When this institution opened in 1961, African-American history was suffering serious neglect at the hands of the city’s—and, for that matter, the nation’s—cultural institutions. The Hyde Park cultural hub, named after Jean Baptist Point DuSable, the fur trader of Haitian descent who is considered Chicago’s first non-Native resident, is now one of the oldest African-American–focused museums in the country. On display are documents and artifacts from the lives of overlooked or unjustly marginalized movers and shakers, plus a collection of vibrant African-American art.
A visit to the DuSable Museum begins with a walk through its picturesque surroundings near the University of Chicago campus. Situated among expansive green spaces lined with trees and manicured vegetation, the museum's setting is almost as impressive as its contents.
The DuSable Museum houses more than 15,000 works, including paintings, sculpture, print works and historical memorabilia across two floors. Upstairs, you won't want to miss the hyper-realistic animatronic of Harold Washington, Chicago's first Black mayor. It's initially unsettling but worth sticking around for a succinct rundown about Washington and the state of the city in the `80s.
Head downstairs to see the exhibit "Freedom: Origin and Journey," which explores the African-American experience throughout history. The moving exhibition highlights experiences like the Transatlantic Slave Trade, abolition, segregation and President Obama's election.
The DuSable Museum is one of Chicago's few institutions dedicated to preserving and sharing Black culture. The building's interiors may not be the most up-to-date, but the story its exhibitions tell makes it the city's preeminent museum focused on African and African-American culture and one of the best museums in Chicago.
