As you explore "Chicago: Crossroads of America," find the dolls, solve the riddles using your knowledge of Chicago history, and help us put an end to this wayward spirit's sinister plan! More

Now Open! – Through the lens of Chicago’s Polish communities, experience the journeys immigrants have taken to get to the city, the ways they have established themselves in its neighborhoods, and the duality of feeling a deep connection to two places at once. More

A rapidly growing city built of wood. A summer-long heat wave. An exhausted and misdirected team of firefighters. Racial, social, and economic tensions bubbling just below the surface. All Chicago needed was a spark. More

A century after ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, the Chicago History Museum invites visitors to explore women’s activism in Chicago to secure the right to vote—and beyond. More

Explore the city's history through a series of galleries that illustrate Chicago’s crossroads nature and highlight artifacts from the Museum’s remarkable collection. More

Generations of Americans have grappled with the meaning of freedom defined by the nation’s founders. Discover how the quest for equality over the past 200 years has transformed what it means to be free. More

Use your five senses to explore Chicago, uncover the past, and discover that history is all around you. More

Feel the intensity of the Great Chicago Fire and splendor of the World’s Columbian Exposition. Explore the sights of bustling Maxwell Street in the 1950s and peer down from an I-beam at the top of the Sears Tower in the 1970s. Relive Chicago sports victories and cheer on President Obama during his Grant Park victory speech in this compelling adventure film. More

If Chicago’s flag had a fifth star, what would it represent? Discover highlights from the city’s past, cast your vote, and see how your choice stacks up. While in the gallery, be sure to look beneath your feet and explore Chicagoland on our wall-to-wall floor map. More

As president, Abraham Lincoln faced our nation's greatest crisis–the Civil War. This installation highlights Lincoln's election in 1860, his leadership during the Civil war, and his tragic assassination. More

Abraham Lincoln may have lived in Springfield, but Chicago was his second home and political headquarters during his rise to the White House. This gallery provides a glimpse of the city that Lincoln knew—a dynamic young metropolis on the verge of greatness. More

At the perfect height for young visitors, our dioramas were constructed by German artisans in the early 1930s and depict how Chicago changed during the 1800s. More