How lucky are we to live in a city that house the incredible, iconic, and historic artwork that…read morefinds a home within The Art Institute of Chicago. I've been here many-a-time throughout my years. Some highlights include: Georgia O'Keefe's NYC series and Henry Matisse's Jazz cutouts. Come here to see other classics such as American Gothic, Nighthawks, and A Sunday on La Grande Jatte. You can spend a full day here, so plan accordingly. Also, if you live in Chicago or Illinois, consult your public library for free passes!

The decision to go to Chicago meant that I immediately began looking up landmarks from movies that…read moreI love, so obviously we had to make a trip to The Art Institute of Chicago. And was it incredible to stand in front of A Sunday on La Grande Jatte after watching Ferris Bueller for decades? Of course. It was an awe-inspiring experience that gave me literal goosebumps and even got me a little emotional. But the rest of The Art Institute is incredible, too. We barely scratched the surface and yet managed to see several iconic paintings -- including American Gothic and that famous Van Gogh self-portrait. Obviously we should've planned more than a couple of hours in the place. I feel like you could spend a week wandering around the place and you'd still feel like you hadn't seen everything. I really can't wait to go back someday.

Chicago land exhibit- while in Evanston, I was able to visit the Block Museum twice ! They had a…read morevery interesting exhibit focused on the American Indians and their art !! They had some amazing pieces. Some from natural sweetgrass, lots of paintings and lots of basket weaving techniques!! Great installation and totally free and sponsored by Northwestern university . Totally ten star experience!! Highly recommended !!

I've been a Northwestern alum for nearly 10 years, and I have never donated to the university (even…read morethough I work there, because hi, I'm still paying off student loans from my graduate degree). That said, I did decide to donate this year, mainly because I really wanted the cute Arch jigsaw puzzle, and I designated my donation gift to go to the Block Museum. This place is a hidden gem. I am OBSESSED with William Blake...like, I own his entire poetry collection and two coffee table art books (one of which is from the current Block exhibit -- Age of Aquarius -- that I had to buy after visiting). The current exhibit is freaking brilliant. It's so well done, amazingly curated and organized, and is really ingenious. I admittedly don't know much about art (I'm kicking myself now for never taking an art history class during my time at NU), but I've been to The Block several times over the years working there, and I'm ashamed I never went as an undergrad. Plus, hello, it's free. Always. Super happy to support them and cannot wait for their next exhibits. In the meantime, I have a hot date with Blake at least 2-3 times more before it closes, including some of the fun special events they have planned in collaboration with other parts of the university and members of the Chicago community.

Miana, was amazing. She took pictures. She gave us some good feedback and a lot of education. She…read moremade the experience one notch above other experiences!! Thank you Miana!!!! Carla Work

This was a super quick experience... 30-45 minutes max... but it was pretty neat if you like this…read moresort of thing. Basic illusions with some neat instagram moments. If you're expecting an afternoon of experiences you'll probably be disappointed. I think if you know what you're getting you'll probably have a swell time. Staff was friendly and helpful. Everything was clean and was in working order.

I wish I had the time to actually stop and fully experience each of the exhibits more clearly. I'll…read morehave to take another trip. The kiddos enjoyed the sensing Chicago exhibit. I enjoyed learning more about the Chicago fire, the world fair & about the history of Uptown Theater. There is a cafe with coffee and other Chicago staples. I didn't eat there but I love the attention to detail on their menu offering. The kiddos said they love seeing the old trains & thought they looked better than the current or new ones.

If you've been to Field Museum, MSI, Institute of Art, Shedd Aquarium, and are looking to satisfy…read moreyour museum craving, this is a great option. You can get a discounted ticket on Groupon, and they also offer free tours to the public. The museum has two levels - the first one is mainly a theater and a diorama exhibit, while the second floor has a lot of artifacts about the history of Chicago from 1600-1700's and into the 21st century. What I liked in particular is that it covered multiple aspects - immigrants, industry, fashion, art, commerce, civil rights, architecture, famous people, and so much more. You'll definitely learn a lot - plan at least 3 hours. The only thing that could have improved the experience would be better designed plaques with text (or lighting). Some of them were hard to read because it was either too dark in the room or the text was white color on yellow / pale-blue background which didn't provide enough contrast. Other than that, this museum is definitely worth visiting!

This museum is even more impactful to me than the big Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. For…read morehistory buffs, this is very well laid out, and I am sure they'd approve. For those who grew up isolated/protected from the dark and tragic stories of human history, this museum will open your eyes and hearts to the truth in a way you can slowly and understandingly absorb. It is truly excellent, and the staff are knowledgeable without a guilt-trip attitude towards visitors. Start with a long pause at the memory wall/fountains outdoors (weather permitting) to quiet your soul and prepare for the exhibits inside. For me, after going through the interior, I like to stop again at the outdoor memory wall before heading to the parking lot, and say a prayer.

I spent Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day here in 2025, wanting to avoid news of the inauguration…read more Though I'd been at the museum for special events, like lectures, I'd never visited the main exhibit. The volunteers at the desk were super friendly and helpful. When I mentioned it was my first visit, they gave suggestions on how to maximize my time. The exhibit is put together incredibly thoughtfully. Walking through the chronology with photos, artifacts, and videos from Chicago-area family was powerful. I recommend really allocating time to read and observe everything, as the story unfolds completely. I was frustrated by other patrons who were having conversations about the worst road trip they've ever been on. There weren't staff in the exhibit, so I addressed it myself and asked them to step outside to continue the conversation or to be more respectful. They were appropriately embarrassed. I'm not sure if it's normal for their not to be volunteers or staff, but it would have been helpful had that situation escalated. I participated in one of the VR experiences where the audience can ask questions of a survivor, whose answers are the result of hundreds of hours of interviews. Not only was the experience amazing, but it was humbling to think of survivors spending all of those hours relieving their experiences so that generations can continue to learn directly from them. I will definitely be returning - there was more to see and do - and I'm grateful for the volunteers and staff who maintain this experience.

One of the best museums I have ever been to (and I've been to a LOT)…read more They have great exhibits, and I always go look at the Plants of the World area when I go. My only complaint is the hours--there are simply not enough hours in one business day to see everything. They should do multiple day passes!

The Field Museum is incredible. It's a research institution, and so there are tons of actual…read morescientists working in the building. The museum is huge, and has so many things to see. The dinosaur exhibit, especially the hall with SUE is amazing. We love coming here.

Took the Art Deco tour yesterday, what a great way to learn about some of the history of Chicago as…read morewell as the gorgeous buildings!! Our guide was knowledgeable and kept the tour interesting. Unfortunately I flew out yesterday afterwards, but will definitely be back to check out the Center as well.

Entry to the museum is only five dollars if you show them your ticket from the First Lady boat…read moretour. The ground floor has a short eight minute clip with information about the city. There is also a great display of the city as well as a Wrigley ballpark exhibit. Unfortunately, the upstairs is currently being renovated, so there was not a lot to see this trip. They have a great gift shop.

The International Museum of Surgical Science ended up being way more interesting than I expected…read more It's inside this gorgeous old mansion on Lake Shore Drive, the kind of place you walk into and immediately think, "Wait... surgery happened here?" The whole building used to be a private home modeled after a French chateau, which makes the contrast between crystal chandeliers and antique bone saws kind of fantastic. I'd say 1.5 to 2 hours is the sweet spot, depending on how deep you want to go into the placards. You can easily stretch it longer, because every room has some wild piece of medical history to learn. There's everything from early anesthesia equipment to an iron lung, to old surgical kits that look like something a pirate would carry. It really hits you how fast medicine has evolved , I mean we really went from "bite this leather strap and hope" to modern surgery in basically a cosmic blink. Makes me wish I could time-travel forward to see what medicine looks like in 200 years...though I'll be very, very gone by then:( One thing to know: there is absolutely no place to eat or drink inside. No cafe, no water bottles for sale, nothing. Just a tiny gift shop with some quirky souvenirs. So show up hydrated or plan to escape for snacks afterward. Overall, it's a great stop if you like history, science, or simply marveling at how humans figured out how to keep other humans alive. A little eerie, very educational, and surprisingly beautiful.

I went there for an event last night, but we got full reign of the museum. We did a scavenger hunt…read moreso we got to see every inch of this place. Chicago has a bunch of these smaller niche museum, but I thought this one was one of the better ones. It's an an historic house that would have overlooked the Lake before LSD existed. The exhibits were all pretty good, but my favorite was eye care. They had some great optometry artifacts and a collection of sunglasses over the years. They also have quite a bit of original art, mostly in sculpture form which is both odd, but still important. Another thing I liked was that it wasn't overly graphic. There's a plastic surgery section that has a few slightly unsettling portraits of people maimed during WWI. I mean, I kind of felt more bad for those poor people which I think was the point. If I were to give it all a rating, it's a light PG13. If there are any downsides, the place is a little on the expensive side for its size, but they're constantly running events that include admittance. They also seem to lean on some kind of artist or researcher that does a lot of dream stuff. I didn't like his stuff as much. Also, the sections are a little disorganized, but that might be spacing in issues. Either way, this was a pretty interesting place. I'm betting they do an awesome Halloween event because it's a little spooky, but all educational. The gift shop is neat too!

Very amazing tour! Shows the punishments of the medieval times and the pain and suffering inflictedread more

Who knew there were so many ways to be tortured throughout history? That was my takeaway from…read morevisiting the Medieval Torture Museum in the heart of the Loop. Looking on their website, there are other torture museum outposts in Florida, California, Branson (MO), and Berlin, Germany in addition to Chicago. The Chicago location is on the compact side, but packs over 100 medieval artifacts into dimly-lighted, macabre space occupying two levels. My timing for visiting was right around Halloween. I purchased tickets online (can get a very slight discount buying online) for a friend's belated birthday. He had always wanted to see this space, and we had scheduled an outing here, followed by happy hour libations. My interactions with the front-desk/check-in personnel (a younger gentleman and a woman getting off of her shift) were pleasant and professional. The young man mentioned that he was studying art. I'm sure this museum gave him plenty of inspiration. To the side of the check-in/welcome area there is a souvenir shop. I didn't really see anything that grabbed me, but there were a couple of promotions taking place and the displays/signage were memorable and lighthearted, considering the grim subject matter. Before making our way to the exhibit, we cued up the audio guide on our phones. The guide is easily accessible through Apple and Android, although I wish I had brought headphones, as I quailed at blasting the sound through speakers with other patrons around. Fortunately, this is more of a selfie and photography-geared space, so there were no dirty looks as I would have expected in a traditional museum or gallery. This museum has something for everyone, whether one is an avid reader of all of the informational material around the exhibits (raises hand) or prefers a more interactive, hands-on experience and photo-ops to capture the thrills and chills. Among the most arresting items are a torture rack from 15th-century Spain and a life-size replica of Joan of Arc being burned at the stake. Over the sound system, occasionally dramatized screams and creaking chains play to heighten the creepy ambiance. All told, it took around an hour to peruse the space, sharing impressions and taking photos.