The Best Museums To Visit When Traveling To Chicago

Perhaps the best known museum in the city – The Art Institute of Chicago – is home to nearly 300,000 works of art, spanning numerous centuries and countless styles. It's just a couple minutes' walk from several subway stations and is conveniently located right next to Millennium Park, so you can complete your visit with a Bean selfie. Once inside, you can spend an entire day exploring galleries filled with everything from Ancient Roman marble and mummy artifacts to contemporary works by prominent Black artists. 

If you're tight on time, though, you can see the institute's most famous works in about an hour. Just a few of the pieces you simply cannot miss include Vincent van Gogh's "The Bedroom" and "Self-Portrait," Edward Hopper's "Nighthawks," Grant Wood's "American Gothic," and Salvador Dali's "Inventions of the Monsters." Other stunning works include paintings and prints by world-renowned artists Georgia O'Keeffe, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Pablo Picasso, and Andy Warhol. It's really no wonder The Art Institute of Chicago was named one of TripAdvisor's Top U.S. Attractions of 2022.

Located right inside Washington Park, the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center is the oldest independent African American museum in the country. It was founded by artist, educator, and activist Margaret Taylor Burroughs in 1961 and was named after Haitian-born Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable who was the first permanent settler in the city and later became known as the founder of Chicago. With a focus on education, this Smithsonian affiliate boasts a permanent collection packed with 15,000 inimitable pieces of history, ranging from paintings to sculpture, prints, and historical memorabilia, like a 1964 Illinois Rally for Civil Rights flier emblazoned with the image of Martin Luther King Jr. 

The mission here is simple: to preserve history and spark conversation, no matter how difficult it may be. In that vein, the museum also hosts workshops and lectures, as well as curates memorable temporary exhibitions. Just a few impressive shows from recent years include "Nick Cave and Jack Cave: The color is fashion exhibition" and "Fighting racism in the trenches," which told the story of Kathryn Magnolia Johnson, one of the few African American women to serve in World War I.

Calling all natural history buffs! Chicago's Field Museum, located just south of Grant Park, has been wowing visitors since 1894. Initially built to house many of the 65,000 artifacts exhibited during The World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 (the first world's fair held in Chicago), it has since amassed 40 million pieces and counting. The museum's most famous resident is undoubtedly Sue, the world's largest Tyrannosaurus Rex, but she's just a small part of the impressive collection that spans 4.5 billion years. Yes, billion. 

Spread out across 27,000 square feet, the Field Museum tells the story of planet earth and its evolution with impressive installations and interactive displays, like a full-size replica of an 1800s earth lodge showcasing what life was like for Native Americans at the time. You can also step inside Ancient Egypt, be wowed by precious stones in the Grainger Hall of Gems, get up close to animal specimens and — if you're lucky — participate in one of the occasional Dozin' with the Dinos events, which allow families to explore the museum at night, then sleep inside.

Chicago is home to some of the biggest sports teams in the country, so it's no surprise it would dedicate an entire museum to that rich heritage. All sports buffs are likely to prioritize seeing a game while in the city, but a visit to the Chicago Sports Museum should also make their list. The space is packed with memorabilia, simulated experiences, and endless photo opportunities. As ESPN SportsCenter anchor Matt Barrie enthuses, "If you're a Chicago sports fan, this is a must." 

While exploring the museum you'll be able to see the largest collection of Chicago Cubs World Series memorabilia in the city, as well as inimitable pieces like the very basketball hoop Michael Jordan used to make that memorable winning shot during the 1998 NBA Finals. There are also plenty of displays you can touch (why not try on a replica of the largest Super Bowl ring ever made for William "Refrigerator" Perry?) and loads of opportunities to play against some of the greatest athletes of all time in VR games of baseball, football, hockey, and basketball. You can also pop into Harry Caray's 7th Inning Stretch restaurant on-site for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and chow down on a juicy burger or tasty steak.

If you're visiting Chicago with kids, you'll definitely want to carve out some time to spend at Navy Pier. Here, you can take a ride on the 200-foot high Centennial Wheel, enjoy a number of amusement park rides, walk the pier, have a bite to eat, and visit the Chicago Children's Museum. This interactive museum has been around since 1982 and is all about blending fun with education. It gives kids a chance to learn while playing, creating art, trying STEM experiments, and having an overall great time. 

The best part is that there are activities and exhibits for kids of all ages, starting with babies and toddlers who can crawl and explore a huge treehouse. Kids aged four to eight will love digging for dinosaur "bones" or exploring the Kids Town, which features the chance to drive a CTA bus, shop for groceries, and more. As for kiddos nine and older, they'll surely get a kick out of the Skyline play area where they can build their very own skyscrapers.

Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood has been home to much of the city's Hispanic community since the mid-1900s and their rich heritage and culture is felt everywhere. There are the delicious restaurants serving up Mexican classics, the beautiful street art that can easily be explored on foot during a mural walk, and the impressive National Museum of Mexican Art. Located inside Harrison Park, the museum celebrates Mexican, Latino, and Chicano art in all its forms. Spanning 3,600 years of history, the collection is 12,000 objects strong and aims to educate, inspire, and wow visitors by showcasing artists from both sides of the border. Here you can see textiles, paintings, photographs, and gorgeous objects of arte popular. The latter, as RDN Arts explains, are handmade pieces crafted by Mexico's indigenous and working-class communities which are steeped in history and tradition. 

Additionally, the museum also has a rich performing arts calendar and puts on a myriad of events highlighting dance, music, theater, and more.

Stepping inside the Richard H. Driehaus Museum is like stepping back in time. It was 1879 when wealthy banker Samuel Mayo Nickerson and his socialite wife commissioned this mansion located just a few steps from the Magnificent Mile. It was completed in 1883 and became a prime example of the opulent style of the Gilded Age. Inside, the couple showed off their impressive art collection and now, thanks to a modern day restoration carried out by philanthropist Richard H. Driehaus, you can see what life was like for the wealthy Nickerson family. 

Although this grand home isn't exactly as it was during their time, it's sure to impress from the moment you walk into the splendid front hall with its marble balustrades and grand staircase. Inside, visitors can still see many original furnishings as they explore the dining room, drawing room, library, and more. There are also pieces selected by Driehaus, as well as temporary exhibits with a special focus on Art Nouveau and Modernism. If you'd like to learn even more about the property, you can take a guided Highlights Tour during your visit for an extra $5.