Chicago History Museum Great Chicago Fire Exhibit

Where: Chicago History Museum, 1601 N Clark St., 312-642-4600

When: Opening Opening October 8, 2021. Hours: Monday: Closed, Tuesday–Saturday: 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sunday 12:00 p.m.-5:00 p,m. We encourage visitors to purchase tickets in advance online. Tickets are available on-site as well, but each online purchase reduces person-to-person transactions and keeps us all safer. COTC note: Still no free days. A select group can get in for free year round. If you have children try to get a Chicago Museum Pass from the CPL. City of Chicago residents receive a $2 discount (with valid I.D.).

This exhibit is designed for families to learn, explore, and discover the impact the Great Chicago Fire had on the city and the people who lived here.

Exhibition related events

I’m just listing the events that are included in the price of admission.

Family Day | City on Fire: Chicago 1871 Saturday, October 16, 2021 10:30 AM 4:00 PM Free with general admission; no RSVP required

Designed for families with children ages 13 and under, the day’s activities include:

Hands-on workshop with Chicago Mobile Makers where you can design your ideal community. Live musical performances celebrating Chicago
The chance to get up close and personal with a fire engine from the Chicago Fire Department
And much more

Family Events | Designing for Healthy Communities Sat, Nov 13, 2021 12:00 PM Sat, May 21, 2022 12:00 PM Free with general admission; no RSVP required

Saturday, November 13, 2021 at 12 p.m., Saturday, February 19, 2022 at 12 p.m., Saturday, March 19, 2022 at 12 p.m., Saturday, May 21, 2022 at 12 p.m.

Join the creative design collective Chicago Mobile Makers and try designing with community in mind. Workshops will encourage participants to think about problem solving through design. Families will work together to build a custom city that works for all people.

As the day progresses, the designed cities will grow and take new forms as more perspectives are included in the process! Discover how Chicago was redesigned and rebuilt following the Great Chicago Fire in the City on Fire: Chicago 1871 exhibition, then grab your hard hat and use your curiosity about our city’s built environment to design a healthy community.

Family Events | Fire in Boomtown Free with general admission; no RSVP required

Sat, Dec 18, 2021 1:00 PM Sat, Jul 23, 2022 1:45 PM, Saturday, December 18, 2021 at 1:00–1:45 p.m., Saturday, January 8, 2022 at 1:00–1:45 p.m., Saturday, June 18, 2022 at 1:00–1:45 p.m., Saturday, July 23, 2022 at 1:00–1:45 p.m.

Join musicians and storytellers for a musical mix of commentary, theater, and history as they recount the story of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Hear about the resiliency of Chicagoans as they rebuilt and recovered following the losses from the tragic fire. Be sure to visit City on Fire: Chicago 1871 while you’re here.

What’s new?

Millions of Moments: The Chicago Sun-Times Photo Collection
Our brand new exhibition features a first look at highlights from our Chicago Sun-Times photograph collection, which has more than 5 million negatives spanning the 1940s to the early 2000s—one of the largest newspaper photograph collections ever acquired by an American museum.

Cityscapes
In our newly renovated Lester and Renée Crown Gallery, watch a dynamic display of large-scale panoramic images from the Museum’s collection chronicling Chicago’s remarkable growth from 1858 to 2019.