Give the gift of Chicago!

Support the Museum by sponsoring one of our most popular artifacts.

Delight a friend or loved one by adopting an artifact in his or her honor or show your pride in our city’s history by adopting one for yourself. After you adopt, plan an outing to the Chicago History Museum to visit your artifact. All six treasures are currently on display.

When you send in your adoption form and a donation to the Museum, we’ll send you (or your friend or loved one) a personalized adoption packet, which includes a certificate of adoption, a picture of your artifact, and a description of its historical significance. In addition, all artifact sponsors have their names listed on a donor board in the Museum’s lobby and the satisfaction of knowing that their support benefits the conservation of our artifacts.

Adopting an artifact is fun and easy!

Step 1: Choose an artifact.

Step 2: Use our online form to make a secure tax-deductible donation at the level of your choosing. See the Benefits of Adoption for more information.

We will then send a personalized adoption packet to you or a friend or loved one.

> Adopt an artifact now!

Artifacts

Colonel Crackie from Kukla, Fran, and Ollie

With his distinguished garb, serious expression, and southern manner, Colonel Richard Hooper Crackie was quite a gentleman. He was resident elder of the Kuklapolitans and longtime beau of Madame Ooglepuss.

The Railsplitter, Lincoln campaign painting, 1860

Before the 1860 Republican convention, Lincoln’s supporters dubbed him “the railsplitter,” a reference to his youthful days on the western frontier. This image appealed to voters who valued hard work and self-reliance.

Terra-cotta arch from the Union Stock Yard, 1888

This arch originally stood at the National Live Stock Bank on Exchange Avenue, designed by Burnham & Root in 1888. The ornamentation, featuring ranchers and livestock, reflects the bank’s involvement in the economic life of the yards.

Windows from the Ward Willits House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, 1902

The Willits House, completed in 1902, is recognized as Wright’s first fully articulated Prairie Style home. The house featured 115 art-glass windows, which allowed light into the interior of the house while ensuring privacy for residents.

Plan of Chicago by Daniel H. Burnham and Edward H. Bennett, 1909

Burnham and Bennett’s ambitious plan envisioned Chicago as a “City Beautiful,” featuring lakefront parks, a new civic center, and improved transportation systems. Although never fully implemented, the plan influenced perceptions of Chicago and sparked a flurry of urban planning across the nation.

President Lincoln’s order to affix the Seal of the United States on the Emancipation Proclamation, 1863

After attending the customary New Year’s reception at the White House, Lincoln retired to his office to sign the final Emancipation Proclamation and write this transmittal order to Secretary of State William H. Seward. Of all his acts as president, Lincoln thought he would be best remembered for issuing the Emancipation Proclamation.

Benefits of Adoption

Adopt an artifact at any level and receive all of the benefits in that level plus the benefits listed in the levels below it.

$1,000 and above

• Special invitations for lunch in the President’s Office
• Private use of the Museum for friends and family on scheduled Sunday mornings
• Opportunities to meet with Museum historians, curators, and collection specialists
• Invitations to exhibition openings and other VIP events

$500–$999

• Your name listed in our donor newsletter, Chicago Treasures
• A special Contributor Card that entitles you to VIP status throughout the Museum
• Unique behind-the-scenes opportunities, including exclusive previews of new exhibitions and visits to our conservation and collection areas

$250–$499

• Membership in the Donors’ Club, which includes all of the benefits of Museum membership: free admission to the Museum and Research Center; a free subscription to Chicago History magazine; invitations to member-only events; discounts on all programs, tours, and purchases at the Museum Store; and more!
• Special invitations to Donors’ Club events throughout the year, including preview receptions and behind-the-scenes tours

$100–$249

• A one-year subscription to our donor newsletter, Chicago Treasures
• A pass for free admission to the Museum for two

$35–$99

• A personalized adoption packet, which includes a certificate of adoption, a picture of your artifact, and a description of its historical significance
• Your name listed in the Museum and the annual report as a sponsor of your chosen item
• A one-year subscription to our quarterly calendar