Explore the dynamic cityscape around East 47th St. and South Parkway Blvd – the heart of Bronzeville – on Chicago’s South Side, as it was between the World Wars. Encounter heroes and scoundrels, survivors and thrivers, in 3D interactive scenes that transport the visitor into detailed recreations of this vanished community.
It was a time shaped by the Great Depression, Jim Crow segregation, and a burgeoning Chicago Renaissance in music and the arts, commerce and culture. It was the time of the Great Migration of thousands of African Americans as they fled the harsh realities of the South for the hope of a better life in the cities of the North and West.
Enter the Time Machine Bronzeville gallery and encounter a large tabletop Diorama displaying the recreated cityscape at the heart of Bronzeville. Take a stroll around the diorama and examine actual and imagined Bronzeville locations, animated with people and activity. See the archival photos and media and audio recreations that add authenticity to the experience that is, at once, arresting and immersive.
Click on any of dozens of diorama locations to reveal Popup Panels that include informative text, archival photos and audio recreations describing the places and their significance. Activate the Spyglass feature to take a closer look at the cityscape. At street level, you’ll encounter some of the characters and sounds that animate this vibrant community.
Take a ride on the Bi-plane with its undulating banner announcing, “Carnival Today!”. Get a birds-eye view of the neighborhood. Jump into the Jitney Cab and take a scintillating night ride through the streets of Bronzeville. View the cityscape from the L- Train to get a “South Side” perspective of the now-vanished cityscape.
Turn your attention to the gallery walls lined with dozens of black and white photographs and framed colored scenes. These are the portals to the Storyworld. Click on the photos or enter the scenes to see and hear the stories that helped shape America in the 20th century.
There is a lot to see and discover (and surprises to reveal) as you proceed on your journey in Time Machine Bronzeville. The Achievement Dashboard will keep track of what you have discovered and give hints as to what more there is to explore. Collect all of the Markers on the Diorama and the Gallery Storyworld and become the official Mayor of Bronzeville.
Explore… Discover… Be Surprised. Welcome to Time Machine Bronzeville