Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture
Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture
Stanley Balzekas founded this museum dedicated to Lithuanian Culture in 1966. Opening the museum next to his auto dealership on Archer Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. In the beginning the museum was filled with the owner's own personal collection of Lithuanian art, but this quickly grew in size. After the collection grew to a size that is could no longer be housed in the building housing it all, it was moved to its current location. This was his dream and goal to preserve the arts of his homeland for all to view and appreciate. Once inside the museum one will find a large collection of Lithuanian art, as well as armor and rare maps that have been donated by others throughout the years. A language education department joins the main exhibit "Lithuania Through Out the Ages", collections of folk art and coins, tokens and medals, a state-of-the-art audio-visual center and a gift shop.
Contained inside this museum is the largest Lithuanian resource center outside of Lithuania. There is a genealogist of Lithuanian ancestry available to answer questions. The museum offers a basic search of four major Lithuanian-American genealogy sources to patrons. Records and information pertinent to genealogical research and the immigration history of Lithuanian-Americans.
This is a non-profit museum staffed by a group of volunteers supported entirely by patron's donations.
Hours of operation:
10:00 a.m. daily
Admission: Adults: $4.00
Seniors and students $3.00
Many preserved documents regarding Lithuania are available inside the museum. A few of them are Lithuanian periodicals, Lithuanian encyclopedias, Museum records, death records as well as directories. Those interested in their Lithuanian ancestry will find the Lietuviu Pavardziu Zodynas (list of thousands of Lithuanian names and their location in Lithuania). Selected reference books. Maps and descriptions of Lithuanian ancestral towns and an ancestral town referral are available to those interested in tracing their Lithuanian ancestry.
Stanley Balzekas founded this museum dedicated to Lithuanian Culture in 1966. Opening the museum next to his auto dealership on Archer Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. In the beginning the museum was filled with the owner's own personal collection of Lithuanian art, but this quickly grew in size. After the collection grew to a size that is could no longer be housed in the building housing it all, it was moved to its current location. This was his dream and goal to preserve the arts of his homeland for all to view and appreciate. Once inside the museum one will find a large collection of Lithuanian art, as well as armor and rare maps that have been donated by others throughout the years. A language education department joins the main exhibit "Lithuania Through Out the Ages", collections of folk art and coins, tokens and medals, a state-of-the-art audio-visual center and a gift shop.
Contained inside this museum is the largest Lithuanian resource center outside of Lithuania. There is a genealogist of Lithuanian ancestry available to answer questions. The museum offers a basic search of four major Lithuanian-American genealogy sources to patrons. Records and information pertinent to genealogical research and the immigration history of Lithuanian-Americans.
This is a non-profit museum staffed by a group of volunteers supported entirely by patron's donations.
Hours of operation:
10:00 a.m. daily
Admission: Adults: $4.00
Seniors and students $3.00
Many preserved documents regarding Lithuania are available inside the museum. A few of them are Lithuanian periodicals, Lithuanian encyclopedias, Museum records, death records as well as directories. Those interested in their Lithuanian ancestry will find the Lietuviu Pavardziu Zodynas (list of thousands of Lithuanian names and their location in Lithuania). Selected reference books. Maps and descriptions of Lithuanian ancestral towns and an ancestral town referral are available to those interested in tracing their Lithuanian ancestry.
