If you want to learn about the history of Chicago, there is no better thing to do than have a Chicago History Museum Date Day.   The museum was founded in 1856, burned down during the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, was relocated several times and now has a permanent home in the Lincoln Park neighborhood.

The museum is an interesting and fun mix of permanent and temporary exhibits that strive to share the stories of the city and its people.  For our second visit to the museum, we chose a beautiful Friday in January.  Upon arrival, we bought our tickets, affixed the little ticket identifier to our clothes (Tom’s kept falling off all day) and checked our coats with perhaps the friendliest coat check attendant in Chicago.

Diorama Hall

Our first stop in the museum was the Diorama Hall.  This exhibit contains eight large scale dioramas (all built around 1932) depicting significant events in Chicago’s history.  We saw the Great Fire, the Columbian Exposition and a newly built courthouse amongst the group.  The dioramas have been lovingly restored over the years and offer a great glimpse into Chicago’s past.

Facing Freedom in America

After the dioramas, we moved on to Facing Freedom in America.  This fairly new exhibit focuses on the meaning of freedom in America and how our country has been shaped by related conflicts over the years.  From women’s suffrage to labor unions to Japanese internment, the exhibit helps everyone to think about what it truly means to be free in America.

All Things Chicago

We next ventured to the second floor of the museum to see the more extensive collections of all things Chicago.  We saw exhibits dedicated to Chicago’s major sports teams, the City’s history as a hub for jazz innovation and many pictures of how the city used to look.  Two of our favorite things in this section are the pictures and mementoes from the 1893 Columbian Exhibition and the 1932 Century of Progress World’s fairs.  There is also a section dedicated to Chicago inventions and innovations such as; the Radio Flyer wagon, the birth control pill, the zipper, the Pullman passenger car and many others.  We had no idea so many things we take for granted were invented in our own backyard!

As if the inventions were not enough, we also learned about the famous architects and business leaders that set up shop in Chicago.  We knew that Sears (1893) and Montgomery Ward (1872) were founded in Chicago, but who knew that Crate & Barrel (1962) also began here?  We also learned about the buildings and designs of Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, Mies van der Rohe and many other great architects that made Chicago what it is today.

Passing through the main lobby of the second floor, we came upon what is known as L Car #1.  This beautifully restored 1893 passenger car was the first to ever be put into service for Chicago’s “L” system.  It is joined by the Pioneer, the first locomotive engine to operate in Chicago.  Together, these historic pieces showcase the bygone era of rail transportation in Chicago.

Also on the second floor, is an extensive exhibit that chronicles Chicago, from its earliest days when the cabin of Jean Baptiste DuSable was the only structure in the city, through its growth as a trading port and stockyard to the violent times of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.  It is a detailed view of the good, the bad and the ugly that make up Chicago.

Remembering Dr. King

Our final stop on the second floor was the temporary exhibit, Remembering Dr. King: 1929-1968.  The exhibit is set up as a winding walk through a series of photographs and stories depicting key moments in Dr. King’s life and his work in the Civil Rights movement.

We finished our museum visit with a short stop in the well-appointed bookstore / gift shop where we bought a new book on the city and some fabulous Abraham Lincoln socks for our son.

After spending two hours in the museum, we realized that we were hungry.  We knew it was Restaurant Week in Chicago, so we set our sights on one of the 350+ restaurants that offer $22 per person lunch specials during this time every year.  A brisk one-mile walk northwest from the museum brought us to our chosen restaurant, Oyster Bah.