Chicago History Museum
1601 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60614
Museums
Explore the history of Chicago and United States through permanent and temporary exhibitions drawn from more than 20 million items in the Chicago History Museum’s collections. Showcasing photography, documents, artifacts, and interviews.
Our permanent and temporary galleries are full of Chicago stories!
“Chicago: Crossroads of America" explores the city’s development and its influence on US history. Examine a treasure trove of historical artifacts, including a chunk of the original Fort Dearborn and the actual first locomotive to operate in Chicago.
Designed for young visitors, our “Sensing Chicago” exhibition encourages them to use all five senses to discover Chicago’s history and even pretend to be a Chicago-style hot dog.\
In the dynamic film, “The Great Chicago Adventure,” experience the intensity of the Great Chicago Fire and splendor of the World’s Columbian Exposition, explore the sights of bustling Maxwell Street in the 1950s and peer down from an I-beam at the top of the Sears Tower in the 1970s.
Chicago History Museum Highlights:
City on Fire: Chicago 1871 – Designed with younger visitors in mind, this exhibition examines what life was like for Chicagoans before, during, and after the Great Chicago Fire.
Abraham Lincoln – In this installation, you’ll learn all about former president Abraham Lincoln, his leadership during the civil war, and his assassination.
Facing Freedom in America – This exhibition uses artifacts, images, and interactive displays to examine the stories behind eight conflicts over American freedom dating from the 1850s to the 1970s, including women’s suffrage and Japanese internment.
Jaffee History Trail – This outdoor, interpretive path incorporates features such as a native species garden, the Couch Tomb, and a 13,000-pound, metal blob from the 1871 Great Chicago Fire.
Visit chicagohistory.org or call 312-642-4600 for visitor information and for a full schedule of museum public programs and events.
What's happening nearby...
Chinatown Summer Fair
Jul 28 @ 10AM
This iconic event is one of the most ethnically unique outdoor events in Chicago and the Midwest. Attracting more than 40,000 people from throughout the region.
Read more about Chinatown Summer Fair
Lollapalooza
Grant Park • Aug 01 – Aug 04
Each year at Lollapalooza, some of the top names in alternative, hip hop, punk and pop join more than 170 bands and musicians in Grant Park…
Read more about Lollapalooza
Chicago Air and Water Show
Aug 10 – Aug 11
The Chicago Air and Water Show presented by the City of Chicago is the largest free show of its kind in the United States. The show…
Read more about Chicago Air and Water ShowYou might also be interested...
DuSable Museum of African American History
Chicago
Read more about DuSable Museum of African American History
