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American Writers Museum: Tickets & Tours
Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank: Tickets & Tours
Adler Planetarium: Tickets & Tours
National Museum of Mexican Art: Tickets & Tours
Oriental Institute Museum: Tickets & Tours
Chicago Children's Museum: Tickets & Tours
Museum of Broadcast Communications: Tickets & Tours
Hamilton: The Exhibition: Tickets & Tours
The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum: Tickets & Tours
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Top Museums in Chicago, IL
United States
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Types of Attractions
Museums
135
Museums
Art Galleries
67
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40
Art Museums
27
History Museums
17
Children's Museums
5
Science Museums
5
Natural History Museums
2
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1
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1
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1
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Central
62
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36
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29
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21
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16
North Side
14
Near West Side
12
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12
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11
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11
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7
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7
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7
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6
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6
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5
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5
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5
Hyde Park
4
Armour Square
3
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3
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3
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3
Museum Campus
3
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3
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3
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2
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2
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2
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2
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2
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2
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2
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2
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2
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2
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2
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2
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2
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2
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2
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1
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1
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1
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1
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1
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1
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1
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1
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1
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1
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1
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1
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1
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1
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1
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1
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1
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1
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We found
135 results
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Museums
The Art Institute of Chicago
24,040 reviews
#1 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"Wonderful building, variety of
exhibits
- for all tastes, phenomenal Impressionist collection, world-class architecture of the Renzo Piano new wing, great places to chill and recharge the batteries --- uplifting i..."
"Easy to find Helpful staff - paid and volunteers Good map Accessible
galleries
Most impressive collection of Impressionist paintings outside Europe Eclectic collections Very enjoyable visit Highly recommended"
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See 17 Experiences
Museum of Science and Industry
10,965 reviews
#2 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"We have enjoyed the Shedd, Field
Museum
, Art Institute of Chicago, Peggy Notebaert
Museum
, LP Zoo & Navy Pier Children’s
Museum
, and the MSI is now definitely our new favorite rainy day activity."
"So many favorite things: Christmas around the World exhibit, the Omnimax theatre, the submarine tour, the chicks, the bicycle exhibit, the African American artwork, the circus exhibit, the
Fairy Castle
, the Mirror..."
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See 10 Experiences
American Writers Museum
375 reviews
#3 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"The American Writers
Museum
offers a fascinating look at individual writers, including Hemmingway, Faulkner, and Julia Childs, as well as a Children's Room with stories by Maurice Sendak and other favorite authors."
"It contains biographical snippets, noteworthy quotes, and assorted memorabilia of the nation’s writers, but one of the best things about it is their
collection
of photos, from Edgar Allan Poe and Walt Whitman to K..."
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See 4 Experiences
Richard H. Driehaus Museum
1,422 reviews
#4 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"... Driehaus Museum is a "hidden gem" when the large and fashionable mansion is situated on the corner of Wabash and Erie on Chicago's Near North Side, near the Magnificent Mile, the very epitome of The
Gilded Age
."
"... you'll walk away glad that you had spent time in this fabulous gem! Conveniently located far away from the hustle and bustle of the
museum
campus on the waterfront, yet it is still in the middle of the city."
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Oriental Institute Museum
551 reviews
#5 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"Founded for the university by professor James Henry Breasted with funds donated by John D. Rockefeller Jr., it conducts research on
ancient civilizations
throughout the Near East, including at its facility, Chicag..."
"An internationally recognized research center for ancient Near Eastern or Oriental studies and archaeology museum, its collection of Near Eastern and Southwest Asian and
Egyptian artifacts
is one of the finest in..."
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Chicago Cultural Center
2,991 reviews
#6 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"Why visit * Great historic architecture: sweeping stairwells, vaulted ceilings, marble,
mosaics
, stained glass, photo opportunities * Great number and variety of exhibits which change regularly so you can visit ag..."
"This is something worth seeing, its free and easily missed, near
Millennium park
you will find the Chicago Cultural Centre, wander in go up a few stairs and then marvel at the Tiffany dome, wel lworth finding."
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Field Museum
8,680 reviews
#7 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"Nature, evolution, culture, art ... Apart from great Sue and the
dinosaurs
part, I also enjoyed the sections on D-day native American veterans, China, Africa, but mostly the awsome Wildlife Photography of the Year"
"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 bui..."
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See 20 Experiences
Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank
510 reviews
#8 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"This very pleasant
museum
is well-organized, presents complex subjects such as the Gold Standard, Interest and Inflation in an easy-to-understand way, and has lots of interactive exhibits to help keep younger kids..."
"We were glad we did, the museum is smalll but very informative, with lots of
interactive displays
which kept us amused while teaching us about how the Federal Reserve works."
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See 3 Experiences
National Museum of Mexican Art
236 reviews
#9 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"A special shout out to our guide, Mario Hernandez, who gave our program group an informative tour of the
museum
and also a wonderful tour of the Pilsen neighborhood murals that I would highly recommend!"
"In an immaculate building in the heart of Pilsen, you'll find a building with a wealth of art of all types of media by Mexican artists that celebrates
Mexican history and culture
."
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See 1 Experience
Chicago History Museum
1,143 reviews
#10 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"Also while the early collection of the Chicago Historical Society was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, including Lincoln's final draft of the Emancipation Proclamation, the
museum
has rekindled an enor..."
"... venue, from Abraham Lincoln's deathbed to the Chicago Fire of 1871 to the Chicago Stockyards to
Fort Dearborn
to the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 to Dr. Martin Luther King to the Pioneer, the first loc..."
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See 4 Experiences
Chicago Children's Museum
556 reviews
#11 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"The
museum
is well set up easy to navigate through and allows for children to have a lot of freedom to discover and explore at their own pace."
"An amazing educative museum for children inside the
Navy Pier
area with 4 storey building consist plenty of children activities, from art to playground area."
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See 2 Experiences
The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
199 reviews
#12 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"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..."
"Located at 2430 North Cannon Drive, at the corner of Cannon and Fullerton in Lincoln Park, across the street from Lincoln Park
Zoo
, steps from North Lake Shore Drive at the Fullerton Parkway exit, the museum focus..."
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Hamilton: The Exhibition
58 reviews
#13 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"References to the
musical
are cleverly woven into the exhibit, along with narration from Lin, Chris Jackson and Phillipa Soo, and each of the different rooms evoke key moments from Hamilton’s life, as documented i..."
"If you have an interest in history, Alexander Hamilton (the individual), Alexander Hamilton ((the Broadway show), the Revolutionary War or the origin of our country’s
government
, you will enjoy the trip created by..."
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Adler Planetarium
2,137 reviews
#14 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"So many
museums
, so many historical sites, so many sporting events, so many restaurants, so many shopping and sight-seeing opportunities."
"The
telescope
exhibit was interesting and the Big Bang/ Universe creation was excellent!"
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See 18 Experiences
Museum of Contemporary Art
856 reviews
#15 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"The
Museum
of Contemporary Art in Chicago was created as a result of a 1964 meeting of 30 critics, collectors and dealers with the idea of organizing and building a
museum
of contemporary art to complement the cit..."
"Recently saw special multi-media show and pieces of the
permanent collection
... always a treat to go here... Fabulous gift show especially for one of a kind jewelry!"
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See 6 Experiences
The McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum
147 reviews
#16 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"This unique little
museum
covers a lot for a small space, including how the bridge works, nature conservation efforts of the river, and newspapers featuring the river throughout the city's history."
"Visitors to the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum at 99 Chicago Riverwalk can learn the history of the Chicago River and the city's moveable bridges and their significance to the
city
."
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Chicago Sports Museum
140 reviews
#17 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"... of Water Tower Place, next to Harry Caray's 7th Inning Stretch Restaurant and Sports Bar, it offers 23,000 square feet of space to hi-tech interactive skill challenges, sports
memorabilia
and game-used artifacts."
"For example, it houses the city's largest
collection
of 2016 World Series memorabilia, including Addison Russell's Game 6 grand slam ball, Kris Bryant's cleats and David Ross' Game 7 catcher's gear."
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Museum of Broadcast Communications
175 reviews
#18 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"We had a blast walking through the special Saturday Night Live exhibit; learning about what they do each day to prepare and viewing some neat artifacts such as scripts,
costumes
, and sets."
"This awesome
museum
has exhibits on all of our favorite TV shows from the 1970's and 1980's, including Bozo's Circus, Frazier Thomas, Garfield the Goose, plus the aforementioned Ray Rayner and Gigglesnort Hotel."
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Glessner House Museum
92 reviews
#19 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"The John J. Glessner House, virtually all that remains of the once magnificent Prairie Avenue Historic District, which featured the
Gilded Age
homes of Chicago's most famous families, is an architecturally importa..."
"... Victorian mansions on South Prairie Avenue, the Richardson Romanesque style building was clad in huge Braggville granite with minimal ornamentation and a long servant hall and spacious
private courtyard
within."
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DuSable Museum of African American History
93 reviews
#20 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"... personal effects and recollections of the political career of Chicago's late Mayor Harold Washington, the desk of activist Ida B. Wells, the violin of
poet
Paul Laurence Dunbar and the Charles Dawson Papers."
"The
museum
has a collection of 13,000 artifacts, books, photographs, art objects and memorabilia, including slavery-era relics, 19th and 20th century artifacts, the works of scholar W.E.B. DuBois, author James Bal..."
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See 1 Experience
Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA)
63 reviews
#21 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"Took a class downtown for a art
museum
trip and found this place to be very well set up with displays and very informed staff."
"Stumbled on to this museum while looking up small specialty
museums
in Chicago."
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Jane Addams' Hull-House Museum
66 reviews
#22 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"Highlights of the
collection
include intricate textiles woven in the Hull-House Labor Museum, portraits and drawings of neighbors and settlement life by Hull-House residents, pottery produced by artists at the Hul..."
"Highlights from the
museum
include: oral histories from Hull-House residents and neighbors, artifacts from Maxwell Street market, period and folkloric clothing from neighbors on the near West Side, portraits and d..."
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International Museum of Surgical Science
189 reviews
#23 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"Displays include more than 7,000 photographs,
paintings
and drawings, sculpture, medical equipment, skeletons, medical specimens and historic artifacts."
"The
museum
houses an exceptional timeline of artifacts and paintings that tell the story of the surgical sciences."
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See 1 Experience
Museum of Contemporary Photography
103 reviews
#24 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"After viewing the riveting collection of Chicago Sun-Times
photographs
on display at the Chicago History Museum, my wife and I were persuaded to visit the Museum of Contemporary Photography at Chicago's Columbia C..."
"Founded in 1976 by Columbia College in Chicago, the
Museum
of Contemporary Photography has become the world's premier college art
museum
dedicated to photography."
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Pritzker Military Museum & Library
71 reviews
#25 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"If you are a
historian
, especially related to the Civil War and World War I and II, if you are interested in such subjects as Civil War regimental histories or military aviation or World War II unit histories, eve..."
"The annual award, presented by the Institute of
Museum
and Library Services since 1994, recognizes institutions for outstanding social, educational, environmental or economical contributions to their communities."
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See 1 Experience
Swedish American Museum
57 reviews
#26 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"The
collection
of 12,000 objects includes items and artifacts that contribute to the narrative about Swedish immigration, Swedish communities in North America and Swedish and Swedish American culture."
"It features two gallery spaces with special art exhibits, "The Dream of America" exhibit, the Brunt Children's
Museum
of Immigration, a genealogy center and a
museum
store."
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Museum Of Illusions Chicago
13 reviews
#27 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"I was particularly impressed with the great lengths they went to make the experience Covid safe(masks and social distancing mandatory of course) but also disinfectant stands throughout the
museum
."
"It's in a great location in the city about a block or so from the Bean and
Millennium Park
."
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Chicago Maritime Museum
22 reviews
#28 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"Chicago's maritime history hit its peak during the "Golden Age" of the American steamboat, when small but fast steamers carried passengers and freight over the
Great Lakes
to Chicago before and during the Civil War."
"Personal hospitality was enjoyed by all as well as enthusiastic intrepretation of the exhibits by their
museum
curator and master model builder."
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Ukrainian National Museum
22 reviews
#29 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"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, manuscript..."
"This fascinating museum has a superb collection of authentic garments and decorative arts from Ukraine with extensive didactic panels explaining the
history
and politics of the region."
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Smart Museum of Art
51 reviews
#30 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"But its permanent collection contains over 15,000
objects
, from modern art to Asian art to European art to contemporary art, and combining a visit with tours of Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House and the Oriental In..."
"... the publicity, and deservedly so, but if you are trying to avoid crowds (remember the Normal Rockwell exhibit?), a wonderful alternative is the David and Alfred Smart
Museum
of Art at the University of Chicago."
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Frequently Asked Questions about Chicago
Which experiences are best for museums in Chicago?
These experiences are best for museums in Chicago:
Field Museum of Natural History Admission Tickets
Chicago CityPASS
All Access Pass in Field Museum of Natural History
Skip the Line: American Writers Museum Admission Ticket
Field Museum of Natural History Discovery Pass
See more museums in Chicago on Tripadvisor
What are the best places for museums in Chicago?
These places are best for museums in Chicago:
The Art Institute of Chicago
Museum of Science and Industry
Field Museum
Chicago Cultural Center
Richard H. Driehaus Museum
See more museums in Chicago on Tripadvisor
Which places provide the best museums in Chicago for kids and families?
These are the best places for kid-friendly museums in Chicago:
Chicago Sports Museum
Museum of Science and Industry
American Writers Museum
Oriental Institute Museum
Field Museum
See more museums for kids in Chicago on Tripadvisor
Which places provide the best museums in Chicago for couples?
These are the best places for couples seeking museums in Chicago:
The Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago Sports Museum
Museum of Science and Industry
Richard H. Driehaus Museum
Oriental Institute Museum
See more museums for couples in Chicago on Tripadvisor
Which places provide the best museums in Chicago for groups?
These are the best places for groups seeking museums in Chicago:
The Art Institute of Chicago
Museum of Science and Industry
Chicago Cultural Center
Field Museum
Chicago History Museum
See more museums for groups in Chicago on Tripadvisor
Which places provide the best museums in Chicago for travellers on a budget?
These are the best places for budget-friendly museums in Chicago:
The Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago Sports Museum
Museum of Science and Industry
American Writers Museum
Oriental Institute Museum
See more budget-friendly museums in Chicago on Tripadvisor