Chicago History Museum

Lonely Planet review

The recently renovated Chicago History Museum is just the place to get an idea of how this great city grew and developed. The museum's permanent exhibition 'Crossroads of America' contains plenty about the Lincolns, Capones, Daleys and other notables, but the 'average Joe' is the real focus, with emphasis on how the city's expansion, successes and crises affected ordinary Chicagoans.

The 'City on the Make' exhibit recreates Fort Dearborn, Chicago's first settlement; the fire and Haymarket riots get their close-up in 'City in Crisis.'

The city's oldest cultural institution has a vast collection of photography, film, manuscripts, paintings and decorative art plus a wealth of material devoted to architecture and showstopper exhibits like a 1978 Chevy Monte Carlo custom low-rider and Lincoln's death bed. The costume collection is like the greatest dress-up box on earth, with everything from designer threads to uniforms through the ages. You can compare the size of Michael Jordan's No. 23 jersey with George Washington's shirt. There is also a slick Chidren's Museum.