Museum to close July 20–September 30 for renovations and new exhibit installation
Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum is preparing for a major period of growth and transformation in 2026 and 2027, including new exhibitions, expanded garden experiences, building renovations, and the development of a forthcoming teaching kitchen.
Beginning in October 2026, visitors of all ages will experience new exhibitions that highlight Indigenous histories, contemporary Native life, repatriation, foodways, and environmental stewardship across the Great Lakes. To prepare for this new chapter, the Museum’s exhibition space will be closed from July 20 through September 30, 2026, while staff install new exhibitions, develop new tours, and update the visitor experience.
While the Museum’s indoor exhibition space is closed from July 20 through September 30, our gardens will remain open and free to visitors.
The gardens feature more than 1,700 regional Native medicinal plants, pollinator plants, and food crops, offering visitors a living classroom connected to Indigenous ecological knowledge, foodways, and land stewardship. Visitors may explore the gardens on their own or take part in a more in-depth garden tour led by Museum staff or docents, weather permitting.
To book a garden tour, please call (847) 475-0911 or email info@gichigamiin.org.
Opening This Fall:
Indigenous Chicago
Reframing Chicago as a Native Place
Opening on October 1, Indigenous Chicago, developed by the Newberry Library, is a major exhibition that reframes Chicago as an enduring Native place. Through archival materials, maps, photographs, contemporary art, and storytelling, the exhibition explores over five centuries of history while centering Indigenous voices, Tribal Nations with historical ties to this land, and Chicago’s vibrant urban Native community.
The Gifts of our World Children’s Exhibit
Hands-On Learning Rooted in Respect, Gratitude, and Reciprocity
Also opening on October 1, The Gifts of Our World, is a state-of-the-art children’s exhibit created in partnership with Kohl Children’s Museum and the Menominee Tribal youth artists. Through hands-on activities and an immersive learning environment, the exhibit explores respect, gratitude, and reciprocity for the earth and all living things through a Great Lakes Indigenous lens.
Created for children and families, the exhibit celebrates Indigenous ecological knowledge in an engaging, age-appropriate way and invites young visitors to learn how to care for the natural world.
Teaching Kitchen and Foodways Programs
A New Community Space for Indigenous Food Traditions
Opening in Fall 2026 as part of the Museum’s Indigenous Garden and Foodways Initiative, the Museum’s new teaching kitchen will offer hands-on programs centered on Indigenous food traditions, regional cuisine, and seasonal knowledge.
Designed as a community gathering space, the kitchen will support Indigenous chefs and food entrepreneurs in sharing recipes, stories, and traditional knowledge with visitors. In an urban area where access to land can be limited, the teaching kitchen will create a meaningful space to sustain Indigenous foodways, strengthen community connections, and welcome the public to learn through classes, demonstrations, and meals rooted in Indigenous lifeways.
Support this growth, make a donation
We invite you to support the Museum and be part of this important new chapter. To learn more about giving, sponsorship, or partnership opportunities, please contact Joseph Gackstetter, Director of Development at jgackstetter@gichigamiin.org
Or click the buttons below to make a donation and become a sponsor.