As 20-somethings living in an urban area, my roommate and I are trying to leverage our un-scheduled weekend time by exploring areas of Chicago. Especially with the cold weather lull, shopping, restaurants in new areas and activities are a nice way to stay busy.
This afternoon, we went to the Chicago History Museum in Lincoln Park. We came across its existence from a Groupon this summer, keeping it on our agenda for a future visit.
The variety of exhibits provided a great wholesome experience because it refreshed my mind on history overall and not just Chicago's past. In addition to Chicago facts, figures and dioramas, exhibits explored everything from Abraham Lincoln's presidency, an overview of topics in U.S. history over time and Indian history.
The seasonal exhibit showcases dresses from the Ebony Fashion Fair. There was a strong presence of racial history over time throughout the entire museum, and exhibits relayed a snapshot about how Chicago reacted to these events. The reading on exhibit descriptions was very high-level, and the museum gives you the option to be a visual, words, contextual learner or all of the above.
Would I say it's the greatest museum I have ever been to? No, but what I recommend about the activity was the experience. It's awesome to live in a city where I know there are opportunities to do nothing but learn for the afternoon, and see things we haven't been exposed to before. Also, for the month of February it is free for Chicago residents!
The "added value" of the experience was what I learned about Chicago. Streets like Clark are diagonal because they follow the paths of Indian trails from when Chicago was established. Chicago comes from the Native American word checagou, which Indian tribes called wild leeks, or onions, since they used the plant for food as it grew along riverbanks. Huge companies like Wrigley, Crate & Barrel, Kraft and more are headquartered here. We saw the map of exactly which cross-streets the Great Chicago Fire affected, and sat on one of the first L train carts from 1892. Lastly, we learned the benefits of living in the "crossroads of America," and the myriad of industries and skill sets the city has to offer.
If you have the time, go to the museum or something like it in your city. You'll walk away with new knowledge and won't regret any of your time doing so!
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| The entryway of the Chicago History Museum, at Clark Street & North Avenue |
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| Hannah and I on one of the first L carts from 1892 |
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| Entertainment exhibit at the Chicago History Museum |
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| Diorama exhibit at the museum - look at what Chicago looked like before high rises on the lake! |
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