Museums guides
Chicago Museums-The Chicago Museum Campus
Light-polluted, inland cities such as Chicago don't generally lend themselves to star-gazing and dolphin-spotting. Nature-lovers head to rural hills or beachside towns for such thrills. But with just a day at the Chicago Museum Campus, visitors can check out Orion's belt, sit in on a dolphin show, and study dinosaur fossils--with just a pleasant, lakeside stroll between each of the Chicago museums housed here.
Read MoreMuseums & More: Chicago History Museum
The city's oldest museum, the Chicago Historical Society, reopened its doors after a multi-million dollar renovation, unveiling not only its new name—The Chicago History Museum—but also a new motto that Chicago history begins here. So trek on up to Lincoln Park and immerse yourself in Chicago's spectacular past.
Read MoreChicago Museums-Museum of Science and Industry
Visitors and locals alike flock to the Museum of Science and Industry to take in some of their permanent exhibits, as well as new, ground-breaking exhibits that have visitors of all ages excited to learn. Since opening in 1933, this Chicago museum has grown exponentially; it currently displays 35,000 artifacts and welcomes nearly two million visitors each year. Be sure to check out the brand new "You! The Experience" exhibit, and don't miss out on a tour of U-505, the only German submarine in the United States.
Read MoreChicago Museums-The Art Institute of Chicago
In the northern region of Grant Park, right on Michigan Avenue, lies the Art Institute of Chicago, which houses more than 5,000 years of human artistic expression from all over the world.The newly opened Modern Wing at the Art Institute of Chicago is home to the museum's expansive contemporary and modern art collections, several public areas, and more! Check out our guide to the Modern Wing at the Art Institue of Chicago.
Read MoreChicago Museums-Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum
The United States of America hadn't been in existence for 100 years when the most difficult crisis in the nation's history hit in the form of Civil War. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum honors not only the man who kept the country from falling into anarchy, but the state where he was raised.
Read MoreChicago Public Art Guide
Public art has come a long way from its cave painting days. Internationally-renowned artists are creating some of the most innovative installations in Chicago for the benefit of the public that's paying for them. There are a slew of new sculptures, like Anish Kapoor's “Cloud Gate” and Magdalena Abakanowicz's “Agora,” in nearby Millennium Park and Grant Park, that are receiving well-deserved attention.
Read MoreMuseums & More: National Museum of Mexican Art
The National Museum of Mexican Art (NMMA) is on the forefront of innovation in the museum industry. It currently stands as the largest Latino arts institution in the country.
Read MoreArt Galleries & Shows: ARTEahora
ARTEhora, Chicago's first Latin art fair, will showcase the work of a number of inflential Latin American artists and will feature lectures and book signings from artists, curators, and art dealers from around the country and the world.
Read MoreChicago Museums-Adler Planetarium
Founded and built in 1930 by Max Adler, the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum in Chicago was the first planetarium built in the Western Hemisphere, and remains the oldest in existence. The Adler Planetarium is located on Northerly Island, part of a collection of other Chicago museums on the lakefront property known as the Chicago Museum Campus.
Read MoreChicago Museums-Museum of Contemporary Art
Three giant yellow-and-white statues guard the entrance to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) home to some of Chicago's most unique art. The cast aluminum sculptures by Thomas Schutte set the tone for the museum--different and unexpected.The ever-changing galleries showcase sculpture, paintings, film and everything called art from the past 60 years, Chicago's own and internationally-acclaimed works. Just blocks from Water Tower Place and the shopping mecca of the Magnificent Mile, the Museum of Contemporary Art is a calm sanctuary in a bustling city.
Read MoreChicago Museums-The Field Museum
The Field Museum has it all, from 3-D movies to Sue, the world's most complete T-Rex fossil. No matter your age or preference for museums, this Chicago museum is a must.The Field Museum resides on the downtown lakefront property known as the Museum Campus, where other prestigious museums like the John G. Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium can be found.
Read MoreMuseums & More: DuSable Museum of African American History
OverviewThe first museum of its kind in the U.S., the DuSable Museum of African American History shares the stories of the struggles and triumphs of African Americans throughout U.S. history. The museum focuses not only on the well known leaders, but also on those unsung heroes who paved the way for equality through history.
Read MoreMuseums & More: National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum
This emotionally moving gallery is not for the light of heart. A complex jumble of feelings scream out from the paintings, sculptures, photographs, poems and stories collected in the world’s only museum focusing solely on art created about the subject of war. The pieces displayed in the warehouse-like setting continuously help the artists, veterans and the general public cope with the controversial and frustrating sensation of war.
Read MoreThe Art Institute of Chicago - The Modern Wing
This well-anticipated section of The Art Institute of Chicago has been in the works for a decade; now it's up and ready for you to visit. The architect-designed space constitutes 264,000 square feet of 20th and 21st century art and makes The Art Institute of Chicago the second largest art museum in the country.
Read MoreMuseums & More: DuSable Museum of African American History
OverviewThe first museum of its kind in the U.S., the DuSable Museum of African American History shares the stories of the struggles and triumphs of African Americans throughout U.S. history. The museum focuses not only on the well known leaders, but also on those unsung heroes who paved the way for equality through history.
Read MoreDriehaus Museum
Standing on the corner of Erie and Wabash, you can find a piece of Gilded Age Chicago preserved in the middle of modernity. The home of a 19th century banker has been restored and opened to the public as the Driehaus Museum.
Read MoreChicago Museums-Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Founded in 1857 as "the teaching and learning center" of the Chicago Academy of Sciences, the Notebaert Nature Museum has been preserving the environment and promoting environmental consciousness for over 150 years. Children will love the Notebaert whether they are seeing the world through the eyes of a bug or monkeying around in a tree house. There are also a number of fun workshops and other programs where adults and kids alike can join in the museum's daily activities, like animal feedings and butterfly releases, and learn more about the earth and saving it.
Read MoreDriehaus Museum
Standing on the corner of Erie and Wabash, you can find a piece of Gilded Age Chicago preserved in the middle of modernity. The home of a 19th century banker has been restored and opened to the public as the Driehaus Museum.
Read MoreMuseums & More: Chicago Cultural Center
The Chicago Cultural Center is a city landmark for exquisite art, architecture, music, theater, and history. The most prominent elements of the Cultural Center are the two famous glass domes (including the world’s largest Tiffany dome) that rest atop this “People’s Palace”. Free art exhibits, renowned performers, and glorious architecture draw a range of people to Chicago’s cultural home.
Read MoreMuseums & More: DuSable Museum of African American History
OverviewThe first museum of its kind in the U.S., the DuSable Museum of African American History shares the stories of the struggles and triumphs of African Americans throughout U.S. history. The museum focuses not only on the well known leaders, but also on those unsung heroes who paved the way for equality through history.
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