CHICAGO CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

The mission of Chicago Children’s Museum is to create a community where play and learning connect.

The museum was founded in 1982 by a coalition led by The Junior League of Chicago in response to program cutbacks in the city’s public schools. The then-named Express-Ways Children’s Museum opened in two hallways of the Chicago Public Library, now the Chicago Cultural Center, with Getting to Know Hue, the museum’s inaugural exhibit on color, light, music, and literature.

Located on Navy Pier since 1995, Chicago Children’s Museum is now one of the city’s top cultural attractions and the second most-visited children’s museum in the country. CCM serves more than 700,000 annually, both on-site and in communities throughout Chicago, particularly in areas with limited access to the museum’s rich array of resources.

CCM’s primary audience is children, from birth through fifth grade, and their families, along with the school and community groups that influence their development. Playful, age-appropriate exhibits and programs feature sensory experiences for the youngest visitors and content focused on science, math, literacy, the arts, and diverse cultures for children through age 10.