Upcoming Events at the Bridgehouse Museum

 

 
 

Happy Hour Speaker Series

Join us to kick off the celebration of 20 years of the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum. Enjoy local beverages out on our riverfront plaza while you learn from local experts who bring to life key aspects of the Chicago-Calumet River system, wildlife, history, public policy, and community engagement throughout the summer.

These events are free and open to the public, and donations to Friends of the Chicago River are encouraged to support the Bridgehouse Museum's programming.

Located in the southwest bridgehouse of the historic DuSable Bridge on Michigan Avenue, the Bridgehouse Museum tells the story of how the Chicago-Calumet River system changed as people's use of it changed. The five-story museum showcases a river teeming with wildlife due in large part to hard fought water-quality victories and significant restoration efforts.

Sponsors help Friends offer free programs like this and support the Bridgehouse Museum in connecting people with the history and renaissance of the Chicago-Calumet River system inside this historic landmark Bridgehouse. 

Thank you to our sponsors Goose Island Beer Co. and the Fletcher Family for making this special series possible. 


Full series details, with more updates to come:

  • June 4: Riverfronts of this Century, presented by The Otter Society – Adam Flickinger, Friends of the Chicago River & Richard Wilson, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture

  • June 25: Native and Invasive Crayfish of Chicago – Reuben Keller, PhD, Loyola University Chicago

  • July 9: Water Impacts of Data Centers - Panel moderated by Siri Chilukuri, freelance journalist at Chicago Reader, and including a representative from City of Chicago’s Department of Environment; Nora Beck, CMAP; and Rachel Havrelock, UIC Freshwater Lab.

  • July 23: Preservation Chicago & Tenderhouse Project

  • August 6: TBD

  • August 20: Chicago River Trivia Night

  • September 3: Sanitary & Ship Canal Project – Adam Flickinger & Amy Heldman, Friends of the Chicago River

Guided Tours & Field Trips

Sign up for a guided tour, offered Wednesday - Sunday June through October. Details HERE.

Interested in arranging a field trip or group visit? Email jcoles@chicagoriver.org

Would you like the see the DuSable Bridge lift from inside the museum? We do not take reservations for Bridge Lifts in the springtime, but we do in the fall.

Bridge lifts typically occur in the spring and the fall for the sailboats coming in and out of Lake Michigan. In the spring, most boats are traveling from the south branch of the river, which means there are 20+ bridges for them to go through before they get to our DuSable bridge. This makes it difficult to predict the timing of the lift. That said, they usually occur between 11am and 2pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and if you arrive in that time you may get lucky to see one.

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