The Mitchell Museum of the American Indian
The Mitchell Museum of the American Indian
The Mitchell Museum of the American Indian was founded in 1977 with John and Betty Mitchell's gift to Kendall College of their Native American collection which spanned over 60 years of intense collection of Native American artifacts from the Southwest, Plains and Great Lakes Indians, the Mitchell Collection provided a nucleus of approximately 3,000 individual objects which range from works of art, ceremonial, and daily use items. Over the past 20 years numerous gifts and purchases have increased the Museum's collection to more than three times the original size.
In 1997 the Mitchell Museum moved to its current home in northwest Evanston.the three level brick and concrete building provides room for permanent exhibits dedicated to the Native cultures of the Woodlands, Plains, Southwest, Northwest Coast and Arctic regions of North America. Each gallery contains a "touching table" where visitors can handle real examples of Indian artifacts, as well as feel the raw materials - including snakeskin, caribou fur, birch bark, turquoise and buffalo skin - that were used by Native Americans. There are also two changing galleries that feature special temporary exhibits that hold a range of Native American artifacts on loan from other Museums and private collections.
The permanent collection includes charming Lakota Sioux dolls, costumes used in ceremonies, and a grand collection of pipes and walking sticks. There is an enormous library of over 5000 books and periodicals, as well as video and audio tapes can you can use when you visit the Museum.
Visting information for the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian located at 2600 Central Park Avenue. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday 12 noon to 4 p.m.; Closed Mondays, New Years Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day and the last two weeks of August.
