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.
Illinois 250
What's happening nearby...
Lollapalooza
Grant Park • Jul 30 – Aug 02
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…
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Bud Billiken® Parade
Aug 08
The Bud Billiken® Parade is more than a procession of bands and floats marching down King Drive, it’s a commemoration of our past and a celebration…
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Chicago Air and Water Show
Aug 15 – Aug 16
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…
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Chicago Museum Campus
Chicago
Chicago’s amazing Museum Campus houses three of the city’s leading institutions all in one place.
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