During the Gilded Age, Chicago’s Prairie Avenue was regarded as “Millionaire’s Row.” The wealthy flocked to the area after the Civil War because it was close to the Loop, and it did not require its residents to cross the Chicago River.
On this walking tour with guide and researcher Tony Szabelski, stroll through the neighborhood that once boasted Second Empire, Queen Anne, and Richardson Romanesque-style homes. Learn about its rise to prominence, decline in the mid twentieth century, and the preservation efforts that led to the Prairie Avenue District to be added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. Hear tales of the famous specters that supposedly still linger in the remaining structures, such as the William W. Kimball House and Marshall Field Jr. Mansion.
Advance registration is required for walking tours.
Tour also includes free admission to the Chicago History Museum, good for one week from tour date.
Join a CHM History Buff volunteer guide and whisk away to a time when Chicago’s rich and famous caroused on the coast. “Gold Coast” refers to a stretch of expensive lakefront property occupied by the city's wealthiest residents. Before the opening of the Michigan Avenue Bridge (now DuSable Bridge) in 1920, it was isolated from the downtown business district and home to only a few wealthy families, such as the McCormicks, Palmers, and Ryersons.
The area soon became the heart of the upper crust of Chicago society. Sociologist Harvey Warren Zorbaugh, who claimed that college boys returning from the East Coast dubbed the area the “Gold Coast,” immortalized it in his book The Gold Coast and the Slum: A Sociological Study of Chicago’s Near North Side. The density of wealth in the Gold Coast buffered it against the deterioration that threatened other portions of the North Side in the 1950s.
Gaze at ornate architecture by Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan, step onto a rare wood-block alleyway, and take in Chicago’s early mansions, including the Archbishop’s Residence.
Tour runs 1.5 to 2 hours. Meet at the Chicago History Museum.
Tour also includes free admission to the Chicago History Museum, good for one week from tour date.
The Chicago History Museum sits on the edge of Old Town, a neighborhood rich in history. The Chicago area was home to the Potawatomi, whose villages were built on these lands. After they were forcibly removed, German farmers settled there to make their homes. Since then, it has served as an enclave for Puerto Rican migrants, a home to the first gay rights organization in the US, as well a vibrant arts scene.
Join CHM volunteer Carol Fitzgibbons to explore stories of recovery from the 1871 Great Chicago Fire and the neighborhood as the center of Chicago bohemianism in the 1960s and ’70s. Highlights include a post-Fire shelter cottage, the Midwest Buddhist Temple, numerous historic residences, and St. Michael’s Church, one of only seven buildings to survive the fire.
Tour runs 1.5 to 2 hours. Meet at the Chicago History Museum.
Tour also includes free admission to the Chicago History Museum, good for one week from tour date.
The Chicago History Museum is open and we look forward to welcoming you.
General Admission to the museum includes all permanent and temporary exhibitions.
Members, Remember to sign-in to your account or register for an account if you haven't already done so. After signing in at the upper right, select your desired tickets, and then click Add to cart. You will see your member discounts applied at the basket.
If you are an IL resident aged 18, you may register an account (see upper right corner). Then when logged in, you may reserve a maximum of two student tickets. Please have ID ready upon arrival.
If you are a resident of the City of Chicago and want to redeem your $2 discount, you may register an account (see upper right corner). Then when logged in, you may reserve a maximum of two discounted tickets. Please have ID ready upon arrival.
If you are an Illinois resident and you're looking for our next available Illinois resident discount admission days, please follow this link. Illinois Resident Discount Dates Calendar
Join CHM History Buff volunteer guide Dave Gudewicz to explore the history of the Sheffield/DePaul neighborhood. The area was once home to immigrants who worked in the local factories, then wealthy Victorian-era families, and is now home to a university and its students. Stroll past Italianate and Queen Anne-style architecture and see the sites of Hollywood films. The tour concludes at the family-owned Kelly’s Pub where you’re welcome to grab a drink with the guide.
Tour runs approximately 90-120 minutes. Meet at the street-level entrance of the Fullerton Red/Brown Line L stop.
Tour also includes free admission to the Chicago History Museum, good for one week from tour date.
Traducción al español disponible a continuación.
Admission is free for IL residents on this date. Please create an account before ticket selection to apply the Illinois resident discount. Tickets will be discounted at check out. Advance tickets are not required for General Admission. Walk-in visitors welcome. Planning a group visit? Please call us at 312-642-4600 to make group reservations.
Members, Remember to sign-in to your account, or register a new account if you haven't already done so. After logging in please select the number of desired tickets and click Add To Cart. You will then see your member discount applied at the basket.
General Admission to the museum includes all permanent and temporary exhibitions.
Español
La entrada es gratuita para los residentes de Illinois en esta fecha. Por favor, crea una cuenta antes de seleccionar las entradas para aplicar el descuento para residentes de Illinois. No es necesario comprar entradas por adelantado para la entrada general. Se admiten visitantes sin reservación previa. ¿Estás planeando una visita en grupo? Llámanos al 312-642-4600 para hacer reservaciones de grupo.
Miembros del Museo: No olviden iniciar una sesión en su cuenta en la esquina superior de la derecha o registrarse para crear una cuenta si aún no lo han hecho. Después de acceder, seleccionen el número de entradas que quieran y hagan clic en “Añadir al carrito.” A continuación, el descuento para miembros será aplicado en su orden.
La entrada general al museo incluye todas las exposiciones permanentes y temporales.
Did you know that Chicago is home to the very first gay rights organization in the United States AND the first Pride Parade in the world?
October is LGBT History Month, and we’re honoring it with two walking tours looking at some of Chicago’s LGBTQIA+ history with tour guide Mike McMains of Tours with Mike.
On this North Side tour, explore the businesses and organizations in the Northalsted (formerly Boystown) area in Lakeview. Today, it is one of the country’s largest LGBTQIA+ districts and the very first “gayborhood” to be governmentally recognized. It’s home to numerous bars, restaurants, shops, and social services and civil rights organizations. This area of North Halsted Street also features the Legacy Walk honoring notable LGBTQIA+ leaders.
Attendees can enhance their experience by using their smartphones to view historical photographs related to the tour topics.
Advance registration is required for walking tours.
$25; $22.50 members
Tour begins outside of the Belmont Red/Brown/Purple Line train station’s southern entrance in front of Dunkin Donuts (945 West Belmont Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657) covers just over one mile, ends at the Center on Halsted (3656 North Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60613), and is wheelchair accessible.
The Chicago History Museum is open and we look forward to welcoming you. General Admission to the museum includes all permanent and temporary exhibitions.
Members, Remember to sign-in to your account or register for an account if you haven't already done so. After signing in at the upper right, select your desired tickets, and then click Add to cart. You will see your member discounts applied at the basket.
If you are an IL resident aged 18, you may register an account (see upper right corner). Then when logged in, you may reserve a maximum of two student tickets. Please have ID ready upon arrival.
If you are a resident of the City of Chicago and want to redeem your $2 discount, you may register an account (see upper right corner). Then when logged in, you may reserve a maximum of four tickets. Please have ID ready upon arrival.
Educator Seminar | Facing Freedom
Saturdays, October 3 and 17, 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Free, earn up to 6 PD hours.
Explore the newly reimagined Facing Freedom exhibition, which examines how people in the United States have shaped freedom through civic action, service, innovation, and advocacy. This two-part seminar includes facilitated activities, time in the exhibition, scholarly talks, and field trip planning. We will examine the four themes of the exhibition—Unite: workers’ rights, Speak Out: public protest, Defend: protecting community, and Struggle: race and citizenship—and the case studies within these themes.
Each session covers distinctly different themes and stories. Sessions can stand alone, but they build on one another, so we encourage attending both. Leave with FREE classroom resources. Recommended for middle and high school educators.
Educator Workshop | Threads of a Nation: Preserving Presidential Clothing
Saturday, November 7, 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
See clothing and accessories associated with John Adams, the Washingtons, and the Lincolns through the lens of museum preservation and discover how staff care for collections both in storage and during exhibitions. Explore how you can incorporate objects, their stories, and the science of their care into your classroom instruction. Hear from exhibition curator Olivia Mahoney, make STEAM connections to museum work, and receive FREE classroom resources.
Recommended for elementary through high school educators.