National Public Housing Museum

10/16/2026

A delightful harvest of peppers from our garden bed at Taylor Street Farms gathered before the cold weather plunge 🌶️ 💨

10/15/2026

Step into the past during Open House Chicago! This weekend, get a peek at three recreated apartments at the National Public Housing Museum. These historic apartments share the stories of different families who lived in the Jane Addams Homes between 1938 and 1975. Normally accessible only as part of an interactive guided tour, the apartments will be open for free exploration throughout Open House Chicago.

Get all the details on from Chicago Architecture Center.

10/15/2026

10/12/2026

The word “Chicago” is a ghost of the Potawatomi word “Zhegagoynak,” which means the place of wild leeks or onions or, more directly, the skunk’s root. Chicago was also once a place where medicine plants grew and were harvested for comfort and healing.

With the monumental mural “Still Here: Zhegagoynak,” installed on the facade of the National Public Housing Museum, Andrea Carlson (Ojibwe) invites us to listen to the land that is now called Chicago so that we might hear the traces and whispers of this history along with many other painful histories of displacement, both today on Indigenous People’s Day, and every day.

Carlson also offers this work as a proposition and a gesture to the possibility of healing through truth-telling. The original painting is on view in the museum, and will be presented as a gift to the Pokagon Band of the Potawatomi at the conclusion of this installation.

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.

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.

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

10/02/2026

Vendors Wanted! We are seeking vendors for our Winter Market! Held on Sunday, December 6, the event is a day of creativity, service, and gift-giving with local artists, makers, and creative entrepreneurs. Apply by October 19: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdwiEx8MLbcEmS70tqts6Q7x7ZR5Qftni-X_qpram9mcV4PEg/viewform

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.