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The 10 Best Museums in Central, Illinois (IL)
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. The Art Institute of Chicago
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 24,057 reviews
See why the Art Institute of Chicago is the only museum in the world to be top-ranked by TripAdvisor four years in a row! Experience the greatest Impressionist collection outside Paris, and view contemporary masterpieces in the spectacular Modern Wing. Stand before classics like Nighthawks, and travel the globe through galleries devoted to the art of ancient Greece, Japan, Africa, and the Americas.
Reviewed By nemeshek - Mexico City, Mexico
This is the best Chicago Museum for me. All the classical paints such as Francesco de Mura, Peter Paul Rubens, El Greco, Luca Cambiaso, Tintoretto, Paul Gauguin, Paul Cézanne, Edvard Munch, Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh are incredible. This is a must to visit in Chicago.
2. Van Gogh's Bedrooms
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 5 reviews
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. Wabash Arts Corridor
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 7 reviews
The WAC is an urban outdoor exhibition featuring world class, large-scale works of public art. The heart of WAC is Wabash Avenue from Van Buren to Roosevelt and is framed to the east by Michigan Avenue and to the west by State Street.
Reviewed By Mudge828 - Chicago, United States
We took a walking tour of murals in the Wabash Arts Corridor, organized through Columbia College. Great fun! Although it was a very warm day, we found lots of shade. Our docent was excellent, providing us with lots of information about the history of the murals and why they were done in this area. If you're interested in a deep dive into art and history, this is a great tour to take.
6. Chicago Cultural Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,992 reviews
The Chicago Cultural Center is the nation's first free municipal cultural center and one of the most visited attractions in Chicago. The stunning landmark building, opened in 1897 as the city's first public library, is home to two magnificent stained-glass domes, and annually presents hundreds of free cultural exhibits and performances. Admission is free.
Reviewed By pookala - Philadelphia, United States
Aside from being a beautiful building filled with finely executed mosaic work, a lovely marble staircase and an always interesting array of changing exhibits; the Cultural Center also has a free weekly recital under the largest Tiffany glass dome in the world. The 45 minute Wednesday concerts take place in the Preston Bradley Hall at 12:15 pm. Be sure to get there early (20-30 minutes) if you want to sit up front. The space fills up quickly. If you have nothing planned afterwards go to the Randolph St entrance after the concert and go on a tour of the building. Space is limited for this tour and they start at 1:15 pm daily. Check out their calendar of events before planning your Chicago itinerary to take advantage of this excellent cultural institution.
7. Field Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 8,689 reviews
The Field Museum fuels a journey of discovery across time to enable solutions for a brighter future rich in nature and culture. With almost 40 million specimens and artifacts in our collections—including SUE, the world's most complete Tyrannosaurus rex—there's something for everyone. Start planning your visit at fieldmuseum.org.
Reviewed By TracyWfromWA - Arlington, United States
Rivaling the Museum of Natural History in New York, this museum is replete with towering dinosaur skeletons, fossils, ancient artifacts from early humankind, all under a magnificently designed Romanesque-style building. It is an expansive space. The atrium soars up to a grid-work of square windows that let natural light into the space. Tickets are on the pricey side, but it is well worth the experience. You could spend hours wandering the many themed exhibits once inside. The crown jewel of the exhibit, a T. Rex named Sue, is breathtaking in its scope. This is something you wouldn't want to miss on your trip to Chicago.
8. Chicago Children's Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 556 reviews
The "Dinosaur Expedition," where kids dig for bones and conduct archaeological research is just one of the many hands-on exhibits at the Chicago Children's Museum.
Reviewed By Seger4 - St. Augustine, United States
This was our first time here and it was great. Lots of different areas that the kids can learn and interact in. From climbing, to building, water play, finding hidden objects, craft building, making sounds, and many more. It was just tough making the kids move from one area to another because they did not want to leave. The only bad thing (mostly for the parents) is that you have to go back through the way you came in to exit. But in all we all had a blast and would love to come back again.
9. Charnley-Persky House
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 25 reviews
Reviewed By ColmR47 - Chicago, United States
I really enjoyed this tour of one of the few examples of Louis Sullivan designed homes. The tour guide was super informative and great to see the interior of the house in such good condition. Nice job by the Society of Architectural Historians maintaining the building and permitting us to wander through their offices. Well worth the visit + very close to downtown.
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!!
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