Pilsen's National Museum of Mexican Art Extends Popular 'Rieles y Raíces' Railroad Workers Exhibit Through Spring

By Socialhood News · Il/Chicago/Pilsen · January 2, 2026

The National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen is extending its popular exhibition "Rieles y Raíces: Traqueros in Chicago and the Midwest" through April 2026, museum officials announced this week. The exhibit, which has drawn record winter attendance, explores the vital yet often overlooked contributions of Mexican railroad workers who helped establish Chicago as a major transportation hub throughout the 20th century.

Curated by Ismael Cuevas and Alejandro Benavides, the exhibition features personal artifacts, photographs, and stories from Mexican and Mexican-American families across the Chicago area. One of the most compelling displays shows how railroad workers and their families created communities within converted boxcars, with one boxcar even serving as one of the Chicago area's first Spanish-language churches in Aurora during 1930, complete with an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe that the museum has preserved and framed.

"When you look at a city like Chicago, the Mexican community has enriched the city," explained Cesario Moreno, the museum's visual arts director. "Chicago is a city of immigrants, and Chicago is definitely a city that was influenced by Mexicans in a beautiful way." Pilsen residents and visitors interested in experiencing this celebration of Chicago's railroad heritage can visit the exhibit at the National Museum of Mexican Art at 1852 W. 19th Street through April 26, 2026. More information is available on the museum's website.

Sources:
1. https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/25/new-museum-of-mexican-art-exhibit-explores-how-mexican-railworkers-put-chicago-on-the-map/