Chicago gets one last chance to celebrate a beloved exhibition. The Chicago History Museum will close “Aquí en Chicago” with a special Closing Program on Sunday, November 8, 2026, from noon to 4:30 p.m., filled with activities, tours, talks, performances and music — all included with general admission.
The exhibition opened on October 25, 2025, and celebrates 170 years of Latino/a/e cultural presence in Chicago. Its origin story is pure Chicago heart: in 2019, students from the Instituto Justice and Leadership Academy in Pilsen visited the Museum, noticed their communities were missing from its galleries, and challenged the institution to do better. “Aquí en Chicago” is the joyful result of that student inspiration.
Over the past year, visitors have explored more than 700 objects, from the students’ own 2019 protest signs to a paletero’s cart from Paletería Reina de Sabores and two quinceañera ensembles from Mi Quince World, alongside six vibrant murals by co-designer Cecilia Beaven. Presented in both English and Spanish, the exhibition traces the lives of Latino/a/e communities across Chicago and its suburbs through art, photographs, interviews, clothing and everyday treasures.
The farewell is not really goodbye: the Digital Communities’ Scrapbook, where visitors add their own memories, will stay online after closing, and objects from “Aquí” will soon appear in a new section of the Museum’s flagship “Chicago: Crossroads of America” gallery. Find the Museum at 1601 N. Clark Street in Lincoln Park — and come say ¡gracias! to a landmark show.
Photo: Chicago History Museum
