Editing Elgin, Illinois (section)

==Arts and culture==
[[File:Elgin Tower Building - January 2011.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Elgin Tower Building]]]]
[[File:Gifford-Davidson House (8483822865).jpg|thumb|The 1850 cobblestone [[Gifford-Davidson House]]]]
Elgin is home to the [[Elgin Symphony Orchestra]]. Other classical music groups include the [[Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra]], the Elgin Master Chorale, and the Elgin Children's Chorus. Outdoor music can be heard at the Wing Park Bandshell. Theatre groups include the Janus Theatre Company, Elgin Theatre Company, the Independent Players, Children's Theatre of Elgin, Fox Valley Youth Theatre, and Nothing Special Productions. Together, [[The Hemmens Cultural Center]] and [[Elgin Community College]]'s Visual & Performing Arts Center host dozens of performances a year by performers ranging from Chicago's Hubbard Street Dance Company to comedian [[Bill Maher]].

After losing many landmark businesses in the 1980s, downtown Elgin experienced a renaissance in the 1990s with the arrival of the [[Grand Victoria Casino Elgin|Grand Victoria riverboat casino]] and improvement in the local economy. Many historic buildings have been transformed into stylish clubs and restaurants.

===Architecture===
[[File:ElginStateHosp.jpg|thumb|right|Historic print of Main Building of [[Elgin State Hospital]], demolished in 1993]]
The city was known for its historic architecture and landmarks from the [[Victorian era]], including some fine examples of homes in the [[Queen Anne style architecture in the United States|Queen Anne style]]. Many of the most remarkable homes once belonged to National Watch Company executives. Many interesting [[Sears Catalog Home]]s arrived in Elgin as kits from 1908 to 1940.  The [[Elgin Tower Building]] and the [[Elgin Professional Building]] are two large towers constructed in Elgin's heyday, before the [[Great Depression in the United States|Great Depression]]. The Tower Building was recently renovated, converting it to residential apartments.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.elgintower.com/|title=elgintower.com|website=www.elgintower.com|access-date=December 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715070524/http://elgintower.com/|archive-date=July 15, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

Predating Victorian homes were homes made of native [[cobblestone]]. It was believed that Elgin had at one time the largest concentration of cobblestone homes outside of [[Rochester, New York]]. Several such homes built by the earliest settlers still stand. They can be seen in Elgin's historic districts, two of which are recognized by the [[National Register of Historic Places]].

The [[Elgin Public Museum]] at Lords Park was the oldest building in Illinois built expressly as a museum that was still serving that purpose.

Open Elgin is a free, self guided tour of downtown Elgin's architecture. Each April, over two dozen buildings are accessible on the tour, though the event has been postponed due to the ongoing [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Home Open Elgin|url=https://www.openelgin.com/|access-date=December 10, 2020|website=Open Elgin|language=en-US}}</ref>

The nine-member Elgin Heritage Commission promotes [[historic preservation]] activity. The Gifford Park Association was also active in historic preservation, and conducts a popular annual house tour.