Part of the historic Whiting White Castle will live on at the Illinois Railway Museum.
The museum says it's working with White Castle to remove the porcelain panels from the old restaurant and eventually rebuild the façade at its campus in rural McHenry County. Facilities General Manager Dave Diamond said in a statement that it fits perfectly with the museum's goal of recreating a 1950s Main Street, complete with a streetcar running down the middle.
The Whiting White Castle opened in 1935 on Indianapolis Boulevard at 119th Street, and for its first five years, streetcars traveling between South Chicago and East Chicago ran right past it. It closed Tuesday to make way for a larger location next door.
The Times says the Whiting-Robertsdale Historical Society will also get pieces of porcelain, along with other items. The old building will also be commemorated at the new restaurant.
