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What’s Inside

We look forward to welcoming you to the National Public Housing Museum. Located in the last remaining building of the historic Jane Addams Homes, our museum is committed to preserving the profound legacy of public housing and fostering a nuanced understanding of its impact on communities.

Admission is free with tickets required for the Historic Apartment Tours (coming soon).

View of the Jane Addams Homes, 1938. Courtesy of the Chicago History Museum.

Historic Apartment Tours (60 minutes)

Experience the texture and fabric of public housing throughout time by visiting three recreated historic apartments showcasing different families’ experiences at different moments in public housing history between 1938 and 1975.

Timed tickets required: coming soon.


Museum Exhibitions

Black and white image of a 1940s Jane Addams Homes kitchen. A mother stands at the counter with her two sons.

Historic Apartments

Experience the texture and fabric of public housing throughout time by visiting three recreated historic apartments showcasing different families’ experiences at different moments in public housing history between 1938 and 1975. The intimate individual, family and community stories become the lens to understand large national public housing policies and their impact…

Two wooden bookends, each with a copper baby shoe inscribed with the name “Daniel,” sit on a wooden table.

History Lessons: Everyday Objects from Public Housing

“What is an object that tells a story about your life and experiences in public housing?” History Lessons: Everyday Objects from Public Housing is a national effort to collect objects from public housing residents in diverse communities across the USA, and work with residents in storytelling and writing workshops to write their own labels…


Installations

Feeling At Home

Beyond the uniform exteriors of public housing buildings, there are apartment units with unique, enthralling, and carefully curated interiors. We partnered with Jayah Arnett from My Projects Runway to collect family photos of public housing apartments. From these photos, we share their stories and select fabric to adorn the seats in our main gathering hub.

A title shot shows the words “Good Times” in front of an aerial shot of Chicago.

Good Times

When American sitcom Good Times came out in 1974, it was the first time public housing residents saw themselves on mainstream television. We worked with Maurice Edwards, Cabrini Green Homes Community Development Corporation President, to ask current Cabrini Green residents to tell us their favorite episodes, clips of which are on view in our Lower Level gallery.


Museum Spaces

The National Public Housing Museum’s new space offers opportunities for our visitors and members to record oral histories, spaces of care, advocacy spaces for the Chicago community to gather.

Register as a member to reserve spaces!

  • A close up of an older Black man wearing a red shirt and glasses gestures and speaks to someone off camera.

    Dr. Timuel Black Jr. Recording Studio

  • A Black woman in a bright red sweater and sunglasses stands amidst two large stone animal sculptures. She rests her hand on the sculpture in front of her and speaks with passion.

    Demand the Impossible Advocacy Space


Virtual Exhibitions

Please stay tuned. We are working on virtual exhibitions that will make the museum more accessible to national visitors or for anyone who might not be able to join us in person.


Ticket Information:
Coming Soon

All exhibitions are free.

Historic Apartment Tours are ticketed. Please see tour page for more information.

Getting to the Museum

919 South Ada Street
Chicago, IL 60607
On the northeast corner of W. Taylor St. and S. Ada St.

Rendering of the exterior of the new museum building, a three-story brick building with orange balconies made from historic-looking brick with “National Public Housing Museum” written on the side. A school bus is parked in front of it and people are walking on the street towards the building.

Exhibition Resources

Additional resources available at the front desk.