Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
230 S. LaSalle St (at Quincy St.).
&
312/322-2400.
www.chicagofed.org. Free admission. Mon-Fri
9am-4:30pm, except federal holidays. Subway/El: Brown Line to Quincy/Wells. Bus: 134, 135, or 156.
Chicago Historical Society
Ages 7 & up.
Located at the southwestern
tip of Lincoln Park, the Historical Society is one of Chicago's oldest cultural
institutions (founded in 1856), but one that has successfully brought its exhibits
into the 21st century. More updating is underway and will continue through
2005. The good news is that the renovations are intended to create more hands-
on, family-friendly exhibits. During the work, exhibits will remain open, but
call ahead to check the status.
Inside the Historical Society's lovely redbrick and glass-walled building, you'll
find a fascinating display of objects, artifacts, artworks, and other items in gal-
leries that are both beautifully executed and easy to navigate. (It's also just a Fris-
bee toss from North Ave. Beach, the best beach in the city, and across the street
from the Gold Coast's most elite addresses.) Kids can climb aboard the 160-
year-old Pioneer, Chicago's first locomotive, and visit the Hands-On Gallery,
where they can step into an early fur trader's cabin. An Illinois Pioneer Life
gallery features daily craft demonstrations.
Casual visitors can get a good overview of the highlights in about an hour;
history buffs will need more time. The must-see permanent exhibit is
A House
Divided: America in the Age of Lincoln,
which explores the institution of slav-
ery in America and the devastation of the Civil War. (Items on display include
the bed that Lincoln died in and an original copy of the 13th amendment abol-
ishing slavery, signed by Honest Abe himself.) Another highlight is the CHS's
costume collection, which includes suits worn by George Washington and John
Adams, articles of clothing belonging to Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, and,
of more current vintage, one of Michael Jordan's costumes and numerous gowns
by contemporary fashion designers. Other worthy stops are the Charles F. Mur-
phy architectural study center, featuring one of the nation's largest collections of
architectural working drawings; the decorative and industrial-arts collection,
including stained-glass designs by Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan; and
We the People,
a permanent exhibit on the founding of the United States.
The Historical Society sponsors lectures, symposia, and seminars; film screen-
ings; family programs; historical reenactments and performances by local theater
companies; and music concerts on the beautiful plaza overlooking Lincoln Park.
On the ground floor of the museum, past the gift shop, is Big Shoulders Cafe,
entered through a flora- and fauna-decorated terra-cotta arch removed from the
old Stockyard Bank and reassembled here. The museum's website is worth
checking out before your visit, especially the impressive online “exhibit” on the
Great Chicago Fire. After your visit, head a few blocks east to North Avenue
Beach, the best beach in the city, or wander the neighboring residential street of
the exclusive Gold Coast. Allow 1 to 2 hours.
1601 N. Clark St. (at North Ave.).
&
312/642-4600.
www.chicagohistory.org. Admission $5 adults, $3 seniors
and students, $1 children 6-12, free for children under 6. Free admission on Mon. Mon-Sat 9:30am-4:30pm;
Sun noon-5pm. Research center Tues-Sat 10am-4:30pm. Bus: 11, 22, 36, 72, 151, or 156.
Chicago Public Library/Harold Washington Library Center
Ages 2 &
up.
The Harold Washington Library Center is named in memory of Chicago's
first and only African-American mayor, who died of a heart attack in 1987 at
the beginning of his second term in office. This massive redbrick neoclassical
edifice—occupying an entire city block at State Street and Congress Parkway—
is the largest public library in the world. There's a stunning 52-foot glass-domed
