As I wrote in a recent blog, I attended a book release event at Chicago History Museum. I planned my day to have extra time to spend at the museum since I had never been there.

Established in 1856, Chicago History Museum is the museum of the Chicago Historical Society. The museum contains millions of artifacts, documents, images and other items of the city’s history. Moving to its current North Side location in 1932, the museum is a short walk to Chicago’s lakefront.

One of the most interesting exhibits is Designing for Change: Chicago Protest Art of the 1960s–’70s. Running through May 2025, it features art in the form of posters, fliers, signs, buttons, newspapers and magazines. More than just colorful bits of nostalgia, the collection tells the story of the challenges society faced in that era.

Along the same lines is Sounds for Changes, a playlist of iconic songs selected by the staff. With artists ranging from Billie Holliday to Green Day, the playlist goes perfectly with the Designing for Change exhibit.

Given my heritage, Back Home: Polish Chicago also caught my attention. Hundreds of photographs and artifacts tell the story of Polish immigration to Chicago and the contributions of Polish communities through the years. My timing was perfect since this temporary exhibit closes in June.

Because I ran out of time, I wasn’t able to inspect all of the exhibits. I will have to allow more time when I return. Until then, I will check out the online exhibits.

— John Wroblewski, online writer