Chicago Museum Voted One of America's Best

- The museum is housed in the last remaining building of the historic Jane Addams Homes, a federal housing project that opened in 1938; the building was saved from demolition by the activism of public housing residents. - The concept for the museum originated in the late 1990s with residents, led by former housing commissioner Deverra Beverly, who sought to preserve their history in response to the Chicago Housing Authority's "Plan for Transformation" which demolished thousands of public housing units. - After its incorporation in 2007, the museum operated for years as a "museum in the streets" with events and panels before opening its permanent 45,000 sq. ft. home in April 2025, following an $18 million adaptive reuse project. - Core exhibits include three restored apartments based on the oral histories of diverse families who lived in the Jane Addams Homes, showcasing their distinct lives and experiences over the decades. - An interactive exhibit co-curated by DJ Spinderella of Salt-N-Pepa, a former public housing resident herself, features the music of artists who once lived in public housing, including Elvis Presley and Barbra Streisand. - Beyond historical exhibits, the museum functions as an active community resource, containing an Entrepreneurship Hub, a resident-owned cooperative store, and 15 mixed-income apartments. - The institution is the only museum in the United States dedicated to interpreting the American experience in public housing, with a mission to promote housing as a human right. - In addition to the recent USA Today honor, the museum received the 2025 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Adaptive Reuse for its transformation of the historic building.