The institution was founded in 2003, and its specialist collections include material relating to Winston Churchill and war-related sheet music.

Originally located in the Streeterville neighborhood at 610 N. Fairbanks Court, the library later moved to 104 S. Michigan Avenue[3] in the Loop.

The collection of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library comprises over 115,000 items and includes more than 70,000 books, as well as periodicals, videos, artwork, posters, rare military ephemera, over 9000 photographs and glass negatives from the American Civil War and the Spanish–American War to the present, letters and journals from American soldiers, and a sizable collection related to Winston Churchill.

Sam Gevirtz, who served on board USS Bunker Hill during the Okinawa invasion, donated his two World War II diaries to the Museum & Library.

They have included interviews with Medal of Honor recipients such as Paul William Bucha and Gary L. Littrell,[13] retired military figures such as Gen. Anthony Zinni and NASA Capt.

[17] Retired CIA agent Sandra Grimes also paid a visit to the Museum & Library and introduced her book Circle of Treason.

[18] Programs are webcast live on the library's website and archived for later viewing or listening in streaming media or as podcasts.

[23] The Museum & Library has also hosted exhibitions by artists such as Steve Mumford, James Dietz, Don Stivers, and members of the Midwest Air Force Association.

The exhibit featured images, letters and maps from the invasion in Normandy in addition to video and audio recording from D-Day veterans.

The exhibit was a powerful presentation of imagery, audio, and interactive elements, allowing visitors of all abilities including blind and low vision, to experience the personal stories of the men who endured the brutal conflict.