Guide to Chicago's Most Popular Museums

Chicago has many excellent museums. With facilities that include sprawling buildings to more modest presentations, Chicago has a wide variety of museums offering art, nature, science, history and cultural presentations and artifacts. Listed below are some of the more popular Chicago museums based on the number of visit they have each year.

Keep in mind that some museums have additional charges, above and beyond admission fees, to view special exhibits. In addition. Some museums offer special discounts for Chicago resident. Check out the official web site for complete details.

Links: Map of Chicago's Most Popular Museums.

Name/Address/Map Link Closed
Day
Adult Adm. $
Free Day
Museum Highlights Link
Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum
1300 S. Lake Shore Drive | Map | Video
None $16
Mon. & Tue.
Off-Season
Explore the solar system through exhibits, interactive adventures and two full-sized planetarium theaters. More Info
Art Institute of Chicago
111 S. Michigan Avenue  | Map
None $12
Tuesdays
The collection spans 5,000 years of artistic expression - paintings, prints and drawings, sculptures, photographs, video and more. More Info
Chicago Children's Museum
700 E. Grand Avenue | Map
None $8
Thu. 5-8pm
Interactive learning adventures for toddlers to ten year-olds; located at Navy Pier. More Info
Chicago History Museum
Clark Street at North Avenue | Map
None $14
Mondays
Learn about Chicago's unique history,  trace its growth from wilderness outpost to the architectural, cultural and social Mecca of our times. More Info
The David & Alfred Smart Museum of Art
5550 S. Greenwood Avenue | Map
Mon Free Over 10,000 objects, spanning five centuries of both Western and Eastern civilizations, plus special exhibitions. More Info
DuSable Museum of African-American History
740 E. 56th Place | Map
Mon $3
Sundays
Dedicated to the collection, preservation, interpretation and dissemination of the history and culture of Americans of African descent. More Info
Field Museum
1400 S. Lake Shore Drive | Map | Video
None $19
None
Features the preservation and exhibition of objects illustrating art, archaeology, science and history. See "Sue", the largest, best preserved T-Rex.
See our Field Museum feature article.
More Info
Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center
801 W. Adams St. | Map
Sun & Mon Free Captures the history of the Greek immigrant experience in America, showcases the artistic work of the Hellenic people and celebrates the Hellenic culture of antiquity. More Info
Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum
1852 W. 19th Street | Map
Mon Free The Permanent Collection contains over 5,000 objects of Mexican art, including prints and drawings, photography, painting and sculpture, textiles and more. More Info
Museum of Contemporary Art
220 E. Chicago Avenue | Map
Mon $10
Tuesdays
Exhibitions of art created since 1945 -- through painting, sculpture, photography, video and film, and performance. More Info
Museum of Contemporary Photography
600 S. Michigan Avenue | Map
Sun Free An exclusive commitment to the medium of photography; permanent collection includes more than 7,000 objects, focusing on the photography of Americans and U.S. residents since 1936. More Info
Museum of Science and Industry(MSI)
57th Street and Lake Shore Drive | Map
None $11
Some
Mon & Tue
One of the most popular museums in the United States - Covers diverse areas like energy, the environment, the human body, space exploration and transportation. Highlights include a U-505 Submarine and an Omnimax Theater.
See our MSI feature article.
More Info
Oriental Institute Museum
1155 East 58th Street | Map
Mon $5 optional A showcase of the history, art and archaeology of the ancient Near East, including major collections of antiquities from Egypt, Mesopotamia, Iran, Syria, Palestine, and Anatolia. More Info
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
2430 N. Cannon Drive | Map
None $7
Thursday
Explore how everything we do is connected to nature; vist the year-round butterfly haven; learn about the eco-friendly building technology. More Info
Polish Museum of America
984 N. Milwaukee Avenue | Map
None $5
Thursday
Promotes the knowledge of Polish history and culture, especially promulgates Polish and Polish American art in its paintings, sculptures, drawings and lithographs by well-known artists. More Info
Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows
700 E. Grand Avenue (Navy Pier) | Map
None Free A permanent display of 150 stained glass windows housed in an 800 foot-long series of galleries along the lower level terraces of Festival Hall at Navy Pier. More Info
Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies
610 S. Michigan | Map
Sat $7
Free
Tue 10-12am
Thurs 3-7pm
Spertus Museum organizes and hosts thought-provoking exhibitions that explore contemporary and historical issues in Jewish art and culture. More Info
Ukrainian National Museum
721 N. Oakley Boulevard | Map
Mon-
Wed
Free Details the heritage, culture and people of Ukraine -- over 1,000 artifacts from folk art to musical instruments, plus an extensive library. More Info

Links: Map of Chicago's Most Popular Museums.

Free Days at Chicago Museums

Please note: Free day policies may change from time to time, so please check with the museum for the latest information.

MONDAYS

Adler Planetarium
312-922-STAR
Sept. 11 - Dec. 19

Field Museum
312-922-9410)
Sept. 11 - Oct. 31

Chicago Children's Museum
312-527-1000
First Mon. of every month for children 15 and under

Chicago History Museum
312-642-4600
9:30 - 4:30 (closed until Sept. 30)

Shedd Aquarium
312-939-2438
Sept. - Nov.

Museum of Science and Industry
773-684-1414
Sep 11 - Nov. 21; Nov. 23; Dec. 24


TUESDAYS

Adler Planetarium
312-922-STAR
Sept. 11 - Dec. 19

Field Museum
312-922-9410
Sept. 11 - Oct. 31

Shedd Aquarium
312-939-2438
Sept. - Nov.

Museum of Science and Industry
773-684-1414
Sep 11 - Nov. 21

Museum of Contemporary Art 312-280-2660
5 pm - 8 pm

International Museum of Surgical
Science
312-642-6502
10 am - 4 pm

WEDNESDAYS

Clarke House Museum
312-326-1480
12 pm, 1 pm, 2 pm

Glessner House Museum
312-326-1480
12 pm, 1 pm, 2 pm


THURSDAYS

The Art Institute of Chicago
312-443-3600
June 3 – Labor Day 5 pm – 9 pm; Throughout the year 5 pm – 8 pm

Chicago Children's Museum
312-527-1000
5 pm - 8 pm

The Notebaert Nature Museum 773-755-5100
Special exhibitions 9 am - 4:30 pm

Museum of Science and Industry
773-684-1414
Nov. 23


FRIDAYS

Spertus Museum
312-322-1747
1 pm - 3 pm*

The Art Institute of Chicago
312- 443-3600
June 3 - Labor Day 5 pm - 9 pm


SUNDAYS

DuSable Museum of African American History
773-947-0600
12 pm - 5 pm

Museum of Science and Industry
773-684-1414
Dec. 24


FREE EVERYDAY

Art Institute of Chicago
  Free admission Feb. 1 - 21; children under 12 admitted free year-round
Chicago Architecture Center
Chicago Cultural Center
Chicago Public Library/Harold Washington Library Center
City Gallery at the Historic Water Tower
David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art
The Field Museum
  Free general admission Aug. 26 - 31
Gallery 37 - 5th Floor Galleries
Jane Adams Hull-House Museum
Martin D'Arcy Museum of Art
Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum
Museum of Contemporary Photography
The Notebaert Nature Museum
  Free general admission, cost for exhibits
Oriental Institute Museum
Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows

(as of 9/13/06)



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