Exhibition Tours
Self-Guided Exhibition Tours
Stroll through the galleries at your own pace on a self-guided tour. Experience the city's greatest triumphs and trials in the Museum's permanent exhibition, Chicago: Crossroads of America. Get a bird's eye view of Chicago's transformation in the Imagining Chicago Diorama Hall. Celebrate the grandeur of Chicago's world fairs through Chicago Treasures installations throughout the Museum.
Discover the city's rich history through temporary exhibitions. Please schedule self-guided tours two to three weeks in advance. Audio tours of Chicago: Crossroads of America are available for an additional $2 per person.
Cost: $11 for adults; $9 for seniors and students
Time: 2-4 hours
Group Size: 10 to 100
> Learn more about current and upcoming exhibitions
Uncovering Chicago Scavenger Hunt
How much do you know about Chicago? Test your knowledge with a scavenger hunt in the Museum. The hunt is great as a team-building activity or just a fun way to experience history.
Cost: $2 per person in additional to the self-guided tour fee.
Guided Exhibition Tours
The Museum offers guided tours of several permanent and temporary exhibitions to help you make the most of your visit. Your visit includes a tour led by a trained docent in the gallery of your choice. Please schedule four to six weeks in advance.
Cost: $14 for adults; $13 for seniors and students
Time: 50–60 minutes
Group Size: 10 to 50
Highlights of Chicago
Discover
Chicago's transformation from a smelly swamp to a thriving metropolis
touring highlights of our permanent exhibition, Chicago: Crossroads
of America. Experience the city's greatest triumphs and trials.
Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of the past as you climb
aboard ‘L' Car No. 1. Feel history come alive as you explore
innovations in fashion, entertainment, and architecture. Discover how
the city changed with each crisis—from the Great Chicago Fire of 1871
to the riots of 1968. Celebrate the city's love affair with its sports
teams.
Chicago's World's Fairs
Experience the grandeur of the World's Columbian
Exposition of 1893 and the Century of Progress Exposition of 1933–1934.
Imagine the splendor of Chicago's first world's fair with its
magnificent white buildings and unusual exhibitions. Picture yourself
as a fairgoer at the second world's fair—enjoying the urban oasis along
the shores of Lake Michigan during the depths of the Great Depression.
Understand how the fairs inspired millions of visitors and introduced
innovations that touch our lives today.
Bertha Honoré Palmer
May 23, 2009 through January 4, 2010
Bertha Palmer reigned as the queen of
Chicago society, but her influence was known around the world. She was
a champion of her fledgling city and the epitome of a grande dame. On
the anniversary of Palmer’s 160th birthday, the Museum presents a
selection of her personal effects to honor one of the most significant
figures in late 19th-century Chicago.
> Learn more about Bertha Honoré Palmer
Abraham Lincoln Transformed and Benito Juárez and the Making of Modern
Mexico
October 10, 2009 through April 12, 2010
Explore Lincoln's changing views on slavery
and the Union, and his posthumous role as an American icon. Learn about
Lincoln's contemporary, Benito Juárez, who transformed Mexico into a
modern republic, making him a beloved national icon. These exhibitions
are highlights of the year-long bicentennial celebration of Lincoln’s
birth year.
> Learn more
about the Lincoln Bicentennial
I Do! Chicago Ties the Knot
May 22, 2010 through January 3, 2011
This exhibition will explore an array of wedding
costume traditions, from the ring to the veil to the gown, with nearly
45 ensembles worn by various members of wedding parties dating back to
the city’s founding.