Museums History Illinois
Chicago

Browse Museums

A. Montgomery Ward Gallery, UI-C
Chicago, Illinois

Art, History

Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture
Chicago, Illinois

Art, Children's, Culture, History

Charnley-Persky House Museum Foundation
Chicago, Illinois

History, Historic House, Historical Society

Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright are major figures in American architecture. Sullivan, Wright's architectural mentor, hired the younger man in 1887 to assist with the design of the Auditorium Building (1887-1889) in Chicago. As a junior draftsman, Wright also assisted with residential commissions such as the James Charnley House (1891-1892). The Charnley House, which has long been recognized internationally as a pivotal work of modern architecture, stands as evidence of the extraordinary power of Sullivan and Wright's creativity in collaboration.

Chicago Baseball Museum
Chicago, Illinois

Culture, History, Specialized

The Chicago Baseball Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that will collect, preserve, document, research, and interpret artifacts and events that are associated with the legacy, evolution and contemporary life of Chicago baseball.

Our goal is to compliment the various baseball museums and institutions around the country, including Cooperstown, the Negro League Baseball Museum, and the virtual All-American Girls Professional Baseball League museum. We feel our unique Chicago perspective will only serve to compliment the landscape of baseball in America.

 

Our dream for the Chicago Baseball Museum is to emulate the scope and integrity of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library in Springfield, IL.

Chicago Jewish Historical Society
Chicago, Illinois

Art, History, Historical Society

Chinese-American Museum of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Anthropology, Art, Culture, History

The museum is an educational and research center for people who want to know about the history of Americans of Chinese descents in the Midwest. Through exhibitions, lectures, and other public programs, the museum addresses issues common to all immigrants by using the Chinese experience as examples.

DuSable Museum Archives
Chicago, Illinois

Art, History

East Side Historical Society
Chicago, Illinois

History, Historical Society

Field Museum of Natural History
Chicago, Illinois

History, Natural History

Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conserv.
Chicago, Illinois

History

A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum
Chicago, Illinois

History

The A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum was founded in 1995 by Lyn Hughes, its current director. The facility is located in the Historic Pullman District in Chicago. The facility is named after men who made history - Asa Philip Randolph and Pullman Porters who made up the membership of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) union. Randolph was the chief organizer and founder of the BSCP, the first African-American labor union in the country to win a collective bargaining agreement. With the help of Randolph, the Pullman Porters fought a valiant battle for employment equality with the corporate giant, the Pullman Rail Car Company. These pioneering efforts created the first bonafied union for the African American worker.

Bronzeville Historical Society
Chicago, Illinois

History, Historical Society, Library, Specialized

Office and Archives at Illinois Institute of Technology - 10 W. 35th St., Suite 9D3-1 Chicago, IL 60616 BY Appointment ONLY

Chicago Architecture Foundation
Chicago, Illinois

Art, History

Chicago Fire Department Museum
Chicago, Illinois

Art, History

Chicago Lawn Historical Society
Chicago, Illinois

History, Historical Society

Houses information and articles in the Chicago Branch Public Library.

Clarke House Museum
Chicago, Illinois

Art, Culture, General, History, Historic House

Built in 1836 for Henry B. Clarke, the Clarke House Museum is Chicago’s oldest house. The house shows what life was like for a middle-class family in Chicago during the city’s formative years before the Civil War. Its fascinating history began at a time when family members could see the campfires of Native Americans in the distance.

DuSable Museum of African-American Hist
Chicago, Illinois

Art, Culture, History

The DuSable Museum of African American History is dedicated to the collection, preservation, interpretation and dissemination of the history and culture of Africans and Americans of African descent. For 42 years the museum has carried out its mission through exhibitions, archives and a diverse array of education programs designed to interpret and illuminate the African American experience for audiences of all ages. DuSable Museum has nine continuing exhibits and works on display, and presents four to six special exhibitions each year along with over 100 public and education programs including film screenings, theatre performances, concerts, literary events, lectures, and special events.

Edgebrook Historical Society
Chicago, Illinois

History, Historical Society

We are a local historical society founded originally to coincide with the Old Edgebrook Landmark District, City of Chicago. We have expanded our horizons to include Sauganash for Forest Glen, neighboring communities here on the northwest side of Chicago. We are centered in the Caldwell's Reserve of Billy Caldwell's grant from the US government of 1828. We hope to establish a local history museum some day.

Filipino Am. Hist. Soc. of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

History

Glessner House Museum
Chicago, Illinois

Art, General, History, Historic House

Glessner House Museum boasts a veritable garden of earthly delights for the appreciation and study of decorative arts. From the Isaac Scott cabinetry, to the Morris & Co. textiles, and the eclectic array of ceramics, the museum offers visitors a singular experience in which nearly all of the furnishings and appointments are original to the family. Visitors to this historic home thrill at the hundreds of glorious art objects that grace the period rooms.

MUSEUM CONFERENCES

Public Lands Alliance 2025 Convention and Trade Show

February 2 - 6, 2025

Las Vegas, Nevada

Public Lands Alliance 2025 Convention and Trade Show

Sunday, February 2 - Thursday, February 6, 2025

Westgate Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada

Hosted by: Public Lands Alliance

The Public Lands Alliance Convention and Trade Show brings together nonprofits, land management agencies and companies to learn, network and engage on public lands issues. The 2025 Convention and Trade Show will take place Sunday, February 2 - Thursday, February 6, 2025 in Las Vegas, NV

Connect with peers, explore the latest in public lands products, and return inspired with new strategies and resources for success in conservation and visitor engagement

Our annual Convention and Trade Show (PLA) is the premier gathering for leaders in the public lands sector to network, gain essential tools, and explore products that enhance the visitor experience and support conservation, preservation, and enrichment efforts.

For more information, please call 301-946-9475.

Georgia Association of Museums 2025 Conference

February 5 - 7, 2025

Milledgeville, Georgia

Georgia Association of Museums 2025 Conference

Wednesday, February 5 - Friday, February 7, 2025

Ina Dillard Russell Library Georgia College & State University

Milledgeville, Georgia

Hosted by: Georgia Association of Museums

The Whole Story Is The Meanin

“For the fiction writer himself the whole story is the meaning, because it is an experience, not an abstraction.”― Flannery O'Connor, Mystery and Manners: Occasional Pros

Join us in Milledgeville, Georgia, for the annual Georgia Association of Museums conference as we explore the profound wisdom of Milledgeville author Flannery O'Connor’s words. In a world where narratives intersect and perspectives diverge, this theme invites proposals that delve into the essence of storytelling within museums and cultural institutions. Our work in the museum field requires us to look at stories from as many angles and perspectives as possible so that we might do our best to tell the “whole story.

Through thought-provoking discussions, interactive workshops, and engaging presentations, we will uncover the layers of meaning embedded within every artifact, exhibition, and historical account. Just as O’Connor masterfully crafted narratives that resonate with universal truths, museums hold the power to illuminate the whole story behind many objects, artworks, and cultural phenomena

We will examine how museums can embrace inclusivity, diversity, and authenticity in their storytelling practices. By acknowledging multiple perspectives and amplifying marginalized voices, we can enrich our understanding of the past and present, fostering empathy and connection within our communities.

Small Museum Association 41st Annual Conference 2025

February 17 - 19, 2025

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Small Museum Association 41st Annual Conference 2025

Monday, February 17 - Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Hosted by: Small Museum Association

The annual SMA conference attracts more than 300 museum professionals, board members, and volunteers from a wide variety of small museums. They attend sessions on topics ranging from collections and education to staffing and board issues.

We offer a large Museum Resource Hall and plenty of informal networking opportunities for you to talk with (and get ideas from!) other small museum professionals and volunteers

Theme for 2025: Make It Happen!!!

Is there an exhibit, program, or fundraiser that you've been talking about doing for years? Do you feel stuck because of procrastination, lack of board support, or insufficient funds? It's time to take action

At SMA 2025, small museum professionals will share their tips and tricks of how they made it happen!

2025 California Association of Museums Conference

February 18 - 22, 2025

San Fransico, California

2025 California Association of Museums Conference

Tuesday, February 18 - Saturday, February 22, 2025

San Fransico, California

Hosted by: California Association of Museums

CAM is hard at work planning for the 2025 conference, set to take place from February 18–22, 2025 in San Francisco. We look forward to highlighting best practices and innovative ideas from California's museum community

The California Association of Museums is excited to continue offering in-person programming for 2025. We will not be requiring proof of COVID vaccination/s, but highly encourage vaccination and boosters. For the health and safety of our colleagues, masks are also encouraged (but not required). Capacity and spaces will be thoughtfully considered in the planning of this event.

For more information, please email programs@calmuseums.org.

2025 Tennessee Association of Museums Conference: HOPE

March 11 - 14, 2025

Knoxville, Tennessee

2025 Tennessee Association of Museums Conference: HOPE

Tuesday, March 11 - Friday, March 14, 2025

Crowne Plaza hotel in Knoxville, TN

Knoxville, Tennessee

Hosted by: Tennessee Association of Museums

Tennessee museums are full of hope. But how are they turning hope into reality

With the Semiquincentennial quickly approaching in 2026, the state's museum community if approaching a turning point, and is now a great time to take stock and develop a vision for the future

The Tennessee Association of Museums' 64th Annual Conference in Knoxville will challenge the state's museums to think ahead and share their hopes, the best practices and strategies for turning those hoes into realities, and the rewards that come from aspirational thinking

The 2025 TAM Annual Conference will take place at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Knoxville, TN.

For more information, please call 615-495-3354 or email hawkins@aaslh.org.

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