The Art Institute of Chicago

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Chicago Fiber Art

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Four years in a row, TripAdvisor ranked The Art Institute of Chicago at the top—a rank that no other museum has ever held.

Besides Paris, the Art Institute of Chicago held the largest collection of Impressionist paintings in the world.

In the Modern Wing of the museum, you can see contemporary masterpieces. Without leaving your house in Chicago, you can take a pilgrimage across the globe through galleries of Africa, Japan, ancient Greece, and the Americas.

Modern Art in Chicago

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The Andy Warhol exhibition was delightful. Together with the audioguide and the phone app, it was a nice experience.

The rest of the museum is well worth a visit. The museum is big I would suggest spending a full day here if you want to get your money’s worth and see all the beautiful pieces on display.

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There is a cafe inside and two big retail shops where you can buy souvenirs, books etc. If there is a special exhibition going on (such as “30 Years of Warhol”) go for it. These bits are well put together and enjoyable.

Plan on spending lots of time here. With multiple levels and lots of special exhibits, this museum does not disappoint. And, if you get there in time to see the special Warhol exhibit, pay the extra money and see it. It is excellent!

Chicago Art Cultural Landscape

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It’s convenient they hold your stuff for $1 per item; I’m into art it was all fun for me. It goes on for ages and you could honestly get lost. The mini rooms in the basement were the coolest thing to me. Oh, and the paperweight section!

Museums and Universities are one thing Chicago has plenty of. The Art museum is not just another art museum. It’s good actually. They have a fantastic display of artifacts from Egypt south-east Asia.

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Most of the displays are American though. Some of the paintings on display are amazing. You need to spend at least a couple hours. Like most museums in Chicago, it’s free on Tuesdays.

From the Lions out front to the Marc Chagall windows in the back this is the place to enjoy art of all kinds. With the largest impressionist painting collection outside of Paris this museum knows how to impress.

From there you will want to explore the many other famous pieces of art the museum contains. Dali, Wood, Hopper, Miro, they are all there! Remember to check out the Thorne Miniatures Room and the Chicago Stock Exchange Room, both hidden gems! What a tribute to such a wonderful city.

I loved the Art Institute of Chicago. The crowds are minimal on Thursdays, best if you go on a weekday like that. I rented the headsets for $8, and it was money well spent. You can enter the number of a collection or piece and hear information about the artist and period. An ideal way to spend the afternoon.

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My only complaint was It was sometimes difficult to get from one place to another as you can only go between the two buildings from the first floor.

My only regret is I had only four hours to spend here. My favorite exhibits were the miniature rooms, the impressionist paintings, and the Asian art.

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The coatroom was handy. It was raining heavily the day I visited the museum, and I had my luggage with me because I was catching a plane home that afternoon. I was able to stash everything for a few dollars.

Hadn’t visited the Art Institute in years, but it is as delightful as I remembered. Reasonable price for tickets, cool and comfortable on a hot summer day.

Found the Columbus entrance closed this summer, and free days are not days anymore; instead, it’s Thursday and Friday nights from 5 to 9 that are free. The museum is closed until 10:30 a.m. most days, but right next door to it is Millennium Park, which is beautiful in its own right.

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Go there from 9 a.m. To 10 a.m. Look at the pictures of gardens that are in the long galleries that run from side to side in the park; and best of all, sit and watch the little kids play in the Crown Fountain.

Then, go sit on the shady steps of the Art Institute and wait for the doors to open and talk to all the sitters around you. Once inside, go up right away to the top floor for the Impressionists.

Then, work your way down. Go early before 11:30 a.m. To lunch hour in the courtyard: take the 3-course lunch for $25, serving beautiful food and dessert by a pleasant waiter. It’s a civilized day—feel like a king!

The only thing is It’s a weird layout in the three museum buildings with funny elevator system: spend some time with the map and ask questions, or you’ll be lost. Enjoy the best that human beings can create and take your time. Click here