Chicago History Museum, Illinois

What is Chicago History Museum?

This is both a museum and a research library devoted to Chicago's past. The society behind it exists to study the city's history and explain it to the public, and the museum is where that work meets visitors. Its neighborhood is the Old Town Triangle, on the edge of Lincoln Park, one of the city's big lakefront green spaces.

The building has been enlarged several times over the decades as the collections and programs grew. With restrooms, parking and space for families, it works as an easy half-day stop for casual visitors and serious history readers alike.

History of Chicago History Museum

The Chicago Historical Society was established in 1856, when the city was still young. Since the 1930s its museum and library have occupied the site at North Clark Street and North Avenue. For generations people simply called it the Historical Society or CHS. In September 2006 it began presenting itself to the public as the Chicago History Museum, while the society itself continues behind it. The museum has been expanded more than once on the same corner, so the history of the building is itself a small part of the story.

Visiting Chicago History Museum: tips

The museum has restrooms, parking and wheelchair access, and it welcomes children. Allow one to two hours. Gas and food are both about 0.1 mile away. Nearby, the International Museum of Surgical Science is about 0.3 mile away, Lincoln Park Zoo about 0.7 mile and the Lincoln Park Conservatory about 0.9 mile, so a walk through the park makes a pleasant add-on.