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10 Specialty Museums in Chicago That You Shouldn't Miss
The windy city is a cornucopia of modern art, fine dining, cutting edge comedy, and die-hard sports fans. Snap a photo of your reflection in the silver Cloud Gate sculpture at Millennium Park before heading to Grant Park to get hit with the refreshing spray of Buckingham Fountain. There are dozens of museums and theater companies in Chicago, so a cultural experience is never hard to find. You’re sure to laugh your head off at the Second City Theater, the professional launch pad of many famous comedians.
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1. Museum of Holography,
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 3 reviews
The museum contains three-dimensional laser photographs
2. Ed Paschke Art Center
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 18 reviews
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
The Ed Paschke Art Center in Chicago is a different kind of art museum. All you have to do is examine the exhibit of Vaca Victoria, the controversial cow, and you'll know what I mean. Located at 5415 West Higgins Avenue, in the heart of Jefferson Park, it opened in 2014, on what would have been Ed Paschke's 75th birthday, as a tribute to the legendary Polish-American artist's work and life. Housed in a renovated building, the museum features 2,800 square feet of exhibition space and 1,700 square feet of educational space, alongside a re-imagination of Paschke's Howard Street studio. Paschke was born, raised, lived and worked on Chicago's Northwest Side and, as a Polish American, his ethnic heritage reflects part of the community's own diversity. The museum is open daily from 10 to 7. Admission is free. We were most interested in Paschke's Vaca Victoria. Remember Chicago's "Cows on Parade" exhibit from June to October in 1999, featuring over 300 cow sculptures embellished by local artists that went on public display throughout the city? Did you take pictures of them all? Like us, you probably missed Vaca Victoria, which stood at 215 West Superior in River North for just three days before it was removed because of the controversial gang signs that Paschke covered the cow with. Less controversial were other elements of the composition, like the head painted in the style of the Chicago Bulls logo. He signed his name over the cow's haunches, similar to a cattle brand.
3. Thorne Miniature Rooms
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 7 reviews
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
My wife and I have browsed the Thorne Miniature Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago on previous occasions. But after seeing the display of the Thorne collection at the Phoenix Art Museum during our recent two-week vacation in Arizona, we decided to make another visit to larger Thorne collection in Chicago. It is an exhibit unlike any other, a child's dream. Thorne Miniature Rooms are a set of about 100 miniature models of rooms created between 1932 and 1940 under the direction of Narcissa Niblack Thorne, who was born in 1882 in Vincennes, Indiana. As a child, she began to collect miniature furniture and household accessories. Her uncle, a U.S. Navy vice admiral, sent her many antique dollhouse miniatures from around the world. When she was 19, she married Montgomery Ward department store heir James Ward Thorne, whose fortune helped to finance her hobby. Ninety-nine of the rooms are still believed to be in existence. The majority of them, a total of 68, are on display at the Art Institute of Chicago, located at 111 South Michigan Avenue. We saw 20 of them at the Phoenix Art Museum. The Art Institute's rooms document European and American interiors from the late 13th century to the 1930s and the 17th century to the 1930s, respectively. Constructed on a 1:12 scale, the rooms are largely made of the same materials as full-sized rooms and some even include original works of art, including paintings and sculpture, silver bowls and crystal chandeliers. They are among the most popular attractions at the Art Institute with an authentic appearance and attention to detail that boggles the mind.
4. American Writers Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 377 reviews
Visit the American Writers Museum today! Through innovative and dynamic state-of-the-art exhibitions, as well as compelling programming, the American Writers Museum educates, enriches, provokes, and inspires visitors of all ages. Special exhibits FREE with paid admission; My America: Immigrant and Refugee Writers Today (through Spring 2021), and Tools of the Trade (through June 30, 2020).
Reviewed By FelicitySpike - Scarsdale, United States
The American Writers Museum features well organized and engaging exhibits for lovers of reading and writing. A special exhibit of Bob Dylan demonstrates some of the reasons Dylan received the Nobel Prize for Literature. There was also an exhibit of old typewriters used by well-known American writers.
5. National Cambodian Heritage Museum & Killing Fields Memorial
6. The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 199 reviews
There's always something new to explore at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Bask in the warmth of our Judy Istock Butterfly Haven, home to more than 1,000 butterflies. Touch a live snake. Meet gorgeous exotic birds. See scientists engaged in real conservation and more. With over 15 exhibits to discover, the Nature Museum is the ideal family getaway, right in Chicago!
Reviewed By bfindysz - Jerusalem District, Israel
Went with a couple of small children and their parents. Midweek on a cold, snowy but sunny day,the museum was almost empty. All the better to appreciate its offerings: a new, temporary exhibit on birds of paradise which even preschoolers can enjoy as well as the permanent exhibits which are hands-on for all ages, especially a room full of models with running water to dam up, send rubber boats through locks, etc. The most wonderful exhibit is the museum's pride as well: a butterfly haven with butterflies from Australia and other faraway places which arrive at the museum while still in cocoons, hatch in a special place and are freed into the haven. In the haven, there are also some small birds for pest control and a turtle which climbs out of her pool to seek winter sunshine.
7. Oriental Institute Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 552 reviews
The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago is a leading research center for the ancient Middle East. The museum houses some 350,000 artifacts—around 5,000 of which are on display—excavated mainly by OI archaeologists. Founded in 1919, at a time when the Middle East was called the Orient, the OI has pioneered innovative excavations and comprehensive dictionary projects that chronicle ancient civilizations. The Oriental Institute Museum aims to understand, reveal, and protect ancient Middle Eastern civilizations.
Reviewed By 515rauld - Chicago, United States
An Oasis you can explore Hyde Park and Univ. Of Chicago close to downtown by Bus and yet a different world.
8. Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 13 reviews
This museum includes exhibits on Lithuanian history and culture as well as the largest Lithuanian research center outside of Lithuania.
Reviewed By 142jg - Iowa, United States
Overall they had a small museum that was chock full of artifacts and history. Signage was basic yet informative. Interesting coin, bead, amber and other artifacts. Old books and newspapers, holocaust materials, and traditional crafts were on display. On the third floor was a special display of their story of Lithuanian history, stories of the DP camps (post WWII), emigration stories, and the long struggle for independence. Quite good and very educational. This display bumped up my review form a 4 to a 5 star experience. Street parking was adequate and flagged building easy to find. I'm glad I went. Wish I could have spent time in their research library.
9. Swedish American Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 58 reviews
The Swedish American Museum Association (SAMAC) is committed to being a unifying force in the promotion of Swedish-American heritage and ethnic pride. SAMAC's primary purpose is to develop and maintain a permanent museum center that houses, collects, preserves and interprets its Swedish American collection and culture via exhibits and programs. The Museum Center provides for cultural and educational activities for its publics, including Scandinavian organizations and businesses, museum members, the Andersonville community and individuals young and old.
Reviewed By bLiselotte - Palatine, United States
I visited during a small event so the visit was free. The museum portion is on the second floor. It encompasses the immigration path, and some background on famous Chicago Swedes. The first floor has an exhibit space/meeting room and the gift shop. I spent a pleasant hour here. A plus is its in a great neighborhood of restaurants.
10. Glessner House Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 92 reviews
A National Historic Landmark, Glessner House was designed by noted American architect Henry Hobson Richardson and completed in 1887. It remains an internationally-known architectural treasure in Chicago. A radical departure from traditional Victorian architecture, the structure served as an inspiration to architects such as Louis Sullivan, Mies van der Rohe, and the young Frank Lloyd Wright and helped redefine domestic architecture.
Reviewed By MidwestKathM - Detroit, United States
Ever on the hunt for something interesting to see in Chicago, having visited there at least a dozen times through the years, I came across this architectural gem by Richardson that gives visitors a peek at the Gilded Age life in Chicago. The Glessner House tells the history of one family in a time of industrial growth and personal prosperity. With original furnishings and personal belongings, it is unique in sharing the family's legacy. Our tour guide was outstanding in telling the story and answering questions for nearly 90 minutes. To become more immersed, walk up and down Prairie Avenue to see some of the other remaining original houses and the in-fill houses built in the style of the times. Truly a must-see gem!!
