Polish Museum of America

Year: 1935
Style: Neoclassical
City: Chicago, IL

The Polish Museum of America opened in 1935 in what was then Chicago's Polish Downtown, now West Town, making it one of the oldest ethnic museums in the United States. It holds a growing collection of Polish artifacts, artwork, and embroidered folk costumes, and serves as a hub for Polish and Polish American culture in the city.

the style

The museum's 1935 building is identified as combining Neoclassical and Art Deco architecture, two styles frequently paired in civic and institutional buildings of the era.

significance

Founded in 1935, the museum is one of the oldest ethnic museums in the United States and is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is a Core Member of the Chicago Cultural Alliance, a consortium of 25 ethnic museums and cultural centers in Chicago, and serves as the site of official commemorations of Casimir Pulaski Day.

nearby

Elizabeth Peabody Public School 0.2 mi · Romanesque Revival · 1894
Holy Trinity Church 0.2 mi · Polish Cathedral style
John Lathrop Motley Public school 0.3 mi · Colonial Revival · 1885
Holy Innocents Church 0.4 mi · Romanesque Revival
Polish National Alliance Building 0.4 mi · Art Deco · 1937
St. Stanislaus Kostka Church 0.4 mi · Renaissance Revival · 1881

All 382 buildings in Chicago