After a contentious five-year saga following its removal from Arrigo Park, Little Italy’s Christopher Columbus statue could soon be on display at a new Italian-American museum opening this fall on Taylor Street.
Ron Onesti, president of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, has been in talks to create the Florence Scala Italian American Museum, 1501 W. Taylor St., since 2024 and is eyeing a Columbus Day opening date on Oct. 12. The Columbus statue will be placed on a concrete platform built into the floor as the museum’s centerpiece to honor the contributions of Italian-Americans to Chicago, Onesti said.
