Diverse History of Chicago Tour

Entries on This Tour

The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago has been one of the world's leading research organizations dedicated to the study of the Middle East. It was founded in 1919 and most of the artifacts in its collection were retrieved on archaeological excavations the University sponsored between the 1920s and 1940s. These excavations took place in Egypt, Mesopotamia, Iran, Syria, Palestine, and Anatolia. Among the artifacts collected were relief carvings, statues, papyrus scrolls and inscriptions, sculptures, and objects of daily life. The museum opened in 1931 and is relatively small, but the artifacts on display are historically significant. The largest one is the ancient Assyrian stone sculpture called a lamassu, which depicts a human-headed winged bull.

2. The DuSable Museum of African American History

The DuSable Museum of African American History is the first and oldest museum dedicated to the study and conservation of African American history, culture, and art. The museum was founded in 1961 by educator and art historian Dr. Margaret Burroughs and works to preserve and interpret the experiences and achievements of people of African descent. The museum's permanent collection includes thousands of documents and artifacts, including many that are related to the history of Chicago. Visitors can also see works of art and tour special exhibitions throughout the year. The museum also sponsors workshops and lectures.

3. KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation

KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation is the oldest Reform Jewish congregation in Chicago and oldest west of Ohio. Its house of worship is located in Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago's southside. The synagogue was built in 1924 and designed by Alfred S. Schuler, who based the design on the Byzantine architecture.

4. South Side Community Art Center

The South Side Community Art Center is an African American community art center and museum in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago. It was established in 1940 with funding from the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Art Project, a Depression-era program aimed at providing employment to artists. Of the more than one hundred community art centers created by the program, South Side remains the only one still in operation in its original building. Today the community art center, supported by donations, offers a variety of art classes, and provides a platform for local African Americans to exhibit their artwork. It has been designated both a Chicago Landmark and a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It is a member of the Chicago Cultural Alliance.

5. Heritage Museum of Asian Art

The Heritage Museum of Asian Art opened in 2014 in Chicago’s Chinatown. Local bookstore owner and third-generation resident of Chinatown, Jeffrey Moy, was motivated to start the museum as a way to expose people to Asia’s ancient history. The exhibits cover most Asian cultures, with artifacts such as jade sculpture, bronze vessels, ornately embroidered robes, folk pottery, and household décor. The mission of the museum is “to preserve and promote the tradition of Asian art for the enrichment of present and future generations.” The museum reopened in much larger facility on 26th Street in 2017.

6. Nine Dragon Wall

Chinatown's Nine Dragon Wall was completed and dedicated by the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce on September 9, 2003. This monument is meant to resemble the Nine Dragon Wall in Beijing's Beihai Park. In China, there are three ancient Nine Dragon Walls still in existence; one in Datong, one in Shanxi Province, and one in Beijing.

7. National Museum of Mexican Art

Located in the Pilsen neighborhood, the heart of Chicago’s Mexican and Mexican-American community, the National Museum of Mexican Art is a shrine to Mexican culture and art. Founded in 1987 by Carlos Tortolero, the museum contains over 10,000 pieces of art in its permanent collection; pieces dating from 3,000 years ago to the present. The National Museum of Mexican Art also remains the only museum devoted to Mexican Art that is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The museum also has several famous traveling exhibitions that are lent out to museums across the United States and Mexico. Some of these exhibits include The Art of the Other Mexico, The African Presence in Mexico, and Frida’s Contemporaries: Women Artists of Modern Mexico.

8. National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame

Located in Chicago's "Little Italy," the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame honors important athletes of Italian descent. There are over 230 inductees enshrined in the Hall of Fame. To date, the organization has raised over $6 million for scholarships and charitable causes. In 27 years, the collection of sports memorabilia the Hall has amassed is second to none. The priceless artifacts include Mario Andretti's Indy 500 racecar, Rocky Marciano's first heavyweight championship belt, Vince Lombardi's last coat worn as coach of the Green Bay Packers, and swimmer Matt Biondi's Olympic Gold Medals.

9. National Hellenic Museum

Chicago's National Hellenic Museum is dedicated to promoting Greek culture. Located in the city's popular Greektown district, the current museum building opened in 2011. The museum contains thousands of artifacts spanning Greek history from ancient Greece to Greek Americans in the present day. It has multiple permanent and temporary exhibits, as well as an extensive research library. The museum also engages in community outreach with educational programs such as lectures, language classes, and culture classes.

10. Old St. Patrick's Church (St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church)

Built in 1856, Old St. Patrick's Church predates the Great Chicago Fire and has long served as one of the landmarks of Chicago's West Town. The church served the growing Irish community of Chicago during the 19th century. Today, it is home to a large and active congregation and many events, including a festival known as "World's Largest Block Party."

11. Chicago Cultural Center

Famous for its two stained glass domes, the Chicago Cultural Center is an architectural beauty that offers free music, dance, theater events, as well as films, lectures, art exhibitions, and family events/programs for the City of Chicago. These events honor international, national, regional, and local arts, musicians, and performers. The Chicago Cultural Center was designed by Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge and built in 1897 to serve as the city’s first central library. The building was deemed a national historic place in 1972 and a Chicago landmark in 1976. In 1991, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs designated the library to become the Chicago Cultural Center.

12. Founder of Chicago statue Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable

Fur trader Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable became the first non-Native American resident of the area that is now known as Chicago. DuSable was of African descent and came to the region from the French colony of Saint Domingue (After winning independence from France, the Saint Domingue became known as Haiti). History books have recognized DuSable as the first settler of non-European descent in the area, having established a fur-trading outpost in 1779 when the area was a largely uninhabited swamp. The state of Illinois officially recoginzed DuSable as "the father" of the city of Chicago in 1968. Decades later, Chicago's Haitian-American community raised funds and hired sculptor Erik Blome to create a statue to honor DuSable. The statue was dedicated in 2009 and is one of several landmarks in Chicago that honor the city's founder.

13. Driehaus Museum

The Driehaus Museum was founded by the Philanthropist Richard H. Driehaus in 2003. The museum is housed in the former home of banker Samuel Mayo Nickerson, and underwent a five-year restoration before becoming the museum. The museum offers original furnishings and historic pieces from the Driehaus Collection of Fine Arts. The Driehaus Museum also features an extensive collection of fine furnishing from the turn of the 19th century into the new millennium of the 20th century.

14. Swedish Club of Chicago

More than one million Swedes permanently emigrated to Chcago between 1845 and 1930, some stayed and others moved on to rural (farming) locations. By 1910, one-fifth of all people who were born in Sweden lived in the United States. Only Ireland and Norway lost a higher proportion of their population in the migration to America. The Swedish Club of Chicago adopted bylaws in 1922 that stated, "The object of this association shall be: to preserve Swedish Language, Customs, Song, Music, Art, and Industry; to promote Social Intercourse; to maintain a Club House and Library." (Source: Swedish-American Historical Society Library)

15. The Polish Museum of America

The Polish Museum of America is the largest ethnic museum in Chicago and one of the first ethnic museums in the United States. It was founded in 1935 by a Polish fraternal organization in the city’s historically-Polish neighborhood. The museum is focused on preserving Polish history and culture, and contains thousands of artifacts and resources on Poland and Polish Americans. The museum occupies a building that was constructed in 1913 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to the museum, the building is also the headquarters for both the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America and the Polish Genealogical Society of America.

16. Ukrainian National Museum

This Chicago museum was founded in 1952 by Ukrainian scholars fleeing the Soviet Union and offers exhibits and programs that help share Ukrainian history along with the experience and perspectives of Americans of Ukrainian heritage. The museum is located in Chicago's historic Ukrainian Village neighborhood, a longtime center of the Ukrainian American community. The museum contains thousands of artifacts from folk art to war memorabilia and a library and archives. The museum also hosts many programs around the year including art exhibits, cultural activities, and community events.

17. Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art

Nestled in the Ukrainian Village in Chicago’s West Town, the Ukrainian Institute of Art offers a variety of exhibitions drawn from their collections that demonstrate the Ukrainian and American experience. The organizations also offers special programs such as concerts and lectures throughout the year. The museum's collection is centered around a number of Ukrainian-American abstracts and minimalist work from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. The collection includes sculptures, paintings, prints, photography, fiber and ceramics. In addition to its art exhibits that feature an international network of artists, musicians, and writers, the museum hosts an annual live silent auction, musical programs, and artists workshops.

18. National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture

Located in the historic Humboldt Park Stables and Receptory, the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture was founded in 2001 to celebrate Puerto Rican heritage and culture. The center offers seasonal exhibitions and programming as well as community and art programs exhibitions, workshops, films, and an arts & crafts festival. The museum has a courtyard decorated with mosaic artwork, two galleries, performance spaces, and art classrooms. Current renovations are set to include a café, a gift shop, and the main gallery.

19. St. Mary of the Angels

A landmark of Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood, St. Mary of the Angels Parish was dedicated by Cardinal (formerly known as an Archbishop) George Mundelein in 1920. The congregation was established by Polish immigrants in 1897. This structure replaced a previous church and took many years to construct due to the outbreak of World War I.

20. Muslim Community Center

The Muslim Community Center (MCC) was founded in 1969 by a small, diverse group of 15 Muslims. The mosque has grown to be an important center for Muslim religious and cultural life in Chicago, and as such is one of the largest Muslim organizations in the city. MCC is known as a "mother" organization because other mosques and Islamic organizations have emerged from it. MCC operates two other other locations: the Muslim Educational Center (and mosque) in Morton Grove, and MCC Academy in Skokie.

21. National Cambodian Heritage Museum & Killing Fields Memorial

The National Cambodian Heritage Museum & Killing Fields Memorial is dedicated to preserving the history and culture of Cambodia and connecting the Cambodian American community together. Much of the museum is focused on the Cambodian Genocide, during which over two million people died under the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 to 1979. It is one of only two Cambodian museums in the United States and is home to the Killing Fields Memorial, the first permanent monument to the victims of the Cambodian Genocide. The museum is also home to the Cambodian Association of Illinois, which provides support services to the state’s Cambodian American community and offers a variety of cultural and language classes. It is a member of the Chicago Cultural Alliance.

22. DANK Haus German American Cultural Center

The DANK Haus German American Cultural Center in Chicago is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of German language and culture. The center has its roots with DANK, the German American National Congress, which was founded in 1959. The current building in Lincoln Square was purchased in 1967. The cultural center hosts a variety of events exploring German heritage, culture, and language. It also serves as the meeting place for many German clubs, and is home to a language school, a museum, a library, and an art gallery. It is a member of the Chicago Cultural Alliance.

23. Swedish American Museum

Located in Chicago's Swedish cultural center Andersonville, the Swedish American Museum is the “cultural center for the education, celebration and interpretation of Swedish American history and culture in Chicago, Illinois” (“About”). The museum serves to honor and celebrate Swedish culture, history, customs, traditions, and the Swedish immigrant experience. Home to over 12,000 artifacts, the museum has a special exhibits gallery that hosts 4 exhibits a year as well as a permanent exhibit entitled “The Dream of America-Swedish Immigration to Chicago” that is updated annually; the exhibit is about immigration to Chicago at the end of the 1800s and features artifacts, immigrant experiences, and immigrant perspectives. The 24,000 square foot museum hosts events, language classes, programs, and field trips, as well as the Brunk Children's Museum and the Nordic Family Genealogy Center.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Diverse History of Chicago Tour

Created by Clio Admin on June 13th 2018, 8:28:39 pm.

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Description

This tour includes a variety of museums, cultural sites, and places of historic significance related to the diverse groups of people who call Chicago home. Highlights of the tour include the Swedish American Museum, Polish Museum of America, the National Cambodian Heritage Museum & Killing Fields Memorial, the National Hellenic Museum, the Ukrainian National Museum, the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture, and the DuSable Museum of African American History.

Entries on This Tour

Diverse History of Chicago Tour

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