When you search on Google on things to do/visit in Chicago, then this museum tops the list. I was fortunate enough to visit this museum and explore every single bit of it.Im and was never a museum person but visiting this museum made me realise the importance of such places. This museum taught me about the history of Chicago great fire, Chicago famous jazz clubs, the Chinese community living in Chicago, importance of Chicago as a the financial hub of and many other things. This museum is more than a museum for sure. Loved the neon signs placed inside the museum near the reception.I was super happy by the time I was done. I would recommend every single traveler to experience this museum. The cost if entry ticket was minimal.

The Chicago History Museum is an extensive museum that covers the events that shaped the city of Chicago to what it is today.This museum is located on the border of the Old Town / Lincoln Park neighborhoods of Chicago. Its a bit away from the tourist crowds of downtown and is a great find for those looking to learn more about the city.The Chicago History Museum examines the city of Chicago through many historical events as well as many different lenses through which one can view the city. This museum is thorough in its exhibits and leaves a bit of something for anyone seeking to find out what makes Chicago unique.After youre done, the gift shop & cafe downstairs has plenty of things on which you can spend your money on.5/5.

So happy I finally got here and I was impressed to say the least! The space is huge and there is so much to see and so much to learn. I was in awe the entire time I was there. So many interesting facts about Chicago and I love that it covers everything from the world fair, to the great fire, to Indian times! Can’t wait to come back.

We love when museums are photo friendly! One of the goals of our trip to Chicago was to the see the bed from the Peterson House. We have been to the house, been to Fords Theater, Lincolns home in Springfield, Lincolns Tomb, seen the clothes Lincoln had on during the assignation, seen Booths gun, seen the chair Lincoln was sitting in, seen the bullet and skull fragments from Lincoln, and now, the actual bed from the Peterson House. Awesome adventure. Im not certain why there are bad reviews for this location, it did depict some great history form Chicago. Would of loved to seen a bit more about the 1893 Worlds Fair, but it was represented. Check out a full review on our blog and YouTube channel.

Small but contains many interesting exhibits. Worth a visit. There are some cool items from Abraham Lincoln’s life, including the bed he died in. Also there were some informative exhibits about slavery, women’s rights, and worker’s rights.

Super fun excursion! We got in for free bc it was Tuesday and it’s free for IL residents. The first floor is about 60% general American history and 40% Chicago history. The second floor gets more in depth about Chicago. The gift shop was nice and everyone was very friendly!!

This museum is very interesting and insightful. It provides a lot of quality information about Chicago, in the form of hands-on exhibits and jaw-dropping artifacts. It is clean, and a very fun museum to spend your day at, especially if you want to learn a lot about Chicagos history. Some standout exhibits to me are the jazz exhibit, and the antique Chicago bus. I especially recommend this museum, and it is a must-see when you visit Chicago.

One of the worst museums I ever visited. It is hard to learn there anything about Chicago. It is a collection of exhibitions where each pulls in some other direction and even individual exhibits in one exhibition are disorganized. Maybe you can benefit if you already have the background and come to supplement it, but if you are an outsider it may be a complete waste of time. It is certainly not worth the ticket price. We could visit for free, as members of a museum within a reciprocal program, but we question whether we spent our time correctly. Shame!

A great “hands-on” type of museum. Lots of interactive exhibits. There is a little bit of everything for everybody; if something doesn’t pique your interest you can easily bypass the room to another area. The climb into and sit antique rail car was particularly cool.If you park at the official lot, make sure you get you parking ticket validated... this way you pay only $10 to park for up to 3 hours. Also, look for deals on admission tickets on Groupon; I paid $19 for two tickets (instead of $19 each).

Excellent museum. Fun evening of blues! 2 bands- inside and out! Great exhibits. Helpful staff. Did you know members have reciprocal privileges with 800 museums around the US??

Great for adults! We enjoyed all parts, except for the kids section. Very informative and intriguing. You could spend hours there learning and being wowed.

I finally got to check out NightLIfe at Academy of Sciences when we planned a girls night out. After getting drinks at dinner and happy hour, we were ready for some museum fun. The place is huge with tons of exhibits that you can check out. As with most museums, I think this place is a great date night venue!

An unexpected gem! Dropped in to have a look round as was passing by and had some time to kill. So much to see, really engaging content, well presented and informative. A lot to get through in one visit, so much to see.

Loved everything about this place except the parking (be prepared to pay $$). Amazing Chicago artifacts and history. Plenty to see and if you have kids (or if you are a big kid, go nuts like I did) lots for them to interact with too. I am a bit of a Chicago history buff and I learned more than a thing or two about my City.

Absolutly the best! For anyone interested in Chicago history.

Really nice visit. The music section was just amazing! Loved the fact you could create your own vintage record cover and e-mail it to yourself! Definitely worth it!

Chicago History Museum is one of my favorite museums. I have lived in Chicago all my life and Ive been coming here since I was a kid on field trips. The museum has amazing programs for students and educators. Now being a teacher, I take my students here for field trips and my students and I love it. I was also able to buy three of my Christmas presents at the gift store. Of course, things can be pricey; however, if you look through the selection you can find some great pieces for inexpensive prices. If you love learning about history and in depth learning about Chicago, then the Chicago History Museum is the place to visit.

Our first museum visit in the city. Far from downtown. Full of history. You might need around two hours to visit all the galleries.

Great place to learn about the citys history! has very interesting information, love the exhibits, is clean, and has a cute gift shop. definitelt a great place to visit as a tourist.

The Chicago History Museum is a must-see in the city; surprisingly large and full of knowledgeable tour guides & interactive exhibits. There is a section on the first floor with diorama depicting the early settlers and early years of Chicago, including the fire that destroyed much of the city. Then you move on to a room full of history from slavery to world war II, including Pullman Porters. Also on the first floor there is a Presidential wing, which sadly I did not have enough time to explore. The upstairs is full of history from postwar manufacturing to the Worlds Fair to today. The tour guide had a lot of great things to say that werent on the information signs. Overall we spent about an hour and a half here but I would have liked at least another half hour to explore the upstairs modern times wing. I enjoyed the neon signs and layout of the building.

Fascinating variety of content, curated for a general purpose audience.

Totally enjoyed our day at the Chicago Historic Museum as the exhibits are well laid out and very interesting. Loved the all the information about the Worlds Fair that took place in the 30s, Martin Luther King exhibit, the Great Fire in the late 1800s, President Lincoln and his time in Chicago, and so much more. Lots to see and read as we did not do the audio tour.

Really cool exhibitions. Kids loved it

Such an informative little museum. Great for kids and adults to get a basic understanding of the city. The Vivian Maier exhibit is super special. Turning yourself into a Chicago dog is a huge added bonus. 5/5 will be back again.

Nice museum and fun to learn about the history of Chicago. Intriguing exhibits with a cafe and gift shop on the bottom floor. Worth the money I’d say, not quite as little kid friendly as some of the other museums. However, still would recommend for families with kids and those who love history.

I had a lot of fun!

It was informative and had interactive parts. I learned a lot and there was a lot to explore and see. But the shot glasses are $10. The hoodies were cute and decently priced. I would recommend for anyone learning about the city. ️ They have a train you can take pictures on.

I love historical museum. Its small but pack with cool stuff. Near the Old Chicago and the beach. Nice place.

Great local museum with an awesome history of Chicago. Even as someone who grew up here, I felt like I learned a ton and the exhibits were very well made and produced. They have a nice mix of history and artifacts and it’s truly engaging for all ages. Easy walk to Lincoln Park after visiting the museum!!

It was very difficult to find parking nearby. After getting my ticket I wasnt offered a headset for a listening experience as I saw others had. The exhibits were neat, a lot of reading though. I dont think Ill be back but it fine to see once.

Some nice content. Big on the outside but not so much once you get Inside. I feel they couldve had more content. There is a app that does a walking audio tour but it only worked on my Android device not my apple one.

Amazing exhibits. I especially loved the History of Things. Whoever wrote each item description has a wonderful knack for storytelling. Lincoln exhibit is stellar and the small area for kids was fun for us too!

I Havent Visited yet but I Fully Intend 2 As This Is My Chicago!YOU KNOW !! Would like 2 C Film on When the Herald Square and The German Chicagoans Statues were Erected and the Artists Bios! The German Chicagoan Work was given 2 the City in 1931. Here it is . . . And ThanksKarl.

Might be the best museum I have ever been to, highly recommend!

Great museum to learn all about Chicago history. Fun after hour events.

The Chicago History Museum is a great half-day diversion from the bustle of downtown Chicago, and well worth the visit. Im no museum connoisseur, so to me, most art and science museums look pretty alike to me, but this type of museum is obviously unique because you can only get it in Chicago!The staff here are knowledgeable and the exhibits are well-designed and though out. Youll get a great backstory on Chicago here, and bonus points for being close to Chicago Pizza And Oven Grinder Co when youre done!

Such a nice museum to spend a couple of hours in. I purchased a Groupon and quickly got in. We checked in our coats and wandered off. So much to learn about Chicago.

Great History.

If you live in Chicago you need to visit this museum. Great place with a lot of history.

A lot of good information, alot to see spent 2 hours or more learning about Chicago

Nice place to read up on all the history museum has to offer.

Ive lived in the Chicago area my whole life and this was my first time coming here. I learned so much. Found put that Chicago is considered Little Madina because of all the Saudis that live in the Chicagoland area.

A nice museum which tells about history of Chicago and also about modern Chicago.It is not a big museum but a good place to visit.

Interesting museum to visit & know Chicago history!

Do many things to see and learn. They have a nice gift shop downstairs. Nice area for smaller kids to enjoy. Loved the jazz area very cool you can make your own music beats. Learn so much about chicago a must go.

This is definitely a place worth visiting. Its so beautiful on the inside and out.

Tells the detailed history of Chicago and general American history too. I felt that they should have more exhibitions and more often public tours, as well as proactive staff to guide tourists as to how to navigate the museum. Oh! They have FREE audio guides, and frequent discounts on Groupon! Highly recommend the visit! Really enjoyed knowing more about the city.

I went with my daughter on her school field trip and I absolutely loved it. Very informative I love how their set up is l.

Visited here today as to be honest, we didnt know that much about the history of Chicago and wanted to understand a bit more about its heritage.Overall not a bad museum with alot of information and friendly staff. Do feel it would benefit from some more interactive parts to the exhibits as it was alot to take in purely by reading but this is personal preference.Would recommend and go back.

This is definitely a lovely place to visit.Not being a Chicago native, the experience is immersive into what made Chicago the city it is.You HAVE to try the hot dogs at the café!Its really great!

Great place to take my 7 year old god son.

Lots of history, nice accessible place!

Very kool museum very well put together and alot of history to be seen love the African American contributions

What a beautiful place, I visited with my family for a wedding we attended and had an absolute blast. So much history to view and discuss, we learned so much about Chicago. We plan to come back during normal business hours to tour the entire place. Highly recommend you check it out, you will not be disappointed!

The museum is amazing. There is a section for anything you could want to see in Chicagos history. If you are doing research, the staff is very accommodating and can help you with anything you need. The research centre upstairs is a great place to quietly read up on many topics if you really want to go in-depth with many aspect of Chicago.

Great place to learn history...not just Chicago, but Slavery, Lincoln, Revolutionary War, Government. Too much to get into really, but great way to spend the day. Just a little ways from the train lines, which is how this guy likes to travel.I really enjoyed the Lincoln artifacts, and samples of documents from their collection.TIFA 2003

Went here for the Silver Screen to Mainstream exhibit and ended up really enjoying the whole museum. The displays are well curated and expertly presented. Anyone wanting to know more about Chicago history should put this museum on their list.

EVERY SINGLE PERSON I CAME ACROSS WORKING HERE WAS EXTRAORDINARILY FRIENDLY! From security, to info desk, to gift shop attendants.Speaking of the gift shop, they have some of the most unique items Ive ever seen...dont pass them up. I purchased a Michelle Obama paper doll kit for my niece!I was only passing thru Chicago for two days, I enjoyed being able to get a quick lesson about this city. Chicago certainly is an influential city!Conveniently located on the CTA routes #22 or #36

Highly recommended to anyone who wants to find out about the history of Chicago. Great historical collection of the Windy City, beautiful building and great super friendlier people.

Its a huge museum. You should take your time to visit each exposition. Totally worth it.

There were some interesting exhibits, but I wanted more about the actual history of the city. In the kids room you can pretend to be a got dog, so thats a bonus!

Fun end to our weekend. Well kept and we got to see the dress exhibit.

Really awesome and fun experience.

Love all the Chicago memorabilia here! Make sure your camera is charged, so you can take tons of pictures. Also check for the free days.

Decent museum. The staff was friendly and accommodating. Prices are a little high for the relatively small amount of exhibits. Theres probably better museums in Chicago to go to.

Happened to stop by on a free day, what an awesome little gem. I really enjoyed seeing old pictures of Chicago. They also have one of the original EL trains on display for visitors to enter.

Great museum, my young kids enjoy it a lot and ask to go there often. Many interactive booths, they have incorporated both video experiences and real actual experiences. The kids never feel like they have enough time to explore it all.

Really cool place, first time in the museum and I really enjoyed the visit

Very educational! one of many Chicago museums

I was surprised I hadnt heard of this museum before this trip. It is a great overview of the entire history of Chicago. IMPORTANT: audio tour is included and parking is validated at the lot north of the museum. The audio tour isnt set up great but it is informative and enjoyable. If you do the whole thing and read most of the content this is a 2.5+ hour museum. Some exhibits are not clear with their Chicago connection though.

Glad it was open. One of the best attractions in Chicago

Informative museum capturing the nuanced social history of Chicago. Would have loved a more intersectional critique and critical lense of colonialism in the sections covering Native American peoples. Also didnt see information on the reversal of the Chicago River I was hoping for. But overall they did a great job with the space and captured many aspects of the social history of the city and I was so happy I visited. Im hoping they will get more public funding that they deserve so they can reduce the entry fee ($19) to make it more accessible. Great stop on my visit to the city.

Fascinating collections on Lincoln, MLK, the blues, architecture, design, and sports...all things that make Chicago awesome!

Try it if you have time.Chicago History Museum was founded in 1856 to study and interpret Chicagos history. It is located in Lincoln Park at 1601 North Clark Street at the intersection of North Avenue in the Old Town Triangle neighborhood. It was renamed the Chicago History Museum in September 2006. - Wikipedia

A nice museum, pretty well done. Interesting, entertaining, more or less thorough.But: about half of its contents are geared towards children. Nothing wrong with that, but one should know this.Lots of attention for some of the more awkward parts of history of the US and Chicago.I loved the photo exhibition.Pretty expensive.

Sit inside an original subway car, listen to exhibits in an audio tour, or have lunch at the museums on site cafe (closes 3 p.m.). Check their website for exact hours/days of operation -- they close early on weekends, but I noticed the day I went (Tuesday) they were opened until 9 p.m.Its accessible by bus and is close to Lincoln Park and the Lincoln Park Zoo, Aquarium, Nature Museum (?) and the Lake Front Beach. Close to Lake Shore Drive and less than 1/2 hour from Downtown Chicago including the Magnificent Mile shopping.

Great insight into Chicagos native indian origins to a frontier town and than into a city. Also this museum includes countdowns to every major event and break thru to humanity and the country. Naming and giving credit to every person that helped it become what it is today. As a plus it has exhibits to every pop culture, music and sports for every significant event from each decade. Great looking museum with great exhibits and shows and some very cool stuff to see to like an old train you can walk in and walk thru.

Larger on the inside than appears from outside. I really had the best experience here. I love also to unwind this place. So relaxing.

Great history of Chicago from its humble beginnings.

Great place to study! The part about design is just the best!

A small, but well executed museum, filled with spectacular presentations. Find Chicagos first settlement, the hay days of the 20s, the Chicago Fire, politics, musicians, jazz, blues,mobsters, Abraham Lincolns bed, manufacturers, and inventors. A great Cafe and museum store. A real coal engine train and trolley car to use your imagination with, and 1 to 2 special exhibits. Adjacent to the beautiful Lincoln Park.

Nice place to go. If youre going to see the bean, go there too! Check out my photo!

A nice lesser known Chicago Museum. Theres a classic car in the Lobby when you enter. You can get a recorded guide tour and headphones when you check in. You have to pay for parking. There is a gift shop a cafe and clean restrooms. The bus stops right in front if youre commuting.

Interesting museum, great to get a little bit of Chicago history. Lots of national history as well, like MLK, architecture, modern design, civil war, etc. Wouldve liked a little bit more in depth exhibits on strictly Chicago history, like the Chicago Fire, reversing the river, Al Capone, etc. Overall cool to go to, especially if you have people out of town wanting to do something besides the big main Chicago tourism sites

The teacher brought us to school. We visited for 2 hours and learned a lot about history and culture

Some would call this the Chicago hysterical museum and not the historical museum. I still enjoy it despite the changes theyve made over the years. The best exhibit they had was a house divided a great Civil War exhibit. Still filled with all kinds of interesting stories to learn and stuff to see

I cannot rate this museum highly enough. From the exhibit quality to every friendly member of staff this is a gem and something Chicago must be proud of. Plenty inside to be interested in and great mix for children (maybe older ones) and adults. This is a learning experience but not flashing lights and whistles. There is an entrance charge but exhibits are open and no extra charges once inside (couple of trains to board inside). The cafe on site is a must as really good quality food and pleasant to sit outside next to park. The staff made a real difference to this trip and thanks to lovely older lady in gift shop too. Thank you (overseas visit from United Kingdom).

Theres a movie shown at some point and that was awesome. Great place for a family visit also.

A great place to learn about Chicago history and how this city got started along with an amazing interactive exhibit on race. Wear comfortable shoes cause its a lot of walking and its much bigger than it looks from outside. Parking is on the NE corner of LaSalle. Didnt try the food in their cafeteria but the museum is in such a great area that you can find a variety of restaurants within a mile radius.

The gentleman guided us on the second floor. He was so nice. I can ask questions and he can talk more about what we are interested. Great place to know more about Chicago.

Awesome !This museum is very informative and huge. Definitely worth the price.

Very boring. Very small nothing special about this place.

Fun little museum! The historical aspect is wowing.

Its fun, but its small.

Definitely a must for Chicagoans and tourists. Youll learn and see something cool, for sure. Would def go back for their special exhibits too.

Really interesting information and aspects about Chicagos history. The 1st for doesnt have a whole lot to see, but the main area of the 2nd floor (with the historic L car) was incredible. Lots of interactive spaces, and information was well organized and flowed well. Lots of facts about Chicagos history!

This museum is very accessible and it is one of the famous museums here in Chicago. There are a lot of exhibits to see here. The staffs are also very assistive.

Love the exhibits and events they host for various Chicago communities! The museum is a great central location for learning and fun :)

This museum is ok ..Not so great or something but if you are in old Town you can just give a visit ....Sorry but not that much worth

I love the history of Chicago, the museum does a great job exhibiting the past. I have been there a few times and will return. Nice gift shop also. Watch for special exhibitions