Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
If you’re looking for something to do this weekend and you’ve exhausted the options in downtown Chicago or your own neck of the woods, your next adventure awaits at Casa Italia.
There, you’ll find treasure troves of history and heritage at the Italian Cultural Center and the Italian American Veterans Museum. For the rest of the year, both will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday.
Among its many assets, the cultural center contains a glorious 1/100 scale re-creation of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, an exhibit dedicated to the Italian immigrant experience in Chicago, a gallery showcasing sculptures and paintings by Italian-American artists, and a library filled with thousands of volumes covering every aspect of Italian and Italian-American history.
The veterans museum has exhibits dedicated to Medal of Honor recipients, Hometown Heroes, the American Revolution and the Civil War, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Side exhibits cover World War I, women in the military, souvenirs of war, military patches and insignias, uniforms, blades, helmets, military-themed toys and more.
Tours of either or both the veterans museum and cultural center for groups of 10 or more are available by appointment. The donation is $5 per person, with an additional fee for lunch. (708-338-0690, iavmuseum.org)
