Windy City History
Chicago enjoys a storied and fascinating history of its own, and the Chicago History Museum exists to tell that story with millions of artifacts and engaging exhibits.
The museum was founded in 1856 but lost most of its collection during the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. In the years since, it has replenished the collection to include more than 22 million documents and artifacts, with significant holdings in costumes, painting and sculpture, photography, and decorative and industrial arts. Highlights include items related to Chicago or Illinois history, including personal items that belonged to Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, Michael Jordan’s basketball uniform and Mahalia Jackson’s choir robe.
The museum offers a variety of tours and experiences for student and adult groups, including “history scavenger hunts” and customized guided tours for groups of 10 or more. Museum staff can also serve as step-on guides for historical tours throughout the Windy City, as well as for history pub crawls.
Historic Utopia
On a bend in the Mississippi River, a group of religious dreamers founded a community in 1839, calling it Nauvoo. Led by Joseph Smith, that group was the early members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They erected a temple and numerous other buildings and lived in the area for seven years until they moved westward. Today, Old Nauvoo is a historic district that preserves this unique 19th-century religious utopia.
Tours at Old Nauvoo begin in the visitors center, where groups can watch an overview film detailing the settlement’s history and see artifacts related to the Mormons’ time in Illinois. After this orientation, visitors can explore some of the 30 original historic buildings at Old Nauvoo.
The village offers numerous activities and experiences to help guests connect with its history. Highlights include brick-oven bread-baking or rope-making classes in the Family Living Center, as well as wagon, carriage and oxen rides. Old Navoo also produces a number of live theatrical shows during the summer.
