Top Things To Do In Bronzeville | Choose Chicago

History lines the streets in Chicago’s landmark Bronzeville neighborhood.

Dubbed the city’s “Black Metropolis,” this south side community served as the headquarters for African American cultural and entrepreneurial innovation for most of the early 20th century.

That legacy is still alive today in Bronzeville, where you’ll find a vibrant array of art galleries, cafes, restaurants, and restored mansions dotting the streets. This is the neighborhood for history and culture fans interested in spending a day steeped in an artsy vibe. Here’s how to spend 24 hours in Chicago’s historic Bronzeville neighborhood.

Bronzeville history and landmarksMonument to the Great Migration

Start with a stroll to the Monument to the Great Northern Migration, which greets visitors near the entrance to Bronzeville at 26th and King Drive. Towering 15 feet high, this bronze statue commemorates the thousands of African Americans who fled the Jim Crow South to Chicago in search of freedom and opportunities.

The Bronzeville Walk of Fame stretches for 10 blocks along King Drive between 26th Place and 35th. The bronze plaques honor over 100 famous Bronzeville residents, including legends like dancer and choreographer Katherine Dunham, Pulitzer-Prize-winning poet and author Gwendolyn Brooks, blues icon Muddy Waters, and Daniel Hale Williams, the doctor who performed the world’s first open heart surgery.

Victory Monument in Bronzeville

Photo by Eric Allix Rogers

For a lively, interactive account of Bronzeville’s history, check outChicago Mahogany Tours. Chicago’s acclaimed urban historian and TikTok sensation Sherman “Dilla” Thomas, guides visitors through historic sites like the birthplace of Black History Month, the headquarters for the first Black-owned insurance company, and the church where gospel music was born.

While you’re in the neighborhood, keep an eye out for The Forum, a historic 1897 building that hosted music greats from Nat King Cole to Muddy Waters to the Jackson 5. Today, it’s being restored and transformed into a hub for cultural programming.

Make an appointment at the Bronzeville Historical Society to explore photography, documents, and exhibitions related to the city’s African American history.

Arts and culture in BronzevilleGallery Guichard; photo by
Abel Arciniega @tequilagraphics

To dive into Bronzeville’s standout art scene, stop by Gallery Guichard and the Bronzeville Artist Lofts for immersive art that reflects the African Diaspora.

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