"Good Times" at Chicago's National Public Housing Museum
- Chicago Movie Tours
- 20 hours ago
- 2 min read
One of Chicago’s newest museums encourages you to explore public housing history in the U.S. and an exhibit devoted to the TV series Good Times.
I recently visited the National Public Housing Museum located in Chicago's Near West Side. The museum opened in April 2025, and admission is free.
Inside, you learn about the histories of public housing in Chicago and nationwide—including discriminatory policies and practices like redlining that help shape said housing developments and the families living within them.
On view, you'll find everyday objects from public housing: a Pyrex dish, dog collar, wedding dress, and yellow rotary phone.
Optionally, a Historic Apartments tour allows you to visit recreated apartments that reflect different families’ experiences in public housing history between the 1930s and 1970s. That tour, which I enjoyed, is $25/person.
Finally, if you're Gen X—or perhaps the owner of a tour company that researches Chicago-based movies and TV—then one exhibition inside the museum will likely catch your eye.
Seeing Yourself on TV
Tucked away in the museum's lower level is a space devoted to Good Times, the 1970s sitcom about a Black family living in Chicago public housing.
Good Times, which ran on CBS for five years (1974-79), centers on Florida and James Evans and their three children, James Jr. (J.J.), Thelma, and Michael. Throughout the series, the family attempts to overcome poverty in inner-city Chicago, always doing so with a sense of humor and impeccable comedic timing.
That's not to say Good Times shies away from difficult topics. Racism, gang wars, unemployment, and evictions factor into storylines. And we should recall that real-life conflicts between producers and actors occurred as well, causing involuntary cast dismissals and voluntary resignations.
Still, according to the National Public Housing Museum, "the first time public housing residents saw themselves on mainstream television" was on Good Times.
Where Does Good Times Take Place?
Good Times never mentions the family's Chicago housing project by name. We are only given the address: 963 North Gilbert Avenue, Apt. 17C. (For the curious, here's the Evans' apartment floor plan.)
But based on the following, we can deduce the fictional Evans family likely lived in Chicago's real Cabrini-Green public housing development.
For example,
Good Times' opening credits reveal actual location shots of Cabrini-Green.
The show's co-creator Eric Monte grew up in Cabrini-Green. Notably, Monte also wrote Cooley High (1975), a film set and shot on location in Cabrini-Green.
Adding to this, in the museum's small installation, you can watch clips from the series—all selected by current Cabrini-Green residents.
The National Public Housing Museum offers a thoughtful look at the lived experiences, systemic challenges, and cultural legacy of public housing in America.
From personal artifacts and immersive apartment recreations to a nostalgic yet critical nod to Good Times, the museum invites you to reflect on the past while considering the future of housing and community.