Chicago Maritime Museum
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    • MODEL BUILDING >
      • WOOD CARVING CLASS
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    • Artifacts >
      • Lyle Gun
      • Wells Light
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      • Tete-de-Boule Birchbark
      • Canadian Birchbark Canoe
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      • Greenland Eskimo Kayak
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      • Chicago Lighthouse
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      • Le Griffon
      • Lady Elgin
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      • Subchaser 1943
      • USS Wolverine
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​
Setting Sail

CHICAGO
MARITIME
MUSEUM

AT THIS TIME, DUE TO THE PRESENT SPREAD OF COVID- 19 AND THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE MID-MAY SEWAGE BACKUP,
THE CMM IS CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. 
 THERE WILL BE NEITHER THIRD FRIDAY NOR ADDITIONAL EVENTS
​UNTIL THE PANDEMIC EASES AND THE MUSEUM REOPENS.

the highway of the world

Not so long ago, water was the highway of the world.  

For thousands of years – and well into the 19th Century -- movement on land was slow, arduous, often perilous.  People explored and thrived largely by navigating waterways.

This fact made the birth of Chicago inevitable.

In northern Illinois, two great watersheds come within reach of each other.  Here, just a few miles separated the Great Lakes, with their links to the broad Atlantic Ocean, from inland rivers that feed the mighty Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico.

Early explorers realized the importance of the place where two watery highways met, where two worlds could come together – where a small patch of ground would become the pivot point for an entire continent.

That patch of ground:  Chicago.
​
Welcome to the Chicago Maritime Museum and our developing story of Chicago’s maritime traditions and impact. Join us at our new location on the shores of Bubbly Creek at the Bridgeport Art Center.
Chicago Maritime Museum is a 501(C)(3) Nonprofit registered in the US under Tax ID 36-3205719
​
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Chicago Maritime Museum®. ​Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
  • Home
  • VISIT
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
  • Events
  • SUPPORT US
    • Donate >
      • Donate to the CMM Recovery Fund
      • Donate to the CMM General Fund
      • Sponsor
    • Join
    • Volunteer
  • EDUCATION PROGRAMS
    • MODEL BUILDING >
      • WOOD CARVING CLASS
      • MODEL BUILDING CLASS
      • SHIP-IN-A-BOTTLE CLASS
    • SCHOOL VISITS
    • CHICAGO HISTORY CURRICULA
  • History
    • Commerce and the Waterways
    • Military Training
    • Shipwrecks
    • Recreation and Tourism
  • Collections
    • Artifacts >
      • Lyle Gun
      • Wells Light
    • Canoes >
      • Tete-de-Boule Birchbark
      • Canadian Birchbark Canoe
      • Eskimo Caribou Skin Kayak
      • Greenland Eskimo Kayak
      • U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Craft
    • Images >
      • Chicago Lighthouse
      • Lady Elgin
      • Rush Street Bridge
      • Fort Dearborn
    • Model Watercraft >
      • Le Griffon
      • Lady Elgin
      • Challenge
      • Subchaser 1943
      • USS Wolverine
  • News
  • Online Stories