The 21 best museums in Chicago

One of the city's most well-known cultural buildings—thanks to the iconic pair of bronze lions that flank grand steps leading up to the entrance—the Art Institute of Chicago is just as impressive once you make your way inside. With almost 300,000 artworks in its permanent collection, you'll find thousands of paintings, sculptures, photos and drawings displayed throughout a sprawling complex of galleries and halls. If you're a first-time guest, make a beeline for Georges Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte (as seen in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off—high and low culture is the best combo, after all) and the contemporary collection in the Modern Wing. Returning visitors can explore the Thorne Miniatures Rooms (reportedly a favorite of director Wes Anderson) in the museum's basement, as well as traveling exhibits devoted to the likes of Pablo Picasso and Van Gogh. There’s arguably too much art at this institution—at least, too much for one day—but we're not complaining.

Originally founded to house the biological and anthropological collections assembled for the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893, this massive natural history museum still packs ’em in with more than 20 permanent exhibitions covering 480,000 square feet. Guests come from all around the world to see towering dinos, marvel at ancient artifacts from a royal Egyptian tomb or relax in a Chinese rock garden hidden inside the Cyrus Tang Hall of China. While a gigantic titanosaur skeleton named Máximo now guards the lobby, you'll find the Field's former greeter, SUE the T. rex, residing in the “Evolving Planet” exhibit. There's something for everyone, and you can easily spend an entire day here. 

Anchoring the aquatic offerings at this Chicago institution are enduring favorites such as piranhas, frogs and snakes of the Amazon; rays and turtles of the Caribbean; frightening predator sharks, mesmerizing jellies, adorable penguins (including the famous rockhoppers Wellington, Edward and Annie) and marine mammals like sea lions, otters and the beloved beluga whales. The aquarium boasts a number of permanent exhibits, making it easy to spend an entire day wandering through the Shedd. We recommend identifying a handful of must-see exhibits before you go to prioritize your time. Or just make a list and tick off the others on your next visit!

The first planetarium in the western hemisphere is one of the city's most popular attractions. After you've explored the permanent exhibits and the dazzling sky shows in the Grainger Sky Theater, apply what you've learned about the skies and visit the Doane Observatory, home to the largest telescope available for public viewing in Chicago. 

Packed with exhibits that allow you to step inside a simulated tornado or navigate a maze lined with mirrors, the Museum of Science and Industry has no shortage of interactive bells and whistles that will appeal to younger and older visitors alike. Even if you graduated high school decades ago, displays featuring a restored U-505 German submarine, a simulated coal mine and a recreation of a Chicago street circa 1910 might make you feel like you're on a school field trip again—but a good one, and with a better lunch! Keep in mind that you're walking through a building that was originally created for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. 

Among the largest institutions in the world dedicated to art created post-1950, the Museum of Contemporary Art is best known for hosting major touring exhibitions, including past exhibitions celebrating luminaries like Virgil Abloh, David Bowie and Takashi Murakami. Throughout the MCA's galleries, you'll also find exhibits dedicated to rising local and international artists (including the museum's ongoing Chicago Works series). Once you're finished strolling through the galleries, make sure to exit through the well-curated gift shop.

Dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Holocaust, this 65,000-square-foot museum designed by renowned architect Stanley Tigerman houses more than 20,000 items donated by survivors and their descendents. Visitors can explore the topics of genocide and human rights through exhibits that range from interactive holograms and virtual reality experiences to the Zev & Shifra Karkomi Holocaust Exhibition, which details the lives of survivors before, during and after the war.

Formerly known as the Chicago Historical Society, this lively museum commemorates the past through the exhibitions that explore historical figures like Abraham Lincoln and local delicacies like the Chicago-style hot dog. Range! Guests can climb aboard a vintage L car in "Chicago: Crossroads of America" or gaze at lithographs of the city that were created in the 1860s. If you're working on a project that draws on the history of Chicago, you can register for access to the museum's Research Library, which houses thousands of photographs, publications and artifacts that document the city's history. It's situated just inside Lincoln Park near Old Town, so it's an ideal spot to kick off a nice long stroll along the lake.

On any given day at the Chicago Cultural Center, you might find a free classical concert being performed, an art exhibition on display in one of the building’s many galleries or tourists marveling at the world’s largest stained glass Tiffany dome. Don’t worry about paying for admission—nearly everything that happens in this building is free and open to the public. Housed in a structure that’s as wide as an entire city block and dates back to 1897 (when it originally housed the Chicago Public Library), the Chicago Cultural Center provides a place for citizens and visitors alike to experience amazing art and beautiful architecture without spending a cent.

For more than 100 years, the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, West Asia & North Africa (formerly the Oriental Institute) at the University of Chicago has been leading excavations and research projects in the SWANA (South West Asia and North Africa) region to understand our collective human history. Going as far back as 6,000 years, artifacts include an ancient saddle, various ceramic items such as jugs, bowls and incense burners, and some of the famous Megiddo Ivories. Also on display are objects from ancient Assyria, Anatolia, Israel, Egypt, Persia and in the Mesopotamian gallery, a stunning, hard-to-miss 40-ton human-headed winged bull sculpture from Khorsabad.

This free museum in Humboldt Park showcases Puerto Rican culture and art as well as hosts workshops and special events. Housed within Humboldt Park, the museum's rotating collection showcases local and international talent that tell creative stories related to the Puerto Rican identity. It's a great place to add to your walking tour of the sprawling park and unbeatable local eateries in Humdboldt Park.

Frank Lloyd Wright once described this Hyde Park home "a cornerstone of modern architecture," and it still lives up to the self-imposed reputation. Though it fell into disrepair and was slated for demolition on more than one occasion, it underwent an extensive interior restoration. One of the last buildings conceived in Wright’s Oak Park studio, it’s considered a prime example of the Prairie style—the cornerstone of modern architecture. The Frank Lloyd Wright Trust's guided tour will take you inside the classic structure, where you can admire the original art glass accents, restored furniture and a fireplace that divides the home's living and dining areas.

Open since 1961, this Hyde Park cultural hub is the oldest independent African American museum in the country, housing documents and artifacts from the lives of movers and shakers like activist Ida B. Wells and poet Langston Hughes, plus a collection of vibrant African American art. You'll even find Chance the Rapper's Grammy award for best rap album on display.

You can see bright, colorful murals by walking through the streets of Pilsen, but there's even more amazing art on display at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Harrison Park. One of the largest Latinx cultural organizations in the U.S., exhibitions draw from a permanent collection of more than 10,000 works, highlighting the creativity of artists on both sides of the border. Start with the permanent exhibit "Nuestra Historias," which includes everything from 18th century religious paintings to a tricked-out lawn mower. Admission is always free, and new shows debut regularly.

Stop scrolling through Instagram and check out some of the amazing shots that line the walls of the Museum of Contemporary Photography. Founded by Columbia College Chicago, the Loop-based gallery hosts multiple shows each year, including groundbreaking new work made by artists around the globe as well as archival prints from the institution's archives. It doesn't take long to see everything on display in this relatively small museum, which makes it a perfect place to experience a bit of culture during your lunch break, or between checking out all the other great museums, galleries and things to do in Chicago. 

The written word and some of our nation's best literary minds take the spotlight at the American Writers Museum, an institution that is dedicated to educating the public about American writers, past and present. Guests can walk through a series of rotating, state-of-the-art exhibitions, including a hall that pays tribute to 100 notable American writers and an area where anyone can sit behind a typewriter and contribute to a story created by museum attendees.

You don’t have to be pre-med to appreciate the strange assortment of surgery-related artifacts at this unusual museum. Shudder at the sight of a 3,000-year-old Peruvian skull drill or the Civil War–era amputee kit. There’s also a rare, working iron lung, a recreated X-ray lab featuring Emil Grubbe’s turn-of-the-century equipment and a gallery space with revolving anatomy- and surgery-related art exhibitions.

Situated on the University of Chicago campus in Hyde Park, the Smart Museum of Art was conceived as an institution where scholars could study the arts and develop exhibitions. Today, it's open to the public (admission is always free) and is home to the college's collection of fine art and antiquities, including scrolls and ceramics from China as well as a large-scale sculpture by Haegue Yang. Explore exhibits devoted to sprawling installations and local art movements before taking a seat in the museum's courtyard sculpture garden.

Set amid prairies and gardens in Lincoln Park, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum offers a variety of ways to heighten your appreciation of the natural world. Exhibitions explore Chicago's prairie and river ecosystems as well as the biology of Midwestern birds. Kids will enjoy taking a guided tour of the museum's 1/3-mile outdoor nature trail while guests of all ages will be wowed by the thousand fluttering beauties that reside within the 2,700-square-foot Judy Istock Butterfly Haven. It's near the middle of Lincoln Park, so it's a great spot to visit mid-stroll, too. 

Local eccentric fund-manager and philanthropist Driehaus opened this museum to publicly display his expansive collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany lamps and accessories, and other late 19th century furnishings. Housed inside the mansion built by 19th-century liquor-magnate Samuel M Nickerson, the immaculately rehabbed “marble palace” is also a shining example of building preservation.

Have you ever wanted to compare your wingspan to Scottie Pippen’s or see the remains of the infamous Steve Bartman ball? Then head to this museum attached to Harry Caray’s 7th Inning Stretch restaurant at Water Tower Place. You’ll find unique memorabilia from Chicago’s various sports teams and get to test your athletic skills in interactive exhibits. Admission to the museum is free with a purchase at Harry Caray’s.