the 2026 World Cup hosting cities in Mexico, Canada and the United States. The Olmecs were one of the earliest known major Mesoamerican civilizations and laid the foundation for the Mexican cultures that followed. Many people have come to learn about the Olmec culture via their art, including these colossal heads.