The Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture ( lt, Balzeko lietuvių kultūros muziejus) is located at 6500 S. Pulaski Rd. in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

's West Lawn neighborhood, not far from

Chicago Midway International Airport Chicago Midway International Airport , typically referred to as Midway Airport, Chicago Midway, or simply Midway, is a major commercial airport on the Southwest side of Chicago, Illinois, located approximately 12 miles (19 km) from the Lo ...

. Founded in 1966, the Balzekas Museum is dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of

Lithuanian culture Culture of Lithuania combines an indigenous heritage, represented by the unique Lithuanian language, with Nordic cultural aspects and Christian traditions resulting from historical ties with Poland. Although linguistic resemblances represent st ...

and is the largest museum in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

devoted to the subjects of Lithuania, the

Lithuanian language Lithuanian ( ) is an Eastern Baltic language belonging to the Baltic branch of the Indo-European language family. It is the official language of Lithuania and one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.8 mill ...

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...

and

politics Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that stud ...

, and to the

Lithuanian-American Lithuanian Americans refers to American citizens and residents who are Lithuanian and were born in Lithuania, or are of Lithuanian descent. New Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has the largest percentage of Lithuanian Americans (20.8%) in the United ...

experience. The museum hosts events, programs, and workshops, such as traditional Lithuanian ''Užgavėnės'' (Mardi-Gras) mask making, ''vėlykaičiai'' or ''margučiai'' Easter egg decorating, and straw Christmas ornament making. The museum is a popular destination for tourists and schools, seeking to learn about Lithuanian history, culture, and immigration. Promoting the study and appreciation of America's diverse ethnic cultural heritage and seeking to foster greater understanding among all people, the museum works cooperatively with numerous ethnic groups; cultural, arts and educational organizations; museums; fraternal orders; religious entities; and governmental institutions. The Balzekas Museum is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. It was founded by

businessman Stanley Balzekas, Jr., who died in 2020.

Chicago's Lithuanian community Lithuanians in Chicago and the nearby metropolitan area are a prominent group within the "Windy City" whose presence goes back over a hundred years. Today the Chicago area possesses the largest Lithuanian community outside Lithuania,Čikagos ...

has more Lithuanians and people of Lithuanian descent than anywhere in the world outside of Lithuania itself. The museum's bulletin, called the ''Lithuanian Museum Review'', is published quarterly.

References

External links

The official web site of the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture
Lithuanian-American culture in Chicago Museums in Chicago Museums of Lithuanian culture abroad Ethnic museums in Illinois Folk art museums and galleries in Illinois Museums established in 1966 1966 establishments in Illinois European-American museums Cultural centers in Chicago {{Illinois-museum-stub, Chicago=y