Give the gift of Chicago!

Support the Museum by sponsoring one of our most popular artifacts.

Delight a friend or loved one by adopting an artifact in his or her honor or show your pride in our city’s history by adopting one for yourself. After you adopt, plan an outing to the Chicago History Museum to visit your artifact. All six treasures are currently on display.

When you send in your adoption form and a donation to the Museum, we’ll send you (or your friend or loved one) a personalized adoption packet, which includes a certificate of adoption, a picture of your artifact, and a description of its historical significance. In addition, all artifact sponsors have their names listed on a donor board in the Museum’s lobby and the satisfaction of knowing that their support benefits the conservation of our artifacts.

Adopting an artifact is fun and easy!

Step 1: Choose an artifact.

Step 2: Use our online form to make a secure tax-deductible donation at the level of your choosing. See the Benefits of Adoption for more information.

We will then send a personalized adoption packet to you or a friend or loved one.

> Adopt an artifact now!

Artifacts

Kukla, Fran and Ollie’s Fletcher Rabbit

Fletcher Rabbit joined the Kuklapolitans in 1945, two years before Burr Tillstrom's creation premiered on WBKB in Chicago. A jackrabbit-of-all-trades, Fletcher served as troupe mailman, gardening expert, electronics guru, and resident fussbudget.

Diorama of the Rush Street Bridge

Commissioned in 1932, the Museum's dioramas are windows into the first 100 years of Chicago's history. The Rush Street Bridge scene captures the city as a bustling port town in 1860.

Walter Payton's football uniform

Running back Walter Payton's impressive work ethic—he missed only one game in thirteen years—endeared him to Chicagoans. Retired in 1987, his number 34 remains synonymous with record-breaking talent and the Bears' triumph in Super Bowl XX.

The Pioneer, Chicago's first locomotive

Made in Philadelphia around 1840, this locomotive predates the city's railroad operations. It came to Chicago by ship and debuted as a passenger carrier for the Galena & Chicago Union Railway on November 20, 1848.

Fire marshal helmet
worn during the Great Chicago Fire

By 1871, the city's rapid population growth had far outstripped its understaffed fire department, which boasted a corps of only 185 firefighters. Fire marshal William H. Musham wore this leather helmet while fighting the Great Chicago Fire.

Mrs. McCormick's evening gown

Nettie McCormick, wife of Cyrus Hall McCormick, inventor of the McCormick Reaper, frequently traveled abroad on business with her husband. As a result, much of her wardrobe came from Paris. Made in 1861, this gown is attributed to Charles Frederick Worth, the father of couture.

Benefits of Adoption

Adopt an artifact at any level and receive all of the benefits in that level plus the benefits listed in the levels below it.

$1,000 and above

• Special invitations for lunch in the President’s Office
• Private use of the Museum for friends and family on scheduled Sunday mornings
• Opportunities to meet with Museum historians, curators, and collection specialists
• Invitations to exhibition openings and other VIP events

$500–$999

• Your name listed in our donor newsletter, Chicago Treasures
• A special Contributor Card that entitles you to VIP status throughout the Museum
• Unique behind-the-scenes opportunities, including exclusive previews of new exhibitions and visits to our conservation and collection areas

$250–$499

• Membership in the Donors’ Club, which includes all of the benefits of Museum membership: free admission to the Museum and Research Center; a free subscription to Chicago History magazine; invitations to member-only events; discounts on all programs, tours, and purchases at the Museum Store; and more!
• Special invitations to Donors’ Club events throughout the year, including preview receptions and behind-the-scenes tours

$100–$249

• A one-year subscription to our donor newsletter, Chicago Treasures
• A pass for free admission to the Museum for two

$35–$99

• A personalized adoption packet, which includes a certificate of adoption, a picture of your artifact, and a description of its historical significance
• Your name listed in the Museum and the annual report as a sponsor of your chosen item
• A one-year subscription to our quarterly calendar