Location: Chicago
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The 10 Best Museums in Chicago, 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. Ukrainian National Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 22 reviews
A collection of artifacts and archives relating to 1,000 years of Ukrainian culture.
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
Founded in 1952, the Ukrainian National Museum in Chicago is home to thousands of artifacts, artwork, musical instruments, weavings, agricultural tools, folk arts, embroidered folk costumes, rare books, manuscripts, photographs, newspapers, periodicals, memorabilia and exhibits that focus on the history and heritage of the Ukrainian community. Located at 2249 West Superior Street in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood, it also contains souvenir materials from the former Soviet Union, artwork by Ukrainian immigrants, Ukrainian embroidery and an exhibit dealing with Chicago's unique Ukrainian community. One of the most interesting displays highlights decorated Easter Eggs or "Pysanky," a Ukrainian staple folk art. The oldest designs are called ideograms but the painted eggs share a common theme--the sun, a rose and stars in various patterns. Also a fascinating and highly educational exhibit called "Ukrainian Genocide-Holodomor of 1932-1933," which showcases photographs, documents and newspaper articles dedicated to informing the public about the little known forced famine in Ukraine.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Wrightwood 659
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 9 reviews
Wrightwood 659 is a new exhibition space conceived for the presentation of exhibitions of architecture and of socially engaged art. It is designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando, who has transformed a 1920s building with his signature concrete forms and poetic treatment of natural light. In a city rich with art institutions and internationally known for its architecture, Wrightwood 659 is designed as a site for contemplative experiences of art and architecture, and as a place to engage with the pressing social issues of our time. Located at 659 W. Wrightwood Avenue, in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, it is a private, non-commercial initiative envisioned as an integral part of the cultural and civic fabric of Chicago, as well as a new kind of arts space and cultural resource.
Reviewed By Forkfull - New York City, United States
Wrightwood 659 has four floors of beautifully designed exhibition spaces. Contemporary art shines in the warm, spacious galleries. I used the handsome staircases, which offered birds eye views of the next art I was about to see. Not too big and not too small, Wrightwood 659 is perfect for an afternoon of art appreciation.
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 History Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,146 reviews
From Chicago's sports to politics, the Union Stockyards to the Great Chicago Fire - there's so much to explore at the Chicago History Museum. Dive right in with the Museum's exhibitions and programs or get out and explore the city through guided tours and events. Founded in 1856, the Chicago History Museum shares Chicago's stories, serving as a hub of scholarship and learning, inspiration and civic engagement. If you live in Chicago or visit here and are curious about the city's past, present and future, the museum should be your first stop.
Reviewed By ellenbR4096MW - Hortonville, United States
I just spent the afternoon at the museum. What a great collection! The exhibits are many and varied. I really enjoyed the Silver Screen to Mainstream American Fashion exhibit. The Modern by Design exhibit illustrates well how industrial design was influenced by Art Deco. It was incorporated into so many everyday products! The little dioramas of the city are very well crafted, especially the Chicago Fire exhibit. I also enjoyed viewing the many Chicago made products in the City on the Make exhibit. The American Medina exhibit opened my eyes to the prejudices faced by Muslims here. I definitely recommend this museum. If you have time, stop for a meal in the cafe. The food is delicious! I recommend the Chicago Dog & French Onion Soup.
9. National Museum of Mexican Art
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 237 reviews
Enjoy one of the country's largest collections of Mexican art and culture, including a vibrant textile collection including indigenous outfits and weavings, folk art including masks and Día de los Muertos artifacts and ephemera documenting the Chicano Movement. Open daily 10am-5pm, closed Mondays.
Reviewed By bettyc552
This museum is small but there is a lot to see. It is a great way to learn the Mexican heritage, culture and history. There are lots of artwork ranging from painting, sculptures, pictures and photos. We went in early November and they had amazing artworks for Dia de Los Muertos on display. The museum is free and there are donation boxes in the hallway. The gift shop is worth a visit. There are beautiful home decorations, toys and jewelry. They do not have a parking lot but there are plenty of street parking
10. 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.
