Best Museum Gift Shops In Chicago
Art Institute Of Chicago www.artic.edu
Wreathed lions set the holiday mood on either side of the Art Institute of Chicago’s front entrance. Once inside, turn right to look for exceptional glass objects, imported jewelry, art books, artistic ties, scarves and other unusual gifts in the museum’s large, main shop. Click here for an idea of some of the store’s objects and their cost. A smaller, but excellent contemporary gift shop is just inside the Modern Wind entrance on Monroe Drive.
Field Museum1400 S. Lake Shore DriveChicago, IL 60605www.fieldmuseum.org
The Field has such a large collection of incredible gifts from all parts of the world that they are divided by interest in four stores. However, samples of them can be found in the Main Store inside the south entrance to the right side of the ticket booth. An impressive 6,000-square-foot space of mosaic floor tiles and vaulted ceilings, the Main Store is partitioned off according to continent, science and age appeal. Look for exotic pottery, textiles, art objects or toys. If the shopping excursion is combined with a museum exhibit, go upstairs to the Sue Store on the balcony above the famous T.Rex. Or stay on the main floor for the Field Trip Store which features items related to museum exhibits. Downstairs on the ground level is the Rock-ology Store with minerals, jewelry and books. Click here for the Field Museum stores and here for examples of their items.
Adler Planetarium
European Painting And Sculpture
The museum is most famous for its collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, widely regarded as one of the finest collections outside of France. Highlights include more than 30 paintings by Claude Monet, including six of his Haystacks and a number of Water Lilies. Also in the collection are important works by Pierre-Auguste Renoir such as Two Sisters , and Gustave Caillebotte‘s Paris Street Rainy Day. Post-Impressionist works include Paul Cézanne‘s The Basket of Apples, and Madame Cézanne in a Yellow Chair.At the Moulin Rouge by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is another highlight. The pointillist masterpiece, which also inspired a musical and was famously featured in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Georges Seurat’sSunday Afternoon on La Grande Jatte1884, is prominently displayed. Additionally, Henri Matisse‘s Bathers by a River, is an important example of his work. Highlights of non-French paintings of the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collection include Vincent van Gogh‘s Bedroom in Arles and Self-portrait, 1887.
In the mid-1930s, the Art Institute received a gift of over one hundred works of art from Annie Swan Coburn . The “Coburn Renoirs” became the core of the Art Institute’s Impressionist painting collection.
The collection also includes the Medieval and Renaissance Art, Arms, and Armor holdings, including the George F. Harding Collection of arms and armor, and three centuries of Old Masters works.
Art Institute Of Chicago
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Location within Chicago metropolitan areaShow map of Chicago metropolitan areaArt Institute of Chicago Show map of IllinoisArt Institute of Chicago Show map of the United States | |
Established | 1879 in present location since 1893 |
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The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago‘s Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 million people annually. Its collection, stewarded by 11 curatorial departments, is encyclopedic, and includes iconic works such as Georges Seurat‘s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, Pablo Picasso‘s The Old Guitarist, Edward Hopper‘s Nighthawks, and Grant Wood‘s American Gothic. Its permanent collection of nearly 300,000 works of art is augmented by more than 30 special exhibitions mounted yearly that illuminate aspects of the collection and present cutting-edge curatorial and scientific research.
As a research institution, the Art Institute also has a conservation and conservation science department, five conservation laboratories, and one of the largest art history and architecture libraries in the countrythe Ryerson and Burnham Libraries.
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Art Institute Of Chicago Amenities
Restaurants
The Art Institute has three cafesavailable for lunch and snacks, opening daily by 11am:
- MuseumCafé is a family friendly dining space with healthy menu options for adultsand children alike. Located on the lower level in McKinlock Court.
- TerzoPiano, on the third level of the Modern Wing, offers fine dining with boldMediterranean flavors and farm-sourced organic ingredients. Reservations may beneeded.
- BalconyCafé, located on the second level of the Modern Wing, is a quick orderdining spot with beverages, snacks and desserts.
Gift Shop
The museum gift shop offers a uniqueselection of jewelry, gifts, and museum adaptations, much of which is drawnfrom the works in the collections of special exhibits. Featuring paintingbooks, stationery, magnets, tote bags, and much more.
Accommodations
All visitors are welcome at theArt Institute with resources and programs specifically for children and adultswith disabilities.
- Service animals are welcome in the museum.
- Both main entrances are accessible for wheelchairs. The Modern Wing Entrance has a dedicateddrop-off lane from eastbound Monroe Street.
- Millennium Park, East Monroe Street, and GrantPark North Garages all offer accessible parking but cannot accommodateoversized vans.
- Elevators are located throughout the buildingsto access all levels.
- Manually operated wheelchairs may be used freeof charge with first-come, first-served access.
The Life Of Meresamun: A Temple Singer In Ancient Egypt Edited By Emily Teeter And Janet H Johnson 2009

This companion volume and catalog to the exhibit of the same name traces the life of Meresamun whose mummy, dating to about 800 B.C., is one of the highlights of the Oriental Institute’s Museum. The text introduces the historical and cultural setting of Egypt during her time. Essays and artifacts examine the role of music and of musicians in Egyptian temple cults, their training, and the types of musical instruments that Meresamun would have used. The life of Meresamun outside the temple is explored, with emphasis upon her social and legal status, what other professions were available to her, and what home life was like. The study of the life of this individual is augmented by forensic evidence obtained with the newest generation of CT scanners that sheds light on Meresamun’s life and death.
$37.95
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Catastrophe The Looting And Destruction Of Iraq’s Past Edited By Geoff Emberling And Katharyn Hanson 2008
This is the catalog for the Oriental Institute Museum Special Exhibit of the same name. With an introduction by Professor McGuire Gibson, this up-to-date account describes the state of the Iraq National Museum in Baghdad and chronicles the damage done to archaeological sites by illicit digging.
$34.50
Sale: $22.95
The Art Institute Of Chicago: Hours Address The Art Institute Of Chicago Reviews: 5/5
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The Art Institute Of Chicago
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As downtown Chicagos #1 museum, the internationally esteemed Art Institute is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States and is visited by approximately 1.5 million guests each year. Theres so much to see at the Art Institute that, if visitors really want to be able to take everything in, they may want to plan to visit on more than one day.
Originally established in 1893, the Art Institute of Chicago is well-known for its iconic lions keeping watch over the entrance steps. The wide-ranging permanent collection of almost 300,000 pieces is nothing to scoff at, including famous icons as well as lesser-known treasures from all over the world. Plus, add in a variety of over 30 art exhibits that rotate regularly, and guests wont get bored even if they visit often.
Discovering New Pasts: The Oi At 100
In celebration of the OIs centennial year, over sixty different authors and contributors have come together to provide a personalized history of the OIs work past and present. Discover the inner workings of the OI and its museum. Travel across multiple continents to learn about groundbreaking research. Enjoy a unique collection of nearly six hundred images, all in one publication for the first time. Learn the story of the institutes developmentfrom being one mans dream to becoming one of the worlds preeminent authorities on over ten thousand years of human civilization.
Hard Back 428 pages 11.5″ x 10″ 584 images
$133.95
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Modern And Contemporary Art
Pablo PicassoThe Old Guitarist
The museum’s collection of modern and contemporary art was significantly augmented when collectors Stefan Edlis and Gael Neeson gifted 40 plus master works to the department in 2015.Pablo Picasso‘s Old Guitarist, Henri Matisse‘s Bathers by a River, Constantin Brâncui‘s Golden Bird, and René Magritte‘s Time Transfixed are highlights of the modern galleries, located on the third floor of the Modern Wing. The contemporary installation, located on the second floor, contains works by Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman, Cy Twombly, Jackson Pollock, Jasper Johns, and other significant modern and contemporary artists.
Our Work: Modern Jobs Ancient Origins
Our Work: Modern Jobs Ancient Origins is the catalog for a photo-based exhibit that reveals that many modern professions originated in the ancient Middle East. Artifacts from the Oriental Institute Museum were paired with a baker, farmer, manicurist, brewer, poet, boat builder, judge and other professionals to show the antiquity of these jobs. The portraits are accompanied by commentary on the contributions of the ancient Middle East to life today and new insights into how members of the public view their relationship to the past. This volume will be of interest to educators, historians, and those interested in fine-arts photography.
Pp. 128 24 tintype portraits, 46 illustrations Order # 17116
$24.95
Sale: $19.95
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Not To Miss At Art Institute Of Chicago
These classic, must-see items arecritical for anyone who wants to experience the real Art Institute of Chicago:
- A Sunday on La Grand Jatte. A quintessentialpiece of artwork from Georges Seurat, this is one of the most remarkablepaintings of its post-impressionist era, first exhibited in Paris in 1884.
- America Windows by Marc Chagall wasmade famous by the Ferris Buellers Day Off film just a few years after its appearanceat the Art Institute in 1977.
- The Bedroom, Van Goghs second ofthree versions of this painting, is exhibited at the Art Institute. The first resides in Amsterdam, and a smaller version sits inParis.
- Nighthawks, by Edward Hopper, offersan iconic look into city life of the 1940s in this view of an all-night dinerthat encompasses the loneliness of living in a large city.
Griffin Handmade Sterling Silver Cuff

One of a kind handmade in Turkey solid sterling silver 1 5/8″ wide cuff. The image of the winged griffin with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle, comes from the Megiddo ivories in our own collection. The ivories were excavated by the O I in 1936-7 at Megiddo, Israel. Dating to the Late Bronze Age IIB ca. 1300-1200BC
$350.00
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Highlights Of The Collections
Highlights of the Collections of the Oriental Institute Museum, edited by Jean M. Evans, Jack Green, and Emily Teeter.
This guide to over 100 highlights of the collections of the Oriental Institute Museum at the University of Chicago presents objects from ancient Mesopotamia, Syria-Anatolia, the Levant, Egypt, Persia, Nubia, and objects from the Islamic collection. It features all new photography, provenance information, and a brief description of each object, as well as a history of the collections and a concordance.
152 pp., 140 illustrations soft cover, 6″ x 10″
$14.95
African Art And Indian Art Of The Americas
The Art Institute’s African Art and Indian Art of the Americas collections are on display across two galleries in the south end of the Michigan Avenue building. The African collection includes more than 400 works that span the continent, highlighting ceramics, garments, masks, and jewelry.
The Amerindian collection includes Native North American art and Mesoamerican and Andean works. From pottery to textiles, the collection brings together a wide array of objects that seek to illustrate the thematic and aesthetic focuses of art spanning the Americas.
The Art Institute’s American Art collection contains some of the best-known works in the American canon, including Edward Hopper‘s Nighthawks, Grant Wood‘s American Gothic, and ‘s The Child’s Bath. The collection ranges from colonial silver to modern and contemporary paintings.
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Art Institute Of Chicago Insider Tips
Mobile app and audio tours areavailable through the Art Institutes free app with behind-the-scenes stories,expert voices, and music that transports the listener into the world of art. Theapp offers listings of current exhibits and a location-aware interactive mapfor navigational purposes.
Ask for entry fee discounts for students, teens and children, as well as Seniors . Residents of Illinois and Chicago may qualify for discounts as well.
If you are planning on visiting several tourist attractions during your visit to Chicago, check out the Chicago CityPASS, Go Chicago Card and Explorer Pass, all of them include the Art Institute.
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Highlights Of The Collections Of The Oriental Institute Museum
This special edition of Highlights of the Collections of the Oriental Institute Museum commemorates the centennial of the Oriental Institute and presents 100 highlights from ancient Mesopotamia, Syro-Anatolia, the Levant, Egypt, Nubia, and Persia in the collections.
Hard Back 152 pages 9.5 x 11″ 140 illustrations
$79.95
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Art Institute Of Chicago Getting There
Located across from MillenniumPark and just yards from Lake Michigan, the Art Institute address is: 111 SouthMichigan Avenue, Chicago IL 60603. For the entrance to the Modern Wing, headover to 159 East Monroe Street.
Parking
Upon arrival to the Art Institute,several parking options are available. The simplest is valet parking available at the Modern Wing entrance everyday when the museum doors open until 30 minutes after closing.
Nearby public garages includeGrant Park , East Monroe Street and Millennium Park Garages.Street parking is also an option, but both sides of Columbus Drive immediatelyeast of the museum have limited hours and violators will be towed.
Public Transportation
Located just a block east of theLoop, the Art Institute is easily accessed via the L train.
- Brown, Green, Orange, Pink and Purple lines allstop at Adams/Wabash just a block west of the museum.
- Red and Blue lines stop at Monroe undergroundjust a few blocks away.
- Several bus lines also stop just in front of themuseum.
- Metra, Chicagos commuter rail system, has stopsat both Van Buren and Millennium underground stations just a couple of blocksaway on Michigan Avenue.
Biking
Chicagos convenient Divvybike-sharking system makes accessing the Art Institute easy, and severalstations are available nearby.
Th Anniversary Cuneiform Bookmark
Foundation slab of the Achaemenid king Xerxes excavated by OI archaeologists at Persepolis, Iran
$1.75
100th Anniversary black mug with grey interior. New white OI Logo on obverse 15 oz
$18.95
From our Current Special Exhibit
Joseph Lindon Smith
The Persepolis Paintings
A set of 8 postcards 5″ x 7″
Joseph Lindon Smith was invited to Persepolis by James Henry Breasted, founder of the Oriental Institute, to join the OI Iranian/Persian Expecition . The goal of the excavation was to rigorously document and preserve the site for perpetuity.
$15.00
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Between Heaven And Earth: Birds In Ancient Egypt Edited By Rozenn Bailleul
This is the first comprehensive study of birds in ancient Egyptian society, economy, art, and religion. Essays address the role of birds in the religious landscape, their use in hieroglyphic and Coptic scripts, birds as protective symbols, as decorative motifs, and as food. Plus a group of essays on Egyptian Birds and Modern Science.
Pp. 232 210 illustrations Order # 16388
$29.95
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