Chicago History Museum

The Chicago History Museum at 1601 N Clark St, on the edge of Lincoln Park in Chicago, Illinois, is the city's historical society museum. Housed in a brick and limestone building at the corner of Clark Street and North Avenue, it covers the story of Chicago from its settlement and growth as a rail and trading hub through the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition and the development of the city's many neighborhoods.

The core exhibition, Chicago: Crossroads of America, uses artifacts, photographs, maps and interactive displays to follow the city's economic and cultural history. Visitors can see objects tied to the Great Chicago Fire, including items that survived the blaze, and learn how the city was rebuilt. The Abraham Lincoln collection includes the deathbed associated with his assassination and other items connected to the sixteenth president and his Illinois years. Other galleries address the city's neighborhoods, immigrant communities, labor and political history, and Chicago's architecture and cultural life. Rotating exhibitions and a gallery for children give additional reasons to return, and the museum shop and cafe offer a break.

A typical visit takes between one and a half and two hours. The museum is usually open daily from about 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with Sunday opening from noon, and hours are posted at chicagohistory.org. Adult admission is approximately $19, and children under 18 enter free. Weekday mornings are the quietest, while weekends and school visits bring larger crowds. The museum is a short walk from Lincoln Park, the Lincoln Park Zoo and the Lincoln Park Conservatory, so it fits easily into a day in the neighborhood. Transit options include CTA buses 22 and 36 along Clark Street, or the Brown or Purple Line to Sedgwick and a walk of about 15 minutes. Photography without flash is typically allowed in permanent galleries, though some loaned items may be restricted.