Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago, guarded by its famous bronze lions on Michigan Avenue, is one of the finest art museums in the country. It holds a superb collection of French Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, alongside American icons like Grant Wood's American Gothic and Edward Hopper's Nighthawks, in a grand building beside Millennium Park.

Background

The museum was founded in 1879 and has been in its present location in Grant Park since 1893, in a building put up for the World's Columbian Exposition. The land belongs to the city of Chicago and is run by the Chicago Park District. The permanent collection, close to 300,000 works, is cared for by 11 curatorial departments and includes A Sunday on La Grande Jatte by Seurat and The Old Guitarist by Picasso. More than 30 special exhibitions open each year. The Modern Wing by Renzo Piano opened in 2009 and brought the museum's size to nearly one million square feet. It recorded 1,322,195 visitors in 2023.

Source: Wikipedia, "Art Institute of Chicago"

What's there

• Nighthawks and American Gothic - the American icons by Hopper and Wood.
• The Impressionists - the great collection of Monet, Renoir, Seurat and Van Gogh.
• The Thorne Miniature Rooms - the exquisite tiny period rooms.
• The modern wing - the light-filled contemporary galleries.

When to go

Year-round; a fully indoor museum for any weather, worth a half day. It sits beside Millennium Park and the Bean, so it pairs with a downtown day.

Practical notes

It is large, so focusing on the highlights beats trying to see everything. It is busy, especially around the famous paintings and at weekends. Admission is charged, though Illinois residents get free evenings.

Nearby

Millennium Park and the Cloud Gate sculpture are next door; the Chicago Riverwalk and the Loop are around.

Key facts