“City on Fire: Chicago 1871”

The Chicago History Museum commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, exploring how the tragic event transpired and how it changed the city for decades to come. The family-friendly exhibition examines the details of the three-day blaze, exploring how the Irish immigrant O’Leary family was blamed for the fire and tracing the path of destruction (and 100,000 homeless residents) that the incident left in its wake. Featuring more than 100 artifacts from the museum's collection—including items that were damaged in the fire—"City on Fire: Chicago 1871" also showcases a reproduction of a cyclorama painting depicting the fire's path that was originally displayed at the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893.