Latest news with #BroadcastMuseum
Chicago Tribune
11-03-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Skokie's Illinois Holocaust Museum to close during expansion, will add downtown Chicago site
Some big changes, in the form of construction, expansion, temporary closure and a satellite site, are coming to the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center in Skokie. Bernard Cherkasov, the museum's CEO, announced the Skokie museum will temporarily close in July for construction work to expand the museum and add an auditorium and other features. A satellite location in downtown Chicago will display some popular exhibits. To facilitate the construction process, the museum announced the Skokie building will be closed for about a year during construction, starting in July. There will be a partial reopening of the museum in January 2026 and a full reopening at the end of summer in 2026. 'We're doing quite a big renovation,' said CEO Bernard Cherkasov. 'We are expanding our visitor welcome center. We're building new bathrooms. We're building a brand-new, state-of-the-art auditorium. We are adding spaces for reflection.' The decision was made to close the museum during the renovation because, 'Some of this is going to be loud, dusty, disruptive work,' Cherkasov said. 'We felt that to continue to provide a world-class experience for our visitors, it is easier to shut down the museum for a short period of time.' Cherkasov noted that a large welcome center is needed because of how much attendance has increased at the museum. He reported that in the past two years, the museum has beat its single day visitation record five times. The welcome center will allow room for visitors to purchase tickets or wait to have their questions answered. That increased attendance also means that additional bathrooms are necessary. Cherkasov said the museum doesn't yet know the cost details of the expansion and construction project because they haven't gotten the construction bids yet. Once they have created a complete budget, they will share it and report how the expenses will be paid, he said. The museum will open a temporary downtown Chicago satellite location in July for about a year, at the former site of the Broadcast Museum. 'This year we mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust and the end of World War II,' Cherkasov said. 'It feels like the world that we live in needs the lessons from the Holocaust now more urgently than ever before. To be able to open a satellite downtown where we can reach new audiences who haven't been able to come see our contents in Skokie sounds like an amazing opportunity for us.' Visitors to the satellite location will see Holocaust survivor holography, virtual reality films, and stories of survivors of the Holocaust and other genocides, 'showing our shared humanity,' Cherkasov said. The Holocaust Memorial Foundation of Illinois was started by Holocaust survivors in 1981. It later became the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Illinois Holocaust Museum to temporarily close for renovations, open Chicago site
The Brief The Illinois Holocaust Museum will temporarily close its facility in Skokie as it undergoes major renovations. While those upgrades are being made, a temporary museum site will open in Chicago's River North neighborhood. The museum will close its Skokie center starting this July and the renovations will take one year to complete. SKOKIE, Ill. - The Illinois Holocaust Museum said it will temporarily close starting this summer as its Skokie center undergoes major upgrades. The renovations are meant to modernize the center, the museum said. While those upgrades are taking place, a temporary museum location will open in Chicago. What we know The renovations will include the construction of a new lobby designed to "hold vastly more guests of all ages and abilities." Other updates will include a new visitor welcome center, a redesigned state-of-the-art auditorium, and a reflection space with the Karkomi Holocaust exhibition. There will also be updated security and ticket offices and added restrooms. Timeline The museum will close all exhibitions on June 2 but will remain open for public programs and training through the end of June. The museum will fully close on July 1. The renovations are expected to take about one year. A grand opening will take place sometime in the summer of 2026. What's next While these renovations take place at the Skokie center, the museum will open a Chicago satellite location. This temporary spot will feature some of the museum's most popular exhibitions at the former site of the Broadcast Museum at 360 North State Street in the River North neighborhood. To learn more about the renovations and the museum's offerings, visit
