Chicago’s Forecast: Not Much Sun On Sunday
Chicago’s Museum of Illusions is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., as well as Friday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. All unvaccinated guests over age 2 are required to wear a face covering, while it is recommended that vaccinated visitors also wear a mask but it is not required.
For more information, visit here.
Chicago Childrens Museum at Navy Pier:
The museum will reopen on July 2 at a reduced capacity. Beginning July 2, the museum will be open on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and additional holidays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. All guests ages 2 and older will be required to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status.
For more information, visit here.
Chicago History Museum:
The Chicago History Museum is now open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. To maintain social distancing, some interactive elements and exhibitions are temporarily unavailable.
The museum will continue to require all visitors over the age of 2 to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status. Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets online to reduce in-person interaction.
For more information, visit here.
Field Museum:
The Field Museum reopened on June 11. The museum is open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Some exhibits will be temporarily closed and timed tickets will be used. They can be purchased online to help prevent overcrowding. Tickets can also be bought in person, but availability is not guaranteed.
Museum of Science and Industry
See Chicago’s History Unfold
FREE
Children
Were open and ready to share Chicago stories with you while continuing our health and safety procedures. As of March 1, 2022, Chicago History Museum visitors are not required to show proof of vaccination. While masks are recommended and appreciated, they are no longer required. Learn more.
We encourage visitors to purchase tickets in advance online.Discounts can only be applied on tickets purchased in person.
*Illinois Resident Children 18 and under are FREE
*Non-Illinois Resident Children 12 and under are FREE
2022 Illinois Resident Free Days: January 17 February 14, 9, 21 March 4 June 19, 23, 30 July 4 August 2326, 3031 October 10
Access to the Abakanowicz Research Center is by appointment only. Find more information here.
City of Chicago residents receive a $2 discount
Thank you to Wintrust for sponsoring free Museum admission for Illinois residents 18 & under
It pays to be a member. Admission is free for members of the Chicago History Museum, DuSable Museum, National Museum of Mexican Art, and National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture.
Free admission is granted year round to the following audiences :
US Armed Services: All active duty military and all veterans
Chicago Police Department: All active duty
Chicago Fire Department: All active duty
City Colleges of Chicagostudents, faculty, and staff
Illinois Teachers
Park Voyagers: Must show your pass.
Kids Museum Passport Holders: Must show your pass.
Prices subject to change.
What To See In One Hour
If you are in a hurry, it is possible to explore the Museums masterpieces in only one hour.
Here are the exhibits you can see within 60 minutes.
| Exhibits Name | ||
|---|---|---|
| Andy Warhols Liz #3 | 296 | 2nd |
If you get in through the Michigan Avenue entrance, start at the top and finish at the bottom.
And if you get in through the Modern Wing entrance, you must start at the bottom and work backward.
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Art Institute Of Chicago Entrances
Art Institute of Chicago is made up of two buildings the Michigan Avenue Building and the Modern Wing, and a bridge connects both.
Michigan Avenue Building was built in 1893, while the Modern Wing got added in 2009.
You can choose to enter the Museum from either of the entrances.
Here is a layout that explains these two buildings and what to expect in each.
Restaurants Near Art Institute Of Chicago
If you want a quick eat, head out to RotiMediterranean Grill, The Fat Shallot or Le Pain Quotidien.
It is natural to expect bang for the buck when you aretraveling with a big family or group.
In such a case, we recommend the value for moneyrestaurants near Art Institute of Chicago such as Goddess and The Baker, OasisCafé or Shake Shack.
For a comfortable sit-down-and-eat experience after all the walking, check out Brightwok Kitchen, Italian Village, or Revival Foodhall.
Popular attractions in Chicago
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Getting To & Around The Art Institute Of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago is located in the heart of Grant Park, just south of Millennium Park, and east of Michigan Ave.
One of the easiest ways to access the Art Institute is by taking the L train. For the Brown, Green, Orange, Pink, and Purple lines, stop at Adams/Wabash. For the Red and Blue lines, stop at Monroe. These stations will leave you within a few blocks of the museum.
If you plan on driving in Chicago, note that Art Institute parking is available below Grant Park as well as through SpotHero. Rideshares are also an easy way to reach the museum.
To get around this large museum, start your tour on the top floor, and work your way through the exhibits on each floor. This is one of my biggest museum hacks and itll help ensure you dont miss anything important. By the time you make your way to the first floor, youll be right by the front doors and gift shop.
Restaurants At The Art Institute
If you plan to stay longer at the Art Museum, you mustrecharge yourself at regular intervals.
The Art Museum has three unique places to eat.
Museum Café
It is open daily from 11 am to 4 pm.
From Wednesday to Friday, the Museum Cafe stays open from 5 pm to 7.30 pm.
Terzo Piano
Serves lunch from 11 am to 3 pm daily.
On Thursday you can get dinner too, from 5 pm to 8 pm.
The place also offers Sunday brunches from 11 am to 3 pm.
Balcony Café
The café opens daily from 10:30 pm to 4:30 pm.
On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday to accommodate the extra crowd, it stays open till 7 pm.
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Getting To The Museum
Can I get to the museum on public transportation?Yes, CTA buses, EL trains, and the Metra commuter rail are all great options to get you to the museum.Whats the best route when driving?Get driving directions from various city locations.Where can I park?There are many underground lots only a block away, including parking found via SpotHero. Members at the Member Plus and above levels receive a discount on parking.
Is there a bike-sharing program I could use?Divvy is Chicagos bike-sharing program, and several stations are located near the Art Institute. Learn more.
The Art Institute Of Chicago Travel Tips
- You can use Chicagos bike-sharing program to reach the museum
- Flowers, balloons, food or drinks are not accepted in the checkroom
- Talking on mobile phones is only permitted in non-gallery premises of the museum.
Following items are not allowed in the museum:
- Art materials other than pencil
- Backpacks and backpack baby carriers
- Bags, camera bags, or purses larger than 13 x 17 x 4 inches
- Shopping bags
- Tripods, flash attachments, video cameras and selfie sticks.
- Wrapped packages
- Illinois Residents Teens: USD 16
- Art institute of Chicago admission for children under 14: Free
- Illinois Residents every Thursday entry from 5 to 8 pm: Free
- Adult Fast Pass: USD 35
- Senior Fast Pass: USD 29
- Student Fast Pass: USD 29
- Adult Skydeck Combo: USD 46
- Adult Navy Pier Combo: USD 39
- Child Navy Pier Combo: USD 12
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Visiting Hours & Details
The wing for modern and contemporary art
Entrance $25 for adults $19 for seniors, students, and teens free for children ages 13 and under .
Hours 11 am 5 pm daily, Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Parking The underground parking garages below Grant Park are the most conveniently located parking areas. Advance parking with SpotHero Parking is also available.
Tours You can easily explore the Art Institute on your own, but if you want a more in-depth experience, I recommend taking a tour like this one:
Reserve Online In Advance
Illinois ResidentsAdmission was free for Illinois residents on weekdays November 29December 17, 2021, and January 3March 17, 2022. Check back for the announcement of future dates.
To receive free admission tickets, Illinois residents must reserve them online in advance. Resident status will be verified using the zip code associated with the billing address provided. If youre unable to reserve tickets in advance, please stop by the admissions desks for assistance.
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Tickets And Other Practicalities
Tickets should be bought online in advance of your visit. Children under 14 can visit for free. Wheelchairs are available on a first-come first-serve basis. There are several accessible parking garages near the Art Institute.
The main entrance is on Michigan Ave, but you can also enter via the dazzling Modern Wing on Monroe Street. Ask at the front desk about free talks and tours once you’re inside. Note that the 3rd-floor contemporary sculpture terrace is always free. It has great city views and connects to Millennium Park via the mod, pedestrian-only Nichols Bridgeway.
- Hours10:30am-5pm Fri-Wed, to 8pm Thu
- Priceadult/child $25/free
Thorne Miniature Room Exhibit
Down in the oft-overlooked basement of the Art Institute is a small gallery where you will discover 68 incredible tiny rooms!
AIC has the largest collection of Narcissa Niblack Thornes dioramas. Thornes small rooms, built on a one-inch to one-foot scale with meticulous detail, are far more involved than the shoebox diorama you made in third grade! Every diorama represents a different room from history: Victorian-era opulence, chic homes of 1940s American elites, humble nooks of early American Quakers, and much more
What makes these rooms so f***ing awesome is the EXCEPTIONAL level of detail.
- Why does that silky curtain look so good? Because its real silk!
- Why does that bear skin rug look so real? Because its quite literally a bear skin rug!
- Why does that chair seem so comfy? Because a true chairbler crafted it with real mahogany and the finest upholstery.
Everything inside these rooms were designed by Mrs. Thorne, however, she hired trade craftsmen and artisans to make the miniature creations irrefutably authentic.
Looking inside, you cant help but imagine that you have traveled back in time!
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Art Institute Of Chicago Map
At the Art Institute of Chicago, exhibits are spread over a total floor space of one million square feet.
For a first-time visitor, its sheer size can be overwhelming.
Thats why we recommend carrying a museum map with you while you roam around.
Besides helping you find the masterpieces, this map can also help you find visitor services such as restrooms, cafes, escalators, Museum shops, ramps, etc.
Bookmark this page to get back later from your mobile, or .
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Hacks For Visiting The Art Institute Of Chicago
How To Reach The Art Institute Of Chicago
You can reach the Michigan Avenue Entrance of the museum by these routes:
- Indiana: Indiana toll road to Congress Plaza
- South Suburbs: Dan Ryan Expressway to Congress Plaza
- Wisconsin and North Suburbs: Eden Expressway- Kennedy Expressway- Monroe Street
- OHare Airport and Northwest Suburbs: Kennedy Expressway- Monroe Street east
- West Suburbs: Eisenhower Expressway to Congress Plaza
- Southwest Suburbs: Stevenson expressway- Lake Shore Drive- Michigan Avenue
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Art Institute Of Chicago
| As seen from Michigan Ave | |
| 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 |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| 365,660 | |
| Director | |
| www.artic.edu |
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.
The Art Institute Of Chicago: Skip
- Duration: 2h 30mins
- Group of max. 8 people
Combine The Art Institute of Chicago with other Chicago favorites. Some things are better together.
Book once and enhance your experience with this convenient combination of 2 must sees
Book once and enhance your experience with this convenient combination of 2 must sees
Book once and enhance your experience with this convenient combination of 2 must sees
Book once and enhance your experience with this convenient combination of 2 must sees
Book once and enhance your experience with this convenient combination of 2 must sees
Highlights: The Art Institute of Chicago
Late 19th-century European art at the Art Institute:
- A Sunday on La Grande Jatte , Georges Seurat
- The Bedroom , Vincent van Gogh
- Woman Reading , Édouard Manet
American art at the Art Institute of Chicago:
- American Gothic , Grant Wood
- Nighthawks , Edward Hopper
- Sky above Clouds IV , Georgia OKeeffe
International modern art:
- The Old Guitarist, , Pablo Picasso
- Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler , Pablo Picasso
- The Philosophers Conquest , Giorgio de Chirico
- Improvisation No. 30 , Vasily Kandinsky
Sculpture and historic artifacts:
- Buddha Shakyamuni Seated in Meditation India Tamil Nadu
- Face Mask Ngady Mwaash , Kuba
- Hero Construction , Richard Hunt
Ticket information
About the Art Institute of Chicago tickets
To avoid disappointment, make sure you book tickets for the Art Institute of Chicago in advance.
The Art Institute of Chicago tickets include:
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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.
The Art Institute Of Chicago
March 20, 2019 By gochicago
The Art Institute of Chicago is home to one of the largest and most significant collections of art found anywhere in the world. Located at the edge of Grant Park, right in the heart of Chicagos bustling downtown, the Art Institute of Chicago routinely hosts approximately 1.5 million visitors each year. Its tremendous assortment of artwork includes pieces that span over 5,000 years of human existence, and is divided into 15 curatorial departments that include such diverse mediums as painting, sculpture, drawings, prints, photography, textiles, architecture, and moreall drawn from every region of the world.
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