Learn the backstory and see Chicago’s past and present from a historian’s perspective with guided or self-guided tours.
Highlights of Chicago
Discover the city’s vast history in Chicago: Crossroads of America. Whether you want to explore the grandeur of the world fairs of 1893 and 1933, or Chicago innovations that changed the world like skyscrapers and modern retail, or the diverse neighborhoods and lively cultural scene, this exhibition is a must see!
This is Chicago
City that Works, Second City, City of Big Shoulders–all are names the city has proudly earned. Meet the diverse people who have called Chicago home and imagined the city it is today.
Chicago’s World’s Fairs
From the White City of 1893 to the rainbow-colored oasis of 1933, experience the wonder of Chicago’s world’s fairs.
Duration: 50–60 minutes
Group size: Minimum 10, maximum 25 people
Cost: $21 for adults; $19 for seniors (65+) and college students
American Medina: Stories of Muslim Chicago
This exhibition draws from more than 100 interviews conducted with Muslim Chicagoans sharing their stories of faith, identity, and personal journeys. Dozens of objects from local individuals and organizations, such as garments, artwork, and photographs, as well as videos and interactive experiences expand on how and why Chicago is known as the American Medina.
Duration: 50–60 minutes
Group size: Minimum 10, maximum 30 people
Cost: $23 for adults; $21 for seniors (65+) and college students
Modern by Design
In the midst of the Great Depression, Chicago emerged as a vibrant center of streamlined design. The aerodynamic style expressed optimism and a desire for speed, power, and efficiency that suited life in the 20th century. Showcased at the 1933–34 world’s fair, this aesthetic and its enormous popularity prompted many local companies to hire new talent to design stylish yet affordable goods for middle-class consumers. Some of Chicago’s quintessential streamlined products, including Radio Flyer wagons, Sunbeam appliances, and Farmall tractors, became national best-sellers and remain icons of modern American design.
Featuring nearly 300 objects, photographs, and printed materials dating from the 1930s to 1950s, Modern by Design: Chicago Streamlines America celebrates Chicago’s role in shaping one of the most popular and enduring styles in our history
Duration: 50–60 minutes
Group Size: Minimum 10, maximum 30 people
Cost: $23 for adults; $21 for seniors (65+) and college students
Building Chicago
From tallgrass to tall buildings, frontier town to metropolis of the Midwest, tenacity, vision, and hard work built Chicago. Explore the innovations and ideas behind the city that is second to none.
Duration: 50–60 minutes
Group size: Minimum 10, maximum 50 people for permanent exhibitions, maximum varies for special exhibitions
Cost: $21 for adults; $19 for seniors (65+) and college students
Curators Guided Tour
Get a first-hand account from one of our curators about his or her vision of a current exhibition’s scope and its development.
Group size: Minimum 10, maximum 25 people
Duration: 60 minutes