This was the first time that we visited the Elmhurst Art Museum.  Our daughter was invited to preview the exhibition "Picasso: Fifty Years Later" before it opened to the public, Hubby and I were her guests.  The exhibition focuses more on the influence of Picasso fifty years after his death.  So, other than some nice prints from Picasso, there was artwork from his colleagues and contemporary artists as well.  Interestingly, some of the work from other artists might appear to be even more "Picassoesque" than Picasso's work in this exhibit.  All in all, it was a good show and professionally done.   We met the Executive Director John McKinnon as soon as we entered the museum, who was very friendly and professional, and enthusiastically gave us a brief introduction of the exhibition.  John was also the co-curator of the show.  Katie, the publicist of the museum, was also very friendly and welcoming.  She talked about how proud the artists must have been to be able to have artwork exhibited alongside Picasso's art, and that the Director John even improved the air system in order to meet the requirements of the lenders of the Picasso collection!  I like that both John and Katie are very passionate, enthusiastic, and professional about what they do!   The museum itself is rather small.  It's very clean with professional setup.  It would have been nice if the rest of the museum was opened to explore when we visited on the preview day.  However, nothing was opened except for the Picasso exhibit, even the small gift shop was closed.  There is a sculpture named Skycube in the museum courtyard that is worth visiting.  It is a great spot to take interesting selfie.  All in all, Elmhurst Art Museum provides a good opportunity for art museum-goers in the suburbs to visit without driving all the way to the city, and you don't need to worry about parking, as it provides ample free parking as well! read more

See all

We didn't end up going inside because of a rain storm, but we did enjoy the art on the outside of the building. Located next to the Elmhurst public library. They have a beautiful outdoor setting. The building is welcoming and from the outside looking in, it looks like a great place to explore some local artists creations. Hope to come back one day and see more. read more

See all

Great little art museum with amazing exhibits. There is also a little house "The McCormick House" attached to the museum which has updated themes. You can shop at the gift shop, really interesting items. Most of all, I love the art for sale behind the gift shop. read more

See all

As others have said, staff is rude for no reason. Came to see Marvelocity exhibit. Paid $46 for two adults and two kids. Exhibit took all of 20 minutes. They were out of activity guides, they were out of coloring sheets for the kids, all the colored pencils were broken, the plain paper was all written on... they are NOT maintaining the space. This was a waste of money and I've never thought spending money on the arts is a waste. I'll never return. read more

Elmhurst Art Museum - Art Museums Near Me - Elmhurst, Illinois

A friend and I came here to partake in the Miniature Golf course set up through the museum: each hole created by different artists, some interactive (one was like a pinball machine! Cool!) You have to sign up in advance, and they gladly contacted us because the initial time we signed up for on their site...isn't during their open hours. It took about half an hour to complete the course and the cost includes admission to the rest of the museum if you want to partake. read more

See all

I really enjoyed my visit to the Elmhurst Art Museum. I chaperoned a large group and we toured the current exhibit, "Kings & Queens: Pinball, Imagists and Chicago." Our guide was Claire and she was very knowledgeable and answered the many questions my group had. Also included in our visit was a tour of the Mies van der Rohe designed, McCormick House, now connected to the EAM. I'd highly recommend stopping here if your in the Elmhurst area. And if you're visiting the EAM is free on Fridays. 4/5 stars because of the noise level. The museum was very loud during our visit because of the pinball machines on display. This made a portion of the guided tour difficult to hear. read more

See all

The exhibits are frequently changing at this lovely little museum. The staff members are very knowledgeable about the museum and the exhibits. I love that this is a smaller museum so you can definitely spend a few hours and not have to make a whole day of it. Be sure to check out what exhibits are coming and when so you can plan out your trip. read more

See all

I had my wedding here and I loved working with Jenn. She was super professional and helpful. I toured the venue space and that day decided it was the perfect venue for our wedding. After looking at available dates we choose one 10 weeks away- so I planned the event in 10 weeks! But with Jenn's help and guidance we pulled off a great event!! We used the outdoor ceremony space and had a Grateful Dead cover band. Had about 110 attendees and everyone had a great time!! The mini-golf exhibit was a great activity for our guests and we were even able to have a 'quiet room' for elderly guests. I loved how the whole space felt indoor/outdoor due to the floor to ceiling windows and the Mies house was perfect for our hangout space before we walked down the isle. I loved having our wedding here. Would recommend to anyone looking for an architecturally modern space surrounded by beautiful art! Our photographer loved the space too and while we're still waiting for our photos he loved the diversity of the different locations for photos. It's a 10/10 venue from me! read more

See all

Really nice small art museum. Loved the Bauhaus exhibit. The McCormick House is well worth the drive out here as well, for Bauhaus fanatics such as myself. I thought the admission fee was a bit steep for how small the museum is, but supporting the arts is always a good thing. read more

Great place! I would reccommend it! It was the first time there and it was amazing! I loved the gift shop and the art

This place is just lovely. We visited this afternoon and saw the Koppe exhibit. The colors, shapes, and images from this artist were stunning. The museum is comprised of an open, airy lobby with all glass walls looking out over a park with gallery space on either end. It connects to Mies van der Rohe's McCormick House, which is why we wanted to visit. The house is one of only three that the architect created in the United States (one of the other two is the iconic Farnsworth House in Plano, IL). The whole museum is serene, but not stuffy. We brought my three-year-old daughter and felt comfortable with her there. In fact, right now they have a wall where children can color and add their own bit of art to the collections. The whole family had an enjoyable cultural excursion. My only regret is that there wasn't a book to purchase on the Koppe exhibition or the museum itself. That didn't detract from the quality of the visit, though. We'll definitely return. read more

Elmhurst Art Museum - Lobby overlooking park - Art Museums Near Me - Elmhurst, Illinois

See all

I've seen two art exhibits here, the Hebru Brantley exhibit and the pinball / Ed Paschke exhibit. Both were good quality, if a bit small. The museum, overall, is quite modest in size. Its a nice day trip from the city, but if you go, add another stop, or it will be a day of driving accentuated with a splash of art. read more

Neat museum with an added kick....an architectural piece of history! The EAM had several cool facets that we enjoyed. The first was the Mies Van Der Rohe McCormick House that's actually part of the museum now. A room in the house is home to a neat vintage model car exhibit that my son liked too. The main part of the museum was pretty diverse given the space. There were easily ten artists displayed through as many different types of art. I think the best part of the museum was the Elmhurst Artists Guild room. Major artists tend to be completely overrated or worse (ie. the entire Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art). Local artists usually have far more talent and produce much more meaningful art. The Guild room offers a vast array of art styles through mostly paintings. Neat place, I'd definitely recommend. read more

Elmhurst Art Museum - Art Museums Near Me - Elmhurst, Illinois

I like it when my ill-conceived notions are disproved. It's like a good slap of reality, sometimes we all can use one. When the man said we are going to Elmhurst, my first reaction was "oh no! the dreaded suburbia!" Every time I venture in to the land of suburbia, I find something interesting and worth a repeat visit. Like Super H Mart in Niles, Mitsuwa in Arlington heights, Quench restaurant in Chicago Heights etc. I can now add Elmhurst Art Museum to the list. Normally when you think of art museum, you think of a city. It is very rare you find a well-curated museum in suburbia. Even though it is small - compared to many museums I've visited - EAM is well kept. The space is beautiful, the collections are excellent, and the gift shop is super cute. Particular mention goes to the "new acquisitions" collection. The museum has acquired art from various contemporary artists for this collection. I think it is an excellent collection. Works by Billy Tokyo and Daniel Kim will make you stop in your tracks and stare. Beverly Kedzior's piece makes you wonder and reflect on the impact of color. Then there is Alexis Rose. "Aren't we comfortable" - a mixed media installation depicting a limbo of imperfection spoke to me as soon as I saw the piece. It makes you think what life COULD look like and what it SHOULD look like. The cushioned zones (sofas) in the imperfect living room are an inadequate illusion to the impossible balance between comfort and protection. I may also be biased with this particular piece because we loaned it to the museum for exhibition. The man and I fell in love with it at first sight and we bought it a few months ago, before the museum decided to exhibit. Besides the new acquisitions, there are temporary exhibits by Firat Erdim (the Arbor), Glenn Wexler (Stillness in Motion), and Matt Woodward (the Tremendous Alone). I am particularly fond of Matt Woodward's work - the massive works of graphite on paper are spectacular. I am glad EAM is bringing art and culture to Elmhurst and surrounding suburbs. As long as you have places like EAM, you don't have to always trek from the suburbia to the city to satisfy the art enthusiast in you. Support your local art museum! read more

Elmhurst Art Museum - Art Museums Near Me - Elmhurst, Illinois

How lucky are we to have an art museum that celebrates not only modern art but modern architecture right in the west suburbs? We discovered this place a few winters gets back when we wanted to go to an art museum but didn't want to drive into the city. The reconstructed Mies van der Rohe McCormick House adjacent to the museum provides a cool back drop for a closer look at mid-century architecture and a great canvas for modern art exhibits and studies in architecture. They change exhibits about 5 times a year with an exhibit in the main part of the museum , one within the house itself, and a gallery of paintings in the front. Sure there are plenty of exhibits that make you go "what the?!?!" But that's modern art! Sometimes you hate it! (The Sense of Place exhibit in 2017, was my fave!) They do a nice job getting kids interested as there is usually a related hands on project kids can work on that relates to the ongoing exhibit. They also have studios that provide classes for kids, teens, and adults. This really is a great cultural beacon in this area! read more

Elmhurst Art Museum - The latest kids art project. - Art Museums Near Me - Elmhurst, Illinois

Opened in its current location in 1997, $8 admission for adults and has one of only three single-family homes built by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in the United States as part of its space! "In 1994, the house was moved from its original location at 299 Prospect Avenue to the current site of the Museum in Wilder Park." per one of the brochures. "Blow Up Inflatable Contemporary Art", based out of the Bedford Gallery in California is currently on display at the Elmhurst Art Museum (EAM). "It explores the medium of inflatable art with imagery that is figurative, conceptual and abstract." I think children will like this exhibit. I'm not yet convinced this art. Would floats in parades be considered art? Are air balloons considered art? Many are pretty, but... That being said, I found two pieces interesting: 'Inflatable Superheroes', by Patrick Flibotte and 'Somehow, I Don't Feel Comfortable' by Momoyo Torimitsu. 'Inflatable Superheros' are normally displayed standing, but at EAM they are hanging from the ceiling, like they are flying! 'Somehow, I Don't Feel Comfortable' was put in the smallest room they would fit in to make us feel uncomfortable! Their permanent exhibit on display was nothing special, which is disappointing. Hopefully they have more in storage and once the temporary exhibit leaves, they can bring out the good stuff! read more

See all

While the Elmhurst Art Museum occasionally gets some interesting exhibits, don't expect much. I honestly wouldn't recommend going here unless you have a valid student ID. The price of admission just isn't worth it. There isn't enough here to merit a standalone trip to this place, in my opinion. read more

Excellent art museum tucked in the beautiful town of Elmhurst. Constantly changing exhibits that are always appealing. They also are restoring parts of history while bringing new life to it at the same time. Love the interactive display that is constantly changing as well. read more

Elmhurst Art Museum - Current exhibit is so intricate. Make sure to pay attention to fine details! Such fun pieces of art - Art Museums Near Me - Elmhurst, Illinois

The staff are so rude for no reason. Ive never been here so decided to stop by and wasnt sure where the entrance was. I pulled door and it was locked i saw people/students inside and waved. However they act like ur are invisible and didnt even bother to hand gesture. As i turned around to leave i saw door thats wide open and as soon as i got to the door one of the staff walked toward and asking me what u need? Where are you trying to go this is private property dont walk on the grass blah blahh and other lady came over and asked me to exit using the entrance! At this point im still outside lol and invited me into to exit without explaining why they are closed on the day and time they were suppose to be open. Making me Feel like no one should go there and im trespassing. And as i walk out she said thanks for your cooperation. People are just rude for noooo reason. Just say we are closed early because blah blah thats it. They look so angry and annoyed when they were approaching me lol then do not open ur door wide open before closing time!!!! read more

I'd call ahead or check out the website before coming here; I managed to visit on a day with not only no installation in the main gallery, but the Artists' Guild in the middle of taking down their items. (To top it off, the gate allowing access to the gift shop was broken so only the glass-cased items were available for purchase.) The explanatory video about the Van Der Rohe building was interesting, but you can only see one room; the children's wing is administrative offices, and you can sneak a peek at the St. Charles kitchen described in the video only by ducking behind a curtain and peeking around stacked tables and chairs. The one gallery that was open is about 4 rooms; the temporary exhibition there didn't really speak to me, though it had a few interesting pieces. Admission is only $5 and it's free on Fridays, but apparently pretty hit and miss. read more

My husband and I visited this museum this afternoon and we both enjoyed the exhibits there. While small (plan to spend no more than an hour to and hour and a half here), this museum had some interesting pieces. Their temporary exhibit, On the Brink: New Work by Nnenna Okore (at the museum through 5/3/15) was really beautiful. Large pieces, constructed of burlap, newspapers, plastic bags and twine are painted and pieced together beautifully. My husband called our favorites, the large hearts, "Bleeding Hearts" and from afar it's just gorgeous. My husband had an interesting observation on the Mies van der Rohe McCormick home. The first thing he said was "Hey, it's built like the Ferris Bueller house" (large glass windows and the car port), but there was no mention of the movie at the museum. I looked it up, and it turns out, the architect of the Ferris Beuller home was a student under Mies ven der Rohe, hence the similarities in construction. There was also another room for the Elmhurst Artist's Guild that held works for sale by a local artist, Charlotte Cziperle. Her painting "African Sunset" is gorgeous. read more

See all

Its an okay museum with some questionable exhibits that even make a free-thinking artsy person like myself ask "Why is this here..?" Admission is very costly considering it's a suburban art museum with a handful of rooms to look around. The coolest feature is the white cube in the courtyard that reflects all kind of light and mirrors the sky above it. Hopefully admission price goes down, but try to find a free day to go rather than cough up the money because honestly it isn't worth it. read more

My friend and I wandered into the Elmhurst Art Museum in the early fall, as it is not far from the Elmhurst Metra station. We just wanted to poke our heads in, but one of the staff invited us in for free, as apparently they were in between installations. We did have a look through one of their exhibitions as well as its small gift shop, which both proved to be mildly interesting. Architecture buffs should note that the former Robert H McCormick House (designed by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe) was moved to this current site in Wilder Park, and the museum was sort of built around it. The McCormick House is one of only three Mies-designed residences that were built in the States (one of which is the Farnsworth House in Plano). The museum was designed by the noted architecture firm of DeStefano + Partners. read more

The Elmhurst Art Museum is just one of the gems located in Wilder Park in Elmhurst, IL. As mentioned earlier, the museum is housed in the McCormick House designed by Mies Van Der Rohe. The center section is warm and flooded with natural light through the numerous windows. There are three galleries which house changing outside exhibits. A fourth gallery is reserved for showings of members of the Elmhurst Artist Guild. The lastest guild exhibit features country and city scapes painted by a LaGrange husband and wife team. The main gallery exhibit features work by award winning local high school students. They are unique, unusual and impressive. The gift shop features jewelry and pottery and often items by exhibiting artists. Several years ago there was a visiting exhibit called "AC/DC TO ZZ TOP: THIRTY YEARS OF ROCK. AND ROLL" by Larry Hulst which featured black and white concert photos. The bonus was that the gift shop was selling 13.5' x 10 ' matted copies of the prints for $60, signed by Hulst. I bought one of Eric Clapton, one of The Ramones and one of The Blues Brothers for Christmas gifts. There have been hits and misses over the years, but admission is only $7 for adults and is free on Tuesdays. The museum offers art classes for all ages and has guides for children to use while visiting the museum. read more

Great little Museum. The Bauhaus exhibit was terrific as was our docent Annette! Great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

TIL - That for years I've looked at this building figuring it didn't really fit in Wilder Park. I'm not a fan of modern industrial design. That was until I finally visited the museum for the first time last weekend. Another great example as to why you, or in this case, I, shouldn't judge a book by its cover. What really changed my mind was learning that part of the building incorporates a house that was moved here from a few blocks over. I had no clue. And, after mentioning the architect of the house, a one Mr. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, all of my friends said something to the effect of, "the famous architect who build some skyscrapers downtown?" Which, made me feel even more like a moron. So, without getting into the move, construction, and original owner of the house, you really need to go and check it out for yourself. Watch the video and wander around the house marveling at someone else's vision transformed into reality. Even if the lady at the counter is missing a sense of humor, you can still enjoy yourself and ponder ... "hum, I wonder what my neighbors would think as I wander around the house at all hours of the night in my underwear?" I'm sure my neighbors do already and I don't live in a glass house. read more

See all

Just had our wedding here and it was a dream venue. Jenn, the venue coordinator, is great to work with, and the space gorgeous--we had so many compliments! It's also a super sweet museum all on its own. Highly recommend! read more

I must say I was a bit disappointed in this art museum. It looks like a decent size from the outside but there hardly any art inside. I'm just happy we visited on a free day or I'd be really annoyed. read more

Visited there 21 Sept 2017, soon after the Museum reopened. The main exhibit was by Hebru Brantley. It consisted of one large room of cartoon-like pictures, and and another large room (and connecting hall) of crude statues. I believe all these exhibits showed black kids wearing big yellow goggles, and engaged in various activities. The other exhibit was the McCormick House one of three glass walled houses in America designed by the noted architect Mies van der Rohe's. We sat in one small room in the house, and watched a short video of Mies van der Rohe's contributions to modern office building architecture. (Glass walled houses haven't caught on yet.) We also took a quick turn around another large room that is free to see. It houses paintings by local artists that are for sale. Some paintings depicted classes of people who have been victimized during the 17th through 19th centuries. read more

Always a fun time. A very cool building and lots of art by local artists. They also work with some local schools to exhibit talented student art, which is really fun. They have lots of kid and adult activities. They are close to downtown, which is great, makes for an easy museum dinner date, especially in nice weather. The staff is very friendly too! read more

While you're here check out the room with the works of the Elmhurst artist guild, it changes all the time and really shows off the local talent. read more

What a beautiful museum. It's such a shame that something as simple as returning our phone call and emails was too difficult for the on-site event coordinator to do. They lost our business. read more

Loved seeing the post modern art and the other exceptional art displayed here. I was skeptical a museum can be this good in elmhurst but I was proven wrong read more

I highly recommend this space for a wedding ceremony/reception if you are looking for something unique in the suburbs. It's very chic and modern, something you'd find in downtown- but at a very affordable price!!! No need to worry about parking and downtown sales tax... Your guests can view the art gallery during the cocktail hour, which is really neat. The museum also has a cool outdoor patio/tented area that you can use for your cocktail hour/dancing at night! The catering manager- Jeff- is also AWESOME to work with. He's very personable and will work with your budget. You can also bring your own liquor- which saves you lots of money. My fiance and I LOVED this space very much, but we had to let it go because our guest list kept growing and it was too small for us (we are having over 200 guests now). The max capacity is 150 for seated dinner, I believe, but I'd recommend this space if you are having 110 or less. read more

My daughter did art camp there. She loved it. It was for ages 5-7 and lasted 2.5 hours for five days. It was great to get her out of the house and interacting with kids during vacation. A bit expensive but that's what I would expect from Elmhurst. read more

The outdoor displays are some of my favorite as they are right off the park. The art museum is a strong contrubution to the local community and a part of any good relaxing day. read more

We went primarily to see the McCormick house and were very disappointed. Only the living room was open to the public and it had a lot of non-original stuff in it. The rest of the house is being used as administrative offices. There's a video you see before going in which, in part, talks about the kitchen. But the kitchen was off-limits as it is being used for storage by the museum. I feel them advertising the house as an exhibit is very misleading. If you want to see a much better example of Mies van der Rohe's work I'd suggest going to Plano to see the Farnsworth house, it's worth the drive, the McCormick house in Elmhurst is not. read more

I made an inquiry about having my wedding here and the staff member who answered my phone call was so friendly and helpful. She immediately set up a time for me to come in and view the space. The space was gorgeous and they were very flexible about incorporating my vision and specific wants for the event. The price is very competitive with other venues I've looked at. I was incredibly pleased with how amazing the service was and I definitely recommend this museum to others looking for wedding or event space. On top of everything else, the art provides a beautiful background and piece of interest for your guests. read more

I can't really speak for the museum itself but I'm sure that people aren't traveling from all of the country to visit a museum in Elmhurst. And special events don't seem to hold that much importance for them either. I contacted the Elmhurst Art museum to inquire about hosting my 2015 wedding. I was looking for something unique and definitely not a banquet hall! I contacted them via both email and phone That was in early May. Here it is six weeks later and I get a response saying how they'd love to host my wedding. Ummmmm...... NO. If it had only be an email request I would have let it go. Email is iffy and sometimes messages can inadvertently end up in your spam folder. But you can't tell me that you didn't receive either communication. I'm not buying that. So the EAM can kick rocks.... I have no intention of patronizing a business that take six weeks to respond to my request to spend 1000's of dollars with them. I've moved on! read more