Bridgehouse Museum Open

The McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum opens today for the 2021 season, which runs through October. The five-story landmark Michigan Avenue Bridgehouse, located on the Chicago Riverwalk, explores the complicated history of the river from glacial formation through modern revitalization and the work that brought the river back to life. The Bridgehouse Museum also celebrates Chicago’s world-famous movable bridges and allows visitors an up-close look at the massive gears and inner-workings of the bridge.

The Bridgehouse Museum features a special live performance of Sounds of the Chicago River on Sunday May 30. Join Friends, the Fifth House Ensemble, and the American Indian Center-Chicago for back-to-back live performances at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. The performances are the culmination of a series of virtual workshops using deep listening as a tool for observation and increased awareness of our environment, integrated with Native practices. The workshops explored the interconnectedness of humans, wildlife, plants, and place. The performances are partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, in partnership with Fifth House Ensemble and the American Indian Center. You can watch the first five workshops on Friends’ YouTube channel.

The Bridgehouse Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through Memorial Day weekend. Following Memorial Day, the museum is open Thursday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is free for Friends of the Chicago River members, and $6 or less for non-members.