Chicago History Museum

The Chicago History Museum is free on Mondays, which is something I've always known, but was never never able to take advantage of. I've been wanting to check it out for ages, seeing as I adore Chicago, and cannot get enough of books like Devil in the White City and Sin in the Second City and any other literature that immerses me in the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Chi-town history. Last Monday, Mom and I dropped in before she headed back to Ohio.

Honestly, I had expected the museum to be much, much larger. Along the lines of the Science and Industry museum, for instance. So, I was a tad disappointed at its size (to be fair, a large chunk of the museum is currently under construction). For a city with such a rich history, I guess I just expected more. However, they make use of the small space by rotating exhibits out fairly frequently. From their website, it seems like their exhibits are rotating every few months, which is cool, because if you go back, there will be new things to see.

I liked this picture hanging in the museum, so I took a picture of it.

Dodging all the schoolkids, we made our way up to the various dioramas. These were probably my favorite part of the museum, showing models of the city at various points in time. Additionally, I appreciated the history of Chicago's turbulent past, such as the Haymarket affair, race riots, and mobster culture. I felt the exhibits really only scratched the surface, though. I don't recall seeing anything about Cabrini Green, for instance, which surprised me, but maybe I was just missing something? All of the historical information was a bit lacking in details, not really delving into anything too deeply. And I felt as though the artifacts from major events like the World's Columbian Exhibition were quite sparse for a museum. Definitely more of a place to take young kids who are just starting to learn about the city's history.

For tourists, the museum is probably a great option. However, I think I will keep getting my Chicago history from books and the Chicago Architecture Foundation. Here are a few additional pictures from the museum: