Chicago History Museum: where past, present collide
It makes sense that Chicago's oldest cultural institution should be, of all things, the Chicago History Museum. In existence for more than 150 years, its collections rebuilt after the great Chicago Fire of 1871, the museum has become a piece of history itself.
Its holdings include a whopping 22 million Chicago and U.S. historical artifacts, housed in a sprawling Georgian building dating back to 1932. Old stone and brick mix with modern additions of glass and steel, while expansive exhibition spaces and a dramatic lobby area welcome visitors.
The museum houses an astounding array of historical documents, letters, journals, books, paintings, drawings, textiles and photographs. The extensive historical costume collection includes more than 50,000 objects, with treasures such as suits worn by George Washington and John Adams and former Chicago Bull Michael Jordan’s uniform. There are pajamas worn by Hugh Hefner, a top hat and pocket watch used by Abraham Lincoln, and pieces by designer icons like Dior and Versace.
Museum visitors can examine a saddle used by General Ulysses S. Grant, see the bed where Abraham Lincoln died, and explore a once-operational 1840s locomotive. The museum is also home to one of the nation’s largest collections of architectural drawings, including those of legendary Chicago architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
There's a large selection of Chicago memorabilia and souvenirs in the museum store, and a café created by famed chef Wolfgang Puck offers an array of healthy snacks and meals. Special events, films, lectures and seminars are also offered regularly.
With such a diverse collection, housed in a lovely and historic building, the Chicago History Museum is a fantastic meeting of Chicago’s past, present and future, all wrapped in a very entertaining package.
- by D.J. Siegel, Chicago Reporter for HelloMetro
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