Bridgehouse Museum Lecture Series

Friends’ free Lunchtime Lecture Series at the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum kicks off August 2 with expert speakers bringing to life key aspects of the Chicago River system, wildlife, and related topics such as architecture along the river. The lectures take place every Monday on the museum's outdoor plaza on the Chicago Riverwalk. Join us every Monday through September from noon to 12:45 p.m.

 Speakers scheduled thus far include:

  • August 2 – Patrick McBriarty, award-winning author of Chicago River Bridges the authoritative guide and history about Chicago’s bridges.
  • August 9 –Joshi Radin, artist, writer, and activist working in Chicago whose work investigates questions concerning nature, cosmology and expanded landscape.
  • August 16 – Austin Happel, a research biologist at the Shedd Aquarium whose work focuses on how we can better conserve, manage and restore freshwater aquatic ecosystems to promote thriving and diverse fish communities.
  • August 30 – Lillian Holden, Education and Outreach Coordinator at Openlands; and Laura Barghusen, aquatic ecologist at Openlands, will discuss the African American Heritage Trail.
  • September 20 – Rachel Havrelock, professor of English at the University of Illinois at Chicago who directs the Freshwater Lab, an environmental humanities initiative focused on the North American Great Lakes and environmental justice.
  • September 27 – Iyana Simba, the Clean Water Policy Director at the Illinois Environmental Council where she oversees coalition building, advocacy, and policy development related to water issues in Illinois.

More speakers will be announced soon. Keep an eye on the Bridgehouse Museum’s event page for updates. In the event of rain, follow @bridgehousemuse on twitter or call (312) 977-0227.

Located in the southwest bridgehouse of the historic 100-year-old DuSable Bridge on Michigan Avenue, the Bridgehouse Museum tells the story of how the Chicago 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. Guests at the museum can also see the massive gears and inner workings of the bridge. The Bridgehouse Museum opened in 2006 as one of the first attractions to pioneer the development of the renowned Chicago Riverwalk and is the only bridgehouse open to the public.

Guided tours of the Bridgehouse Museum are also available at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. The Bridgehouse Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday. Call (312)-977-0227 to reserve a Bridgehouse Museum tour.