The Joliet Area Historical Museum (JAHM) will honor Quinn X. Adamowski and the Rubens brothers as the newest inductees into the Joliet Hall of Pride during its Induction Ceremony & Annual Membership Meeting on Thursday, July 30, at the museum, 204 N. Ottawa St., Joliet.

The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with a social hour featuring heavy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar in the Welcome Center Rotunda with the induction ceremony and annual meeting following at 6:30 p.m. in the museum’s auditorium on the lower level. The museum galleries will be open to guests free of charge. Tickets for the event are $25, and registration is required by July 23. Visit the Joliet Area Historical Museum for tickets online at bit.ly/3SwLnbz.

Adamowski

The event will bring together museum members and the public to recognize individuals whose leadership, vision and service have shaped Joliet’s cultural and civic legacy. The 2026 induction carries added significance as it coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Rialto Square Theatre.

Hall of Pride Chair Nick Macris said the milestone helped guide the committee’s selection of inductees.

“As we mark the Rialto’s 100th anniversary, it felt especially fitting to recognize the Rubens brothers for their original vision and lasting contribution to Joliet’s cultural landscape,” Macris said. “It also aligns with our desire to honor Quinn Adamowski, whose work has preserved and strengthened many of the community’s most important historic and civic assets.”

Adamowski will be inducted in recognition of his decades of volunteer leadership and public service throughout the Joliet region. A fourth-generation resident of the community, Adamowski has dedicated his career and volunteer work to civic engagement, historic preservation and cultural development.

Greg Peerbolte, JAHM Chief Executive Officer, expressed gratitude for Quinn’s dedication throughout the community, particularly through his passion for historic preservation and beautification.

“Quinn represents a continued commitment to preserving and elevating Joliet’s history while actively shaping its future,” Peerbolte said. “His leadership has strengthened key institutions and advanced projects that will benefit the region for generations.”

Adamowski has held numerous leadership roles, including president of the Cathedral Area Preservation Association, chairman of the Joliet Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, president of the Joliet Area Historical Museum Board of Directors and chairman of the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway Board.

He has also served in leadership and advisory roles with the Joliet Historic Preservation Commission, Greater Joliet Area YMCA, Joliet Grade Schools Foundation, Arts Alliance Illinois Leadership Council and multiple state and regional legislative committees.

His work in historic preservation has had a lasting regional impact, most notably through his leadership in the creation and advancement of the Old Joliet Prison Preservation Coalition. Through this effort, the former correctional facility was transformed into a nationally recognized cultural destination listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Adamowski helped guide more than $10 million in grant-funded stabilization and preservation work while coordinating extensive community engagement and volunteer efforts that supported site redevelopment.

“He has shown a rare ability to bring people together around complex and meaningful projects,” said Peerbolte. “That collaboration has helped redefine how Joliet engages with its history.”

Adamowski also helped launch public programming and arts initiatives that reimagined the prison’s legacy through cultural interpretation and community dialogue. His leadership contributed to shifting public perception of the site from a symbol of Joliet’s past challenges to a nationally recognized historic and cultural asset.

Adamowski has received numerous honors recognizing his service, including the Joliet Area Chamber of Commerce Young Professional of the Year award, Shaw Media Everyday Hero recognition, the Governor’s Hometown Award and several preservation and arts advocacy awards.

The Rubens brothers, inducted posthumously, include George, Louis, Maurice, Jules, Harry and Claude Rubens. They will be honored for their transformative impact on Joliet’s arts and entertainment landscape and for establishing one of the city’s most enduring cultural landmarks.

The Rubens brothers were prominent Joliet business leaders and entertainment visionaries who helped redefine the city’s downtown cultural identity. In 1926, they pooled their resources through the Royal Theatre Company to bring a world-class entertainment venue to Joliet, investing approximately $2 million in what would become a landmark institution.

At a time when ornate theaters were most often built in major metropolitan centers, the brothers advanced a vision that residents of an industrial Midwest city deserved a premier cultural experience.

“They believed Joliet deserved a cultural institution that matched the scale and ambition of larger cities,” Macris said. “That vision continues to define the heart of our downtown.”

They commissioned nationally recognized theater architects C.W. and George L. Rapp of Rapp & Rapp to design the venue as a “palace for the people,” resulting in one of the most architecturally significant historic theaters in the region. The design included elaborate interior detailing and signature architectural features that continue to define the building today.

For 100 years, the theater has served as a cultural anchor in downtown Joliet, supporting surrounding businesses and providing a gathering place for generations of residents. The venue has hosted legendary performers including Tony Bennett, Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash, fulfilling the brothers’ original vision of a lasting home for the performing arts.

The Hall of Pride award on behalf of the Rubens brothers will be accepted by Bob Rubens, grandson of brother Claude Rubens.

Museum officials noted that Adamowski and the Rubens brothers exemplify the spirit of civic vision, cultural investment and community service that the Hall of Pride was created to recognize.