Welcome to the Chicago History Museum
EXPLORE OUR FEATURED EXHIBITIONS
Designing for Change: Chicago Protest Art of the 1960s–70s
Chicago activists in the 1960s and ‘70s used design to amplify their visions of a more just world and to fight for social change.
Learn MoreCity on Fire: Chicago 1871
A rapidly growing city built of wood. A summer-long heat wave. An exhausted and misdirected team of firefighters. Racial, social, and economic tensions bubbling just below the surface. All Chicago needed was a spark.
Learn MoreFacing Freedom in America
Based on the central idea that the history of the United States has been shaped by conflicts over what it means to be free, this exhibition uses images, artifacts, and interactive elements to explore familiar and not-so-familiar stories from the nation’s past.
Learn MoreOpening Oct. 19! Dressed in History
OPENING OCTOBER 19. Featuring 70 rarely seen objects, from glamorous gowns and sharp suits to housedresses and sneakers, Dressed in History: A Costume Collection Retrospective explores how clothing captures the material, social, and changing cultural values throughout history.
Learn MoreEXPLORE OUR FEATURED EXHIBITIONS
Designing for Change: Chicago Protest Art of the 1960s–70s
Chicago activists in the 1960s and ‘70s used design to amplify their visions of a more just world and to fight for social change.
Learn More
City on Fire: Chicago 1871
A rapidly growing city built of wood. A summer-long heat wave. An exhausted and misdirected team of firefighters. Racial, social, and economic tensions bubbling just below the surface. All Chicago needed was a spark.
Learn More
Facing Freedom in America
Based on the central idea that the history of the United States has been shaped by conflicts over what it means to be free, this exhibition uses images, artifacts, and interactive elements to explore familiar and not-so-familiar stories from the nation’s past.
Learn More
Opening Oct. 19! Dressed in History
OPENING OCTOBER 19. Featuring 70 rarely seen objects, from glamorous gowns and sharp suits to housedresses and sneakers, Dressed in History: A Costume Collection Retrospective explores how clothing captures the material, social, and changing cultural values throughout history.
Learn MoreWHAT’S HAPPENING AT CHM?
Explore the city with our expert guides, delve into our exhibitions through thematic programs, or discover Chicago history through family-friendly activities.
Aquí en Chicago
The Chicago History Museum’s new project, Aquí en Chicago, celebrates the historically persistent cultural presence of Latine communities in Chicago. Follow along as the project evolves.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Join professional guide and local resident Eduardo Arocho on a walk through Humboldt Park. Located on Chicago’s Northwest Side, the Division Street area (a.k.a. Paseo Boricua), with its stores and restaurants, is home to Chicago’s Puerto Rican community. Learn more
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October is LGBT History Month, and we’re honoring it with two walking tours looking at some of Chicago’s LGBTQIA+ history with tour guide Mike McMains of Tours with Mike. Learn more
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Join artist and educator Juarez Hawkins for a lively historical tour of the murals along the Metra underpasses linking Hyde Park Boulevard and Cornell Avenue in Hyde Park, one of the city’s most engaging neighborhoods. Learn more
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Author and historian Bernard Turner leads this walking tour that highlights Chicago’s most influential African Americans and their contributions to the city. Learn more
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Delve into Chicago’s crime history with Richard Lindberg, author of the best-selling Return to the Scene of the Crime: A Guide to Infamous Places in Chicago (1999) and 19 other books. Learn more
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Explore stories of recovery from the 1871 Great Chicago Fire and the neighborhood at the center of Chicago bohemianism in the 1960s and 1970s. Learn more
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Experience the grandness of Pilsen’s murals with poet and multidisciplinary artist Luis Tubens. The public art on railroad viaducts, buildings, and doors shows an evolution of the community’s Mexican identity, heritage, and activism. Learn more
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LEARN AND CONNECT WITH CHM
CHM strives to be a destination for learning, inspiration and civic engagement. Through dynamic exhibitions, tours, programs, digital resources, and special events, the Museum connects people to Chicago’s history and to each other.
ABAKANOWICZ RESEARCH CENTER
Home to the Chicago History Museum’s archives, manuscripts, photographs, and more, the Abakanowicz Research Center (ARC) is one of the premier research facilities in Chicago. With free admission, the ARC helps fulfill the Museum’s mission to be a destination for learning and to connect people to Chicago’s history. We look forward to welcoming you!
Learn MoreSupport the Museum
SUPPORT OUR MISSION BY BECOMING A MEMBER
Membership offers ways to engage with others who love the city of Chicago and its history and opportunities to interact with our award-winning staff. Enjoy free admission, behind-the-scenes experiences, special discounts, and more!
Walking Tour | Paseo Boricua & Humboldt Park
Join professional guide and local resident Eduardo Arocho on a walk through Humboldt Park. Located on Chicago’s Northwest Side, the Division Street area (a.k.a. Paseo Boricua), with its stores and restaurants, is home to Chicago’s Puerto Rican community. Learn more
BUY TICKETSOUT at CHM | Downtown LGBTQIA+ Stories Walking Tour
October is LGBT History Month, and we’re honoring it with two walking tours looking at some of Chicago’s LGBTQIA+ history with tour guide Mike McMains of Tours with Mike. Learn more
BUY TICKETSWalking Tour | Hyde Park Murals
Join artist and educator Juarez Hawkins for a lively historical tour of the murals along the Metra underpasses linking Hyde Park Boulevard and Cornell Avenue in Hyde Park, one of the city’s most engaging neighborhoods. Learn more
BUY TICKETSWalking Tour | Bronzeville
Author and historian Bernard Turner leads this walking tour that highlights Chicago’s most influential African Americans and their contributions to the city. Learn more
BUY TICKETSBus Tour | North by Northwest: Infamous Places in the Land Approaching O’Hare
Delve into Chicago’s crime history with Richard Lindberg, author of the best-selling Return to the Scene of the Crime: A Guide to Infamous Places in Chicago (1999) and 19 other books. Learn more
BUY TICKETSWalking Tour | Historic Old Town
Explore stories of recovery from the 1871 Great Chicago Fire and the neighborhood at the center of Chicago bohemianism in the 1960s and 1970s. Learn more
BUY TICKETSWalking Tour | Pilsen Murals
Experience the grandness of Pilsen’s murals with poet and multidisciplinary artist Luis Tubens. The public art on railroad viaducts, buildings, and doors shows an evolution of the community’s Mexican identity, heritage, and activism. Learn more
BUY TICKETS