Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle restored in Chicago

[Member1 87]

On CBS Sunday Morning today, Feb. 22 2015, was a story about the recently finished restoration of Colleen More's Fairy Castle the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. I saw it a few years ago and it was sure in need of some work........

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/famous-dollhouse-receives-200000-renovation/

And here is a time laps video from the museum......

[ElgaKoster 540]

I am not sure why but I never watched these videos when they were first posted, I stumbled across them tonight when I looked for something else...fascinating especially the first one which fortunately is still on the website.

How far is this museum from the Chicago Art Institute where the Thorne rooms are? Is it possible to go to both in the same day?

[WeekendMiniaturist 279]

If you take the train, they are about 30 minutes apart.   You can go to www.maps.google.com for the directions and then choose the train icon to see them on a map.  The Chicago Train is about 2 blocks away from the bishop hotel, and as long as the snow is gone mid April it is a pretty easy walk.  You do not need the addresses, just type in the names of the two museums and it will give you directions.

 

I would guess that the train is infinitely more efficient then traveling via car, if one has a scheduled and limited itinerary.  There are some really wonderful paintings at the Chicago Art Institute and they have some tiffany stained glass that should not be missed, if these items are of any interest.... and of course there is furniture, textiles and other fascinating items at the Art Institute.

 

I also have enjoyed my visits to Museum of Science and Industry, but if I had to chose just one to visit I would go see the Thorne Rooms at the Art Institute.

 

 

 

Tamra

[ElgaKoster 540]

Thank you Tamra, since I also want to try and get to the fabric stores you talked about here on the forum before, I will most likely stick to the Thorne rooms next year, I hope this won't be my one and only visit to Chicago!

Colleen Moore's castle was in one of the first books that I bought when I first started out with miniatures and back then it made quite an impression on me.

[Mesouth 38]

Elga, it is beautiful! When I started out in adult miniatures, my dear mother-in-law bought a Colleen Moore book for me. As a young adolescent, she had seen it in person in New Orleans when it toured in 1935 and was always fascinated by it. Although she never was a miniature artist or collector, she was always one of my biggest supporters!

Seeing it in person was a treat for me and I hope you will get to see it, too!

Martha in Louisiana

[WeekendMiniaturist 279]

Well,... maybe some year we should get organized and do our own field trip to coincide with Chicago International Show?  I haven't seen the Fairy Castle since I accompanied our sons on a school field trip to the Museum of Science & Industry -

 

With the exception of shopping for silk fabric & fibers in the Chicago area, it is difficult for me to want to add anything else to the list, as the lure of the showroom is very hard to leave.

 

or--- we can meet in Chicago during the summer for a few days tourism before GS?

 

Tamra