NIU students will get a chance this weekend to enjoy food and music while visiting a historic landmark.

On Sunday, Oct. 18 from noon to 4 p.m. the Ellwood House, 509 N. First St., will be holding its 1992 Fall Festival

According to Gerald Brauer, Ellwood House Museum director, festivities will include craft exhibits, a working blacksmith, a bake sale, a barbecue and an appearance by “The Shades,” a local 60’s style rock band.

All of the activities will be free and lunch will cost $2 to $2.50, Brauer said.

In addition, the 30-room Ellwood mansion will be open to NIU students for tours at $1 off the normal $3.50 rate.

“We want to familiarize NIU students with the Ellwood House,” Brauer said.

The mansion was built in 1879 by Isaac Ellwood, who was a major manufacturer of barbed wire. The mansion served as a home to the Ellwood family until 1965, when it became the Ellwood House museum, he said.

Donna Gable, coordinator of volunteers for the Ellwood House, said the museum’s regular tours begin at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Tuesday through Thursday and start at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The regular tours last about an hour and a half, she said.

The Ellwood House is open from March 15 until early December each year, Gable said.