The Polish Museum of America

Located near the historic center of the first Polish Community in Chicago, the Polish Museum of America is one of the largest and oldest ethnic museums in the United States. Founded in 1935 and opened in 1937, the museum is made up of three parts – the library, the archives and the museum itself. A large part of the exhibits focus on the history of the Poles in America, starting with the heroes of two countries, Pulaski and Kosciuszko, who volunteered to serve the American cause during the Revolutionary War, through the settlers of the 1850’s, the great Maestro Ignace Jan Paderewski, the struggle for Polish Independence and freedom, through the life of Pope John Paul II.