CHICAGO (January 2, 2025) – The Chicago History Museum is thrilled to offer numerous Illinois resident free days to kick off 2025, giving visitors the opportunity to explore the city’s rich history. Free days will be on the following dates: January 20–24 and 28–31, and Tuesday–Friday every week in February, as well as Presidents’ Day. Learn more and purchase tickets here.
“The Chicago History Museum is a must-visit destination for anyone interested in the history of this great American city,” said one recent visitor. “Whether you’re interested in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the city’s role in the Civil Rights Movement, or the rise of Chicago’s many famous politicians, you’ll find something to pique your interest and leave with a newfound appreciation for Chicago’s rich and diverse history.”
In addition to upcoming free days, a series of programs will take place at the start of the new year, including events on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents’ Day. Learn more about upcoming Museum events here.
Closing Soon
City on Fire: Chicago 1871
Closing January 26, 2025
Designed for families, City on Fire: Chicago 1871 explores the impact the fire had on the city and its people. The exhibition takes visitors through events and conditions that led to devastation and recovery and sheds light on what life was like in 1871. Following the detailed path of the fire, from the O’Learys’ barn north and east through the city, visitors are immersed in the destruction of the fire and the decisions that civilians were faced with as they fled danger. Learn more here.
During the month of January, the Museum will be screening WTTW’s The Great Chicago Fire: A Chicago Stories Special in the afternoon. The film brings to life this seismic event as never before, using vivid animations, elaborate recreations, and interviews with historians and the descendants of eyewitnesses. The screenings are included in Museum admission.
On View
Designing for Change: Chicago Protest Art of the 1960s–70s
Chicago activists in the 1960s and ’70s used design to create powerful slogans, symbols and imagery to amplify their visions for social change. See more than 100 posters, fliers, signs, buttons, newspapers, magazines and books from the era, expressing often radical ideas about race, war, gender equality and sexuality that challenged mainstream culture of the time. Learn more here.
Dressed in History: A Costume Collection Retrospective
Featuring 70+ rarely seen objects, from glamorous gowns and sharp suits to housedresses and sneakers, the exhibition explores how clothing captures material, social and changing cultural values throughout history. The exhibition celebrates 100 years of an incredible collection and the donors, curators and staff who have shaped it. Learn more here.
Injustice: The Trial for the Murder of Emmett Till
In 1955, the murder of Emmett Till, a Black teenager from Chicago, and the subsequent criminal trial in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi, attracted international attention and sparked the Civil Rights Movement. Injustice: The Trial for the Murder of Emmett Till begins with photographs of a joyful Emmett in life and of his funeral attended by thousands. The trial proceedings are then shared through courtroom sketches by Franklin McMahon. These drawings give a visual account of a trial that amplified the inequities Black Americans face within the US court system, including a lack of equal protection under the law. Learn more here.
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ABOUT THE CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM
The Chicago History Museum is situated on ancestral homelands of the Potawatomi people, who cared for the land until forced out by non-Native settlers. Established in 1856, the Museum is located at 1601 N. Clark Street in Lincoln Park, its third location. A major museum and research center for Chicago and U.S. history, the Chicago History Museum strives to be a destination for learning, inspiration, and civic engagement. Through dynamic exhibitions, tours, publications, special events and programming, the Museum connects people to Chicago’s history and to each other. The Museum collects and preserves millions of artifacts, documents, and images to assist in sharing Chicago stories. The Museum gratefully acknowledges the support of the Chicago Park District on behalf of the people of Chicago.