Col. Wood's Museum facts for kids

Col. Wood's Museum was a popular museum located in Chicago, Illinois. It was also sometimes called the Chicago Museum. The museum first opened its doors in 1864. It was famous for showing many unusual and interesting items. One of its most well-known exhibits included a pair of ancient mummies. It also displayed sheets of papyri, which are old writings on paper-like material. These papyri had once belonged to Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. Sadly, the museum was destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire. It reopened twice more, but each time it faced destruction by fire again.

History of the Museum

The first version of Col. Wood's Museum was started by Col. John H. Wood. It opened on March 22, 1864. The museum building was located at the corner of Clark and Randolph Streets in Chicago. Many people thought it was Chicago's answer to Barnum's American Museum in New York City.

What Was Inside?

For just a quarter, visitors could see many amazing things. The museum had about sixty cases filled with birds, insects, and reptiles. There was also a huge picture of London that moved, called a panorama. You could see many model ships and paintings of Native Americans. The museum even had a rifle that once belonged to the famous frontiersman Daniel Boone. A small model of the Parthenon from ancient Greece was also on display. One of the most exciting exhibits was the "Great Zeuglodon." This was a 96-foot-long skeleton of a huge ancient whale called a Basilosaurus. Of course, the mummies and the papyri were also big attractions.

Fires and Reopenings

The original Col. Wood's Museum was completely burned down during the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. All of its amazing contents were lost in the flames. But Col. Wood did not give up. Just one week after the huge fire, he rented the Globe Theatre. This theater was just outside the main downtown area.

After several years of hard work and collecting new items, Wood's museum was ready again. It reopened in 1875. This new version was also full of strange and wonderful finds. Visitors still paid a quarter to enter. This museum took up the second, third, and fourth floors of the theater building. Unfortunately, in 1877, this version of the museum was also destroyed by a fire.

Still, Col. Wood reopened his museum one last time in 1884. He ran this final museum out of the Olympia Theatre building, which he leased. A restaurant that was already on the main floor stayed there. Wood used the other four floors to show off his unique collection. Over time, the museum added more seating. It could eventually hold up to 1,000 people.

Images for kids

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  Col. Woods Museum before the fire

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  Col. Wood's Museum after the fire