12 Best Museums to Visit in Chicago
Chicago’s museum scene could keep you occupied for months, covering everything from dinosaur bones to wild modern art.
Here’s a lineup of the best Chicago museums, including a mix of the big names everyone knows, and a few quirky gems locals actually go to.
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1. The Art Institute Of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago is up there with the world’s top art museums, and it deserves a spot on your bucket list. With over 300,000 works spanning centuries and continents, it’s one of the largest art museums in the country.
Free daily tours help you navigate the enormous collection. If you’re pressed for time, their one-hour tour covers the absolute must-sees, so you don’t leave wondering what you missed.
2. Museum Of Science And Industry
The Griffin Museum of Science and Industry claims the title of the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere. More than 35,000 artifacts fill its hands-on exhibits, making science feel less like homework and more like play.
Step onto a real WWII submarine or duck into a replica coal mine. There’s even a spot to watch baby chicks hatch. The Museum of Science and Industry’s interactive displays dare you not to get curious about how stuff works.
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3. Field Museum Of Natural History
The Field Museum draws you in with over 40 million objects. Ancient cultural artifacts and modern science displays turn learning into an adventure.
Sue, the most complete T. rex fossil ever found, steals the spotlight. That giant skeleton is a rite of passage for Chicago visitors—everyone needs a photo.
Educational programs and jaw-dropping taxidermy make it a spot where you can lose track of time without realizing it.
4. Adler Planetarium
America’s first planetarium sits right on the Museum Campus, showing off some of the best skyline views in town. There are three theaters running daily space shows, plus hands-on exhibits about stars, planets, and all the cosmic stuff you can imagine.
The Adler Planetarium’s interactive astronomy exhibits make the universe feel a lot less intimidating. Real space artifacts and displays about how humans have studied the sky over centuries keep things interesting.
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5. Chicago History Museum
The Chicago History Museum in Lincoln Park tells the city’s story from muddy beginnings to skyscraper heights. Exhibits cover the Great Chicago Fire, notorious figures like Al Capone, and the city’s music legacy.
Artifacts include the bed Abraham Lincoln died in and a ton of vintage Chicago memorabilia. Interactive displays let you learn about different neighborhoods and meet the people who built Chicago.
6. Museum Of Contemporary Art Chicago
The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago has been pushing boundaries since 1967. Its collection focuses on works created after 1945—paintings, sculpture, photography, and installations from all over the world.
Located downtown, the museum keeps things fresh with rotating exhibitions and regular performances and programs.
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7. National Museum Of Mexican Art
The National Museum of Mexican Art makes its home in Pilsen and, best of all, it’s free. The collection is one of the largest of its kind in the country, stretching back 3,600 years and right up to today.
Founded in 1982, it’s the only Latino museum accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Expect to see everything from vibrant textiles and folk art masks to Día de los Muertos altars and Chicano Movement posters.
8. DuSable Museum Of African American History
The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center is the oldest museum in the US devoted to African American history and culture. Founded in 1961 by Dr. Margaret Burroughs and her husband Charles, it’s been spotlighting Black achievements for over sixty years.
Rotating exhibits, educational programs, and community events highlight the deep contributions of African Americans. Set in historic Washington Park, it’s a place to learn about cultural figures and moments that shaped the country.
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9. Chicago Children’s Museum
The Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier is packed with hands-on activities. Kids can build, create, and explore everything from engineering challenges to art projects.
It’s a good idea to grab tickets ahead of time—this place fills up fast. Exhibits are designed to keep curiosity and creativity front and center.
10. International Museum Of Surgical Science
The International Museum of Surgical Science sits inside a Gold Coast mansion, with galleries filled with medical artifacts and art from both Eastern and Western medicine.
Walk through the history of surgery and see how far things have come. There’s a mobile app for self-guided tours with interactive maps. The mix of historical pieces and contemporary art keeps you guessing with every new gallery.
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11. Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum puts you right in the middle of more than 1,000 live butterflies inside the Judy Istock Butterfly Haven. Set in Lincoln Park, it’s been connecting people to local wildlife since 1857, thanks to the Chicago Academy of Sciences.
There’s a wild collection here: thousands of preserved birds, mammals, and insects. Live turtles, exotic birds, and scientists doing actual conservation work make it a spot where you might learn something without even trying.
12. Glessner House Museum
The Glessner House Museum drops you right into the world of Chicago’s old-money elite during the Gilded Age. Designed by Henry Hobson Richardson and wrapped up in 1887, the place is a real architectural flex.
Perched on historic Prairie Avenue, its Romanesque Revival style stands out; the place almost looks like a fortress, with medieval touches tucked all over.
Guided tours wind you through rooms still rocking the Glessner family’s original furniture. It opened to the public back in 1971 and eventually snagged National Historic Landmark status.
