Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture

Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture was started in 1966 by the Balzekas family as a place to display and preserve authentic Lithuanian antiques and culture for everyone to share. Balzekas moved to its present location in 1986, converting what was once a hospital into a cultural center of Lithuanian heritage. Armor, maps and other historical objects from the personal collection of founder Stanley Balzekas Jr. are among the biggest attractions of this leading ethnic museum. The folk art collection is colorful and complete, and artifacts from many different periods of Lithuanian history, especially the period of independence from 1918 to World War II, also include stamps, coins, paintings and books. The recent independence movement is documented through videos and photographs. The museum has one of the largest and most diverse collections of amber in the United States (Lithuanian amber is of notably high quality and has been coveted since Egyptian times). Contemporary Lithuanian and Lithuanian-American artists are often exhibited. There are Lithuanian language classes, a library and research center, a genealogy department, a fine arts collection, a performing arts series, a translation service and audio-video archives. For children, exhibits about ethnic history and folk art are among the Balzekas Museum's strengths. If you are of Lithuanian descent and want to learn more about your heritage, or are interested in learning about other cultures, Balzekas is the place to go.

See more:

Ashburn/West Lawn / Ford City museums, Chicago museums, Chicago museums, Ethnic museums, History museums