Exhibitions
Magic
Opening June 9, 2012
We’re filling the Museum with mystery to celebrate Chicago’s place in American magic. Visit our object theater to discover the story of Greta, a little girl who visits a wonderful store looking for a magician’s secrets. Next door, explore a collection of magical artifacts from across the country that have returned home to Chicago for your amazement and delight. Curious how magic looks in action? Professional magicians roam our halls at set times all summer long, defying viewers with their tricks and tips.
Current Exhibitions
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Sanger P. Robinson Gallery
Lincoln's Chicago
Lincoln was a frequent visitor to Chicago; The city became his second home and political headquarters during his rise to prominence. This gallery features portraits of Lincoln’s contemporaries with lithograph views of Chicago created in the 1860s. The pairings provide a glimpse of the city that Lincoln knew—a dynamic young metropolis on the verge of greatness.
The McCormick Foundation is the lead exhibition sponsor of Lincoln’s Chicago. Education funding for Lincoln’s Chicago is provided by JP Morgan Chase and the Terra Foundation for American Art.
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Abraham Lincoln
As president, Abraham Lincoln faced our nation’s greatest crisis—the Civil War. His resolve to save the Union and radical decision to end slavery transformed America. This intimate exhibition highlights Lincoln’s election in 1860, his leadership during the Civil War, and his tragic assassination. Together these stories honor a great leader whose legacy endures.
The Abraham Lincoln installation is supported by a gift from The Gupta Family with additional support from The Joyce Foundation in honor of Lawrence N. Hansen.
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Kovler Family Lobby
Unexpected Chicago
What’s the most surprising thing about a collection made up of millions artifacts? A single artifact! This world-class collection holds the second largest costume collection in the world including clothing and accessories as well as thousands of linear feet of archives and manuscripts that make up the equivalent of forty-nine football fields or twelve Willis Towers. Unexpected Chicago is a way to reveal unexpected treasures of Chicago history a single artifact at a time.
> Learn more about Unexpected Chicago
Unexpected Chicago is supported by a gift from The Jacob and Rosaline Cohn Foundation.
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KPMG and Paul and Katherine Snyder Community Gallery
Lincoln Park Block by Block
Lincoln Park is a dynamic neighborhood and home of the Chicago History Museum. For 150 years, Lincoln Park residents and visitors have experienced some of the city’s most historic events—from the opening of the Chicago’s first public beach in 1895 to the riots of the late 1960s. Set on an oversized map, the exhibition invites you to discover the history, culture, and making of Lincoln Park. Share your memories with other visitors, and explore Lincoln Park—a place that constantly remakes itself with a nod to the past and an eye toward the future.
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Costume and Textile Gallery
Investigating the American Flag
Our flag hasn’t always looked the way it does today. The country’s first citizens experimented with many ideas as they formed the symbol that would represent their nation at home and abroad. Here is your opportunity to take a close look at one of the earliest versions of the Stars and Stripes.
Upcoming Exhibitions
Permanent Exhibitions
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The Naphtali ben Yakov Pritzker American History Wing
Facing Freedom
What does freedom mean? To whom should freedom be extended? How are denied rights gained? These are some of the questions the new American history exhibition explores. 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 new exhibition uses images, artifacts, and interactivity to explore familiar and not-so-familiar stories from the nation’s past. From women's suffrage and the formation of unions, to Japanese internment, to a local school boycott, the exhibition highlights some of the ways Americans have struggled over the true meaning of freedom.
Facing Freedom
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Chicago: Crossroads of America
Discover the city's vast history in Chicago: Crossroads of America. Whether you are interested in Chicago's changing economy, challenging crises, diverse neighborhoods, groundbreaking innovations, or lively cultural scene, this exhibition is a must see!
> Learn more about Crossroads and preview highlights
Crossroads
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Konen Family Children's Gallery
Sensing Chicago
Use your five senses to explore Chicago, uncover the past, and discover that history is all around you. The Konen Family Children's Gallery invites families to ride a high-wheel bicycle, hear the Great Chicago Fire, catch a fly ball at Comiskey Park, smell the city's past, and be a Chicago-style hot dog.
Children's Gallery
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Tawani Foundation Diorama Hall
The Dioramas
Our much-loved dioramas have been restored and are better than ever! Visit the Tawani Foundation Diorama Hall to learn the story of Chicago's rise from a desolate frontier outpost in 1804 to the bustling city that hosted the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. Engaging details invite you to look closely and put history into a larger context.
