Best Museums in Chicago

The city of Chicago is home to incredible museums that you should incorporate into your itinerary. See permanent art collections, installations, anthropology exhibits, ancient artefacts and much more.

Ana Caballero

Ana Caballero

11 min read

Best Museums in Chicago

Chicago | ©Brad Knight

Chicago is not only famous for its splendid architecture and imposing skyscrapers. The so-called "Windy City" is also home to a large number of museums with unique paintings, artefacts, installations, sculptures and natural objects.

For example, things to see and do in Chicago should include a visit to the Museum of Natural History to see the evolution of mankind. But if you're travelling with the little ones at home, my advice is not to miss the Children's Museum, so they can have fun while they learn. The options are very diverse and, depending on your interests, you will find a museum that will catch your attention.

1. Field Museum of Natural History

Field Museum| ©Lisa Andres
Field Museum| ©Lisa Andres

One of the things you should do in Chicago is to get tickets to the Field Museum of Natural History, as it is one of the most outstanding museums of its kind in the world.

Its halls house important objects representative of the history of mankind and the different periods and civilisations that have existed.

Today, the Field Museum of Natural History houses more than 40 million natural and historical artifacts. The building has three large floors on which you will find around 30 permanent exhibits on geology, zoology, anthropology and botany.

However, the main attraction of this museum is the dinosaur room, where you will see "Sue", an impressive skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, belonging to the Cretaceous period. It is a 4-metre high and 12.3-metre long specimen, considered to be the largest find in the world.

Practical information

  • Address: 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive.
  • Hours: from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (daily)
  • Price: the average entrance fee is 26 euros.

Book your ticket to the Field Museum of Natural History

2. Art Institute of Chicago

Art Institute of Chicago| ©Tony Hisgett
Art Institute of Chicago| ©Tony Hisgett

One of the most popular museums in the city is the Art Institute of Chicago, visited daily by groups of tourists and locals eager to enjoy the works on display in the halls: 20th century design, ceramic pieces, sculptures, writings and other artistic resources belonging to different world artists.

The museum offers more than 300,000 works, featuring the work of great exponents of impressionism and cubism, Chicago artists, the African diaspora and a range of cityscapes.

The facility also houses ink paintings, vases, bottles and statues from the millennia-old Asian art collection.

For example, some of the frescoes and sculptures on display include:

  • Vincent van Gogh'sbedroom.
  • Kanagawa oki nami ura or Under the Wave of Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai.
  • Mao by Andy Warhol.
  • The Red Armchair by Pablo Picasso.
  • The Basket of Apples by Paul Cézanne.
  • Monsters' Inventions by Salvador Dalí.
  • American Gothic by Grant Wood.
  • Blue and Green Music by Georgia O'Keeffe.
  • The Boxer (bronze sculpture) by Richmond Barthé.
  • Shakyamuni Buddha seated in meditation (Dhyanamudra). Granite sculpture from the Chola period (c. 855-1279).

In addition to the art collections, the museum has a library, world archives and several study rooms devoted to reading, photography, printmaking and drawing. However, these areas are not open access, so you'll need to book your tour through the admissions section of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Practical information

  • Location: 111 S. Michigan Avenue.
  • Hours: Thursday (11 a.m. to 8 p.m.), Friday to Monday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
  • Price: the average price of general admission is 25 euros per person. Although I recommend you take a guided tour to learn first-hand about the details of the works of Goya, Picasso, Van Gogh and Monet. In the private option you have exclusive explanations for you and your group.

Book your guided tour of the Art Institute of Chicago

3. Medieval Torture Museum

Another museum you can visit on your trip to Chicago is the chilling Museum of Medieval Torture. Here you'll learn about the terrifying weapons used at the time, along with torture devices and depictions of the most horrifying moments of this dark era.

If you're not afraid to see with your own eyes the most gruesome executions in history, you can visit this museum of more than 370 square metres, which has interactive exhibits, wax figures and even a ghost hunting experience that will make for a truly terrifying day. For this experience you need to download an app to your mobile phone.

In addition, with the tickets that you can buy through the Hellotickets website, you have an audio guide that will give you more details about how and why all the torture artefacts contained in the different rooms of this museum were used.

Book your tickets for the Medieval Torture Museum

4. American Writers Museum

If you are a fan of the novels of Mark Twain or Frederick Douglas, you can't miss this other museum in Chicago: the American Writers Museum, where you will discover everything about the writings of the greats of American literature.

From interactive reading activities for children, themed rooms, unique exhibits of the most important authors, to immersive games to learn about the life and work of American writers of all time. All this awaits you in this unique museum where you can spend an entertaining day learning about the literary genre.

Book your tickets for the American Writers' Museum

5. Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

Museum entrance| ©Carlos Sanchez
Museum entrance| ©Carlos Sanchez

Once you get your tickets to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, located in the heart of the city centre, you will have the opportunity to see a collection of paintings from different art movements: postmodernism, minimalism, surrealism, conceptualism and pop art.

Also, in the gallery you will see amazing installations, photographs, performances and sculptures. All of them, works conceived by national and international artists.

As you walk through the rooms you can enjoy more than 2,700 pieces and approximately 3,000 books by the artists. These are the objects that have made up the museum's permanent collection since the 1940s.

In addition, you will be able to contemplate different individual exhibitions throughout the year, as temporary loans from artists who wish to make their art known are incorporated.

The tour of the museum can be completed in a minimum time of one hour, which will allow you to do other tourist activities during the day. For example, you can join one of Chicago's best food tours, or head to the Shoreline Pier to board one of Chicago' s Lake Michigan cruises.

Practical Information

  • Location: 220 E. Chicago Avenue.
  • Hours: Wednesday to Sunday (10:00 am to 5:00 pm), Tuesday (10:00 am to 9:00 pm).
  • Price: the average ticket price is 15 euros.

6. Chicago Children's Museum

Chicago Children's Museum| ©Viator
Chicago Children's Museum| ©Viator

Since its creation in the early 1980s, the Chicago Children's Museum has been dedicated to providing a space designed especially for the little ones in the house.

It is a place where children can learn while having fun, exploring and interacting with the different exhibits.

Children will be able to put their psychomotor skills into practice, take on different roles and stimulate creative thinking with each of the museum's interactive proposals.

In this sense, the little ones will have the opportunity to build objects and join in the recreation of an expedition to the Sahara to dig up dinosaur bones.

They will also be able to play with water, climb, participate in demonstrations, scientific experiments and much more.

Without a doubt, this visit to the Chicago Children's Museum is an educational activity that you can incorporate among the things to see and do in Chicago with kids.

Practical information

  • Place: Navy Pier.
  • Hours: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (Thursday to Monday).
  • Price: the average price of general admission is 19 euros.

7. Chicago's Dusable Museum of African American History

The Dusable Museum of African American History in Chicago| ©TonyTheTiger
The Dusable Museum of African American History in Chicago| ©TonyTheTiger

The Dusable Museum of African American History in Chicago was founded in the early 1960s with the aim of raising awareness of both African American art and the history and culture of this great community. All of this through a series of priceless historical exhibits and memorabilia.

In total, the museum boasts a collection of more than 15,000 pieces. Inside, you will find documents that belonged to the African slaves taken to America and a series of objects used by them.

In the rooms you will also find engravings, artefacts and interesting photographs. You can also see sculptures and paintings by African-American artists.

This is definitely a must-see for African-American culture enthusiasts, who, like you, want to see the great collections on display in the rooms of this museum.

After this approximately one-hour visit, you will have enough time to take one of the Segway tours of Chicago, on foot or aboard one of the best tour buses.

Practical information

  • Location: 740 E. 56th Place.
  • Hours: Wednesday to Sunday (11:00 am to 4:00 pm).
  • Price: free admission.

8. Chicago Museum of Science and Industry

Chicago Museum of Science and Industry| ©Knarfol
Chicago Museum of Science and Industry| ©Knarfol

This is one of the largest museums in Chicago. Inside you will find approximately 75 rooms with over 2000 scale exhibits, interactive areas, restorations, simulations and much more.

The Chicago Museum of Science and Industry is made up of three levels, and on each level you can discover interesting permanent exhibits.

  • Lower level. You will see the restored German U-505 submarine, MSI's Henry Crown Space Center with Scott Carpenter 's Mercury Atlas 7 spacecraft and the legendary Apollo 8. Also, a gallery with race cars.
  • First level. You will enjoy the mirror maze, a model railway explaining the evolution of transport in the city (steam locomotives and war planes, etc.). There is also a tornado simulation, the interactive exhibition "Genetics: decoding life", the recreation of a coal mine, the model of "Yesterday's Main Street" in the city of Chicago, etc.
  • Second level. Here you can see some flight simulators and warships. On the other hand, there is the interactive exhibition "You! The Experience", which is a four-metre high heart with 3D technology.

In addition, you can find different temporary exhibitions, which usually change every five months. In this regard, you should keep an eye on the website of the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. You can also book tickets, check opening hours, prices and any other information.

Practical information

  • Location: 5700 S. DuSable. Lake Shore Drive. Chicago.
  • Hours: from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm.
  • Price: the average ticket price is 21.95 euros.

9. Chicago Museum of Contemporary Photography

Chicago Museum of Contemporary Photography| ©JeremyA
Chicago Museum of Contemporary Photography| ©JeremyA

The Chicago Museum of Contemporary Photography has a history of more than 40 years. It is the first university art museum in the world dedicated to collecting important photographic works by 20th century artists.

This museum was born as an initiative of Columbia College Chicago and its purpose is to raise awareness of the importance of the role of photography in the artistic, political and social environment, encouraging the exchange of ideas between students, artists and people in general.

In addition, MoCP is accredited by the non-profit American Alliance of Museums.

When visiting the rooms of the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, you will be able to enjoy a permanent collection of more than 16,000 photographs, which combine different techniques and procedures. All of them belong to American artists such as:

  • Aaron Siskind (abstract - expressionist).
  • Ansel Adams (developer of the zone system).
  • Dorothea Lange (photojournalist).
  • Harry Callahan (exponent of modern American photography).
  • Irving Penn (fashion, portraits and still lifes), among others.

In addition, there are temporary exhibitions, educational workshops and other activities offered by the museum. Just visit the museum's official website to check the calendar.

Practical information

  • Place: 600 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago.
  • Hours: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (Every day).
  • Price: free admission.

10. Chicago History Museum

Chicago History Museum| ©Alanscottwalker
Chicago History Museum| ©Alanscottwalker

At the Chicago History Museum you will find a large collection of photographs, objects and documents that will help you learn about the true memories of the inhabitants of the so-called "Windy City".

The museum offers a permanent exhibition showcasing the history of Chicago and the United States. You will see more than 22 million historic photographs and a series of objects rescued from the great fire of 1871.

In addition, there are interactive elements in the rooms that enhance the experience for both children and adults.

On the other hand, the museum has a larger collection which, although not available to the public, is often used for academic research. Therefore, these historical pieces are loaned to other museums.

You will also find some temporary exhibitions that are on display for a few months. Therefore, before visiting, it is best to access the Chicago History Museum 's website and check this information.

Practical information

  • Location: Lincoln Park 1601 N. Clark Street.
  • Hours: Wednesday to Saturday (9:30am to 4:30pm), Sunday (12:00pm to 5:00pm), Monday (9:30am to 4:30pm) and Tuesday (9:30am to 9:00pm).
  • Price: the average ticket price is 19 euros.

11. Museum of Illusions Chicago

Inside the Museum of Illusions Chicago| ©Adam Fagen
Inside the Museum of Illusions Chicago| ©Adam Fagen

The Museum of Illusions Chicago is a space specially designed to trick the minds of all visitors by stimulating their senses. You will be able to have fun, be amazed by the different installations and learn the hidden mechanics behind each of the illusions, stereograms and holograms on display.

When you enter the halls of the Museum of Illusions Chicago you will find approximately 80 exhibits, including the tilted, rotated and infinite room.

You will also find the so-called vortex tunnel and infinity, the Beuchet chair illusion, a kaleidoscope, the cloning table, the record player, the complicated stick and Rubin's vase. You will also interact with the head on a plate, the ambiguous cylinder, the peanut illusion, optical illusions, holograms and the ames room.

The museum doors are open from 9:00 am until 8:30 pm. In fact, due to the closing time, this would be a good option to incorporate among the things to see and do in Chicago at night.

However, keep in mind that tickets are not always available at the box office. Therefore, you'll need to make a reservation on the museum's official website.

Practical Information

  • Location: 25 E Washington St., Chicago.
  • Hours: from 9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (daily).
  • Price: The average ticket price is 20 euros.

12. Chinese American Museum of Chicago

Chinese American Museum of Chicago| ©Martha Williams
Chinese American Museum of Chicago| ©Martha Williams

The Chinese American Museum of Chicago first opened in 2005. However, during 2008 the building suffered a fire and it was in 2010 that it reopened its doors to tell the true story of the Chinese Americans who participated in the construction of the transcontinental railroad.

In the building you will find:

  • First floor: here you will find the exhibition "Attic Treasures II" where you will find dozens of historical objects such as jewellery, furniture, teapots, paintings, photographs, among others.
  • First floor: in this area you will enjoy the exhibition called "My Chinatown: Stories from Within", a documentary through which you will learn about the working, social and family customs of the Chinatown population. Also on this floor is the exhibition "The Great Wall to the Great Lakes: Chinese Immigration to the Midwest". This is a video that explains in detail the arrival of Chinese immigrants, the discrimination they were exposed to and their important contribution to railroad development.

In this way, you can learn about the Chinese-American culture developed in the Midwest region of the United States during the 19th century.

You can also visit the official website of the Chinese American Museum of Chicago for more information about the annual exhibitions, documentary screenings and celebration.

Practical information

  • Location: Chinatown 238 West 23rd Street Chicago.
  • Hours: Wednesday - Friday (9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.) Saturday - Sunday (10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.).
  • Price: The average general admission price is 8 euros per person.