National Public Housing Museum

National Public Housing Museum The only cultural institution devoted to telling the story of public housing in the United States.

Our mission is to preserve, promote, and propel the right of all people to a place where they can live and prosper — a place to call home.

Come see us for Open House Chicago, October 17–18! The National Public Housing Museum is one of more than 200 sites in 3...
10/08/2026

Come see us for Open House Chicago, October 17–18! The National Public Housing Museum is one of more than 200 sites in 30+ neighborhoods welcoming visitors for this FREE annual architecture festival.

Explore our historic apartments and largest artifact: the last remaining building of the Jane Addams Homes, a 1938 public housing development.

On October 17, join architects Terran Wilson from LBBA Architects and Mejay Gula from Site Design Group for a chat about their work on the restoration and adaptive reuse of the building into a vibrant museum and cultural center. Together with the with the museum’s executive director Lisa Yun Lee, the conversation will also touch on stories of women architects, planners, and designers who were instrumental in shaping public housing.

Create your own itinerary and explore all the Open House Chicago sites with Chicago Architecture Center at OpenHouseChicago.org.

Mapping our connections. Our collective reading series continues this week with a closer look at the Chicago-area neighb...
10/07/2026

Mapping our connections. Our collective reading series continues this week with a closer look at the Chicago-area neighborhoods that Opportunity Insights has identified as candidates for “connection-based revitalization.”

This facilitated reading and discussion on Friday, October 9 at noon delves into “Creating High-Opportunity Neighborhoods: Evidence from the HOPE VI Program,” a 2026 report published by economist Raj Chetty and Opportunity Insights that looks at the long-term impact of replacing large public housing developments with mixed-income communities.

Join us: https://nphm.org/event/collective-study-hour-evidence-from-the-hope-vi-program-session-ii/

The series is presented in conjunction with the National Public Housing Museum’s public talk Raj Chetty in Conversation On Economic Mobility and Housing Justice on Monday, October 26.

Green spaces, safe pathways, play areas, and more contribute to the vitality and sustainability of our homes and communi...
10/06/2026

Green spaces, safe pathways, play areas, and more contribute to the vitality and sustainability of our homes and communities. Join us and Trust for Public Land as we welcome leaders from Chicago Park District, R.A.G.E - Resident Association of Greater Englewood, and Chicago Housing Authority for an exploration of how investments in parks, green space, and community amenities can advance neighborhood vitality, support resident health and well-being, and build more resilient communities.

More: Inside/Outside: The Connection Between Parks, Housing, and Vibrant Communities

Honored guests from Osage Nation, ABLA public housing residents, members, and friends of the National Public Housing Mus...
09/30/2026

Honored guests from Osage Nation, ABLA public housing residents, members, and friends of the National Public Housing Museum gathered on a beautiful fall evening this week to celebrate the opening of two new projects and stories of home and community.

👇
Now on view! “Lydia Cheshewalla: Our Stories, Like Roots in Soil” brings together natural and found materials gathered from the land surrounding the museum, in a collaborative exploration of the layered histories embedded in the site.

“History Lessons” features captivating Osage objects and personal stories from a tight-knit tribal community in Oklahoma, presented alongside everyday objects from public housing communities in Chicago, Houston, and New York City.

The opening reception featured a conversation about Osage identity and artistic practice between artist Lydia Cheshewalla and poet Elise Paschen, readings from Elise’s poetry collections “Blood Wolf Moon” and “Tallchief,” and a first look at “History Lessons” and “Our Stories, Like Roots in Soil.” The conversation and celebration continued into the night over an intimate dinner with Indigenous specialities prepared by chefs from Osage Nation.

Thanks to everyone who joined us for this magical, memorable opening!

📷 Photos 1–3, 5, and 7–9 by Ryan Barayuga.

Join us for a series of reading and study sessions, and explore “Creating High-Opportunity Neighborhoods: Evidence from ...
09/24/2026

Join us for a series of reading and study sessions, and explore “Creating High-Opportunity Neighborhoods: Evidence from the HOPE VI Program,” a 2026 report published by economist Raj Chetty and Opportunity Insights.

These facilitated discussions lead up to a public conversation with Raj Chetty at the end of October, presented by the National Public Housing Museum.

Bring your lunch, and join in the collective reading and discussion!

“Growing up in the Gardens was—it was a beautiful struggle.” When Jillian Carew’s brother passed away, the footwork comm...
09/23/2026

“Growing up in the Gardens was—it was a beautiful struggle.”

When Jillian Carew’s brother passed away, the footwork community surrounded her and she learned life lessons that not only kept her safe but also prepared her to educate Chicago’s youth.

Enjoy a life history of dance on Chicago’s Far South Side in this final episode of our podcast season. “A Beautiful Struggle,” the abridge oral history of Jillian Carew, concludes the season “Black Creative Innovation in Chicago Public Housing.” Find it and other episodes from the National Public Housing Museum’s podcast “Out of the Archives” wherever you get your podcasts.

On Saturday, Osage artist Lydia Cheshewalla will install “Our Stories, Like Roots in Soil,” an ephemeral mural created f...
09/22/2026

On Saturday, Osage artist Lydia Cheshewalla will install “Our Stories, Like Roots in Soil,” an ephemeral mural created from natural and found materials gathered on the site of the former Jane Addams Homes.

Lydia spent a day this summer collaborating with community members to share stories of life in public housing and collect these materials—black chokeberry, used sparklers, pieces of tile—from the land surrounding the National Public Housing Museum.

Learn more about Lydia’s practice and explore its relationship with the land and history during an opening reception and artist conversation, History Lessons: Osage Nation, on Sunday, September 27, from 3–5 pm. Lydia will be joined by poet Elise Paschen and members of the Osage Nation to celebrate the opening of “Our Stories, Like Roots in Soil” as well as a new rotation of objects and stories in the exhibition “History Lessons.”

Address

919 South Ada Street
Chicago, IL
60607

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+17736359919

Website

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