 | |
  Location within theChicago metropolitan area. | |
| Established | 1998 (current location since 2008) |
|---|---|
| Location | 9301 SouthStony Island Avenue Chicago, IL 60617 (August 19, 2008–present) 9500 SouthWestern Avenue Evergreen Park, IL 60805 (1998–2008) |
| Coordinates | 41°43′32″N87°35′06″W / 41.725419°N 87.584904°W /41.725419; -87.584904 |
| Type | African AmericanChildren's museum |
| President | Peggy Montes |
| Public transit access | Chicago Transit Authority 28, X28, 95E buslines |
| Website | www.bronzevillechildrensmuseum.com |
Bronzeville Children's Museum is a museum in theCalumet Heightscommunity area of theSouth Side of Chicago. It is the first and onlyAfrican Americanchildren's museum in the United States. Founded in 1998, the museum moved to its current location at 9301 SouthStony Island Avenue in thePill Hill neighborhood in 2008.
In 1998, Peggy Montes founded the museum inEvergreen Park, Illinois at 97th andWestern Avenue.[1] A retiredChicago Public Schools teacher, she was motivated to start the museum after attending a museum convention where she visited numerous children's museums.[2] It was formerly located in the Evergreen Plaza on the lower level in a 1,275-square-foot (118.5 m2) space.[3] The relocated museum opened on August 19, 2000, in a space ten times larger and with three times as more exhibits than the prior home.[4] Construction of the new museum location was sponsored byCommonwealth Edison.[5]Jewel-Osco became a sponsor of the museum in 2000.[6]
The Museum is designed to serve children between the age of 3 and 9.[7] The museum is located away from theBronzeville, Chicago neighborhood bounded by 26th Street and 51st Street on the north and south, respectively, and Wentworth Avenue andCottage Grove Avenue.[3] Nonetheless, the museum was named after the neighborhood, which is the neighborhood where African Americans settled in large concentration in Chicago.[7] Although over 100 children's museums serve the youth of America, this is the only one that focuses on African American culture and history.[1]