Information
Landmark: DuSable Museum of African American HistoryCity: Chicago
Country: USA Illinois
Continent: North America
DuSable Museum of African American History, Chicago, USA Illinois, North America
Overview
In Chicago, the DuSable Museum of African American History stands as the nation’s oldest independent museum devoted solely to preserving, interpreting, and celebrating African American history, culture, and art-its galleries alive with vibrant quilts, photographs, and voices from the past.It’s a cornerstone of culture, teaching visitors about African American achievements and opening their eyes to a heritage as vivid as a quilt stitched with stories.First.In 1961, artist and educator Dr.Margaret Taylor Burroughs and her husband, Charles Burroughs, opened the museum’s doors, setting its first exhibits beneath the warm glow of borrowed lamps.The museum first opened in the Burroughs’ living room in Bronzeville, Chicago, before moving in 1973 to its permanent home in Washington Park on the city’s South Side.They named it for Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, the first non-Indigenous settler to build a home along the Chicago River, honoring both his legacy and his African heritage.In recent years, the museum broadened its mission, reintroducing itself as the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, with a sharper focus on education and community ties-bringing people together over vivid exhibits like quilts stitched with family stories.Number two.The museum holds more than 15,000 artifacts-paintings, sculptures, photographs, worn textiles, handwritten letters, and treasured memorabilia-that trace African American history from its roots in Africa to today.The permanent exhibits feature “Freedom: Origin and Journey,” a vivid walk through African American history-from deep African roots and the brutal transatlantic slave trade to emancipation, the fight for civil rights, and today’s milestones, like a worn protest sign from 1963.“The Harold Washington Story” – Dedicated to Chicago’s first African American mayor, highlighting his life, leadership, and legacy.“The March” – An immersive virtual reality exhibit developed in partnership with TIME Studios, offering visitors a firsthand experience of the 1963 March on Washington and Dr.Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech.“The Harold Washington Story” honors Chicago’s first African American mayor, capturing his vibrant life, decisive leadership, and the lasting mark he left on the city.“The March” is an immersive virtual reality exhibit created with TIME Studios, letting visitors step into the 1963 March on Washington and hear Dr.Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech as if they were standing in the crowd beneath a summer sun.The museum showcases remarkable artifacts, including Ida B.’s worn oak desk, its surface still faintly scratched from years of use.Wells, the celebrated African American journalist and civil rights fighter, wrote with a voice as sharp as a pen scratching across paper.Paul Laurence Dunbar’s violin, warm with the honeyed glow of its polished wood, belonged to the famed African American poet.Pieces by groundbreaking African American artists such as Archibald Motley Jr., Romare Bearden, and Charles White, rich with color and detail.Three.Beyond its exhibitions, the DuSable Museum serves as a lively learning hub, offering lectures that spark debate, hands-on workshops, storytelling that brings history to life, and outreach programs that connect with classrooms across the city.It’s a go-to source for researchers, scholars, and anyone curious about African American history and culture, from civil rights speeches to faded photographs tucked in archives.As a Smithsonian Institution affiliate, it draws on national collections and expert knowledge, bringing rare artifacts and sharp insight to its exhibitions and educational programs.Through lively events and close partnerships with local groups, the museum sparks cultural pride, raises awareness about social justice, and empowers the community-sometimes with the scent of fresh street food drifting in from the courtyard.Number four sat bold on the page, like a black pebble against white paper.You can find us at 740 East 56th Place in Chicago’s historic Washington Park neighborhood, where old brick sidewalks line the quiet streets.We’re open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the doors usually close to new visitors around 4:30, just as the afternoon light turns warm.Adults pay $14.50 if they live outside Chicago, or $12.50 if they’re residents; kids ages 6 to 11 cost $5 for non-residents and $4 for locals; seniors 65+ and students pay $11 or $9 with a valid Chicago ID.Children under 6, museum members, University of Chicago students, military personnel, and first responders get in free-no ticket needed.You can park at a discount in Garage B at the University of Chicago Medical Center, just a short walk down Cottage Grove Avenue.Five.The DuSable Museum has long brought African American achievements into the spotlight, weaving stories and voices into Chicago’s streets and the nation’s shared history.It was one of the nation’s earliest museums to showcase African American history through an African-centered lens, not the familiar filter of mainstream narratives, letting visitors see stories in their own vibrant colors.In Chicago’s cultural scene, the museum sparks conversations about race, identity, and social justice-voices echoing in its bright, sunlit galleries-cementing its place as an essential institution.Number six.The museum regularly puts on special events-from film screenings and panel talks to art receptions and lively celebrations of African American holidays like Black History Month and Juneteenth, where the scent of fresh barbecue might drift through the air.It hosts traveling exhibits and works with schools and local groups, bringing its educational mission beyond the building’s walls-sometimes even setting up displays in bustling library lobbies or sunlit town halls.
