Exhibitions
Benjamin B. Green-Field Gallery and The Mazza Foundation Gallery
Chic Chicago:
Couture Treasures from the Chicago History Museum
September 27, 2008, through July 26, 2009
Chic Chicago presents the hallmarks of modern fashion. The exhibition's extraordinary garments date from 1861 to 2004 and represent the most prominent couturiers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Each gown has a strong connection to Chicago and belongs to the Museum's permanent collection.
Current Exhibitions
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Costume and Textile Gallery
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. For the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893, she enlisted the support of foreign queens to erect a Woman’s Building. As a civic booster, she bought modern art directly from artists and donated it to the Art Institute of Chicago. 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.
Treasures
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Bessie Green-Field Warshawsky Gallery
Lincoln Treasures
February 12 through August 16, 2009
This family-friendly exhibition commemorates the accomplished life and tragic death of Abraham Lincoln. You'll see many of the Museum's prized Lincoln artifacts, including his pocket watch, desk, piano, and the bed in which he died.
Treasures
Upcoming Exhibitions
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KPMG and Paul and Katherine Snyder Community gallery
Lincoln Park Block by Block
Opens July 4, 2009
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.
Treasures
Permanent Exhibitions
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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.