Both travelers and local visitors would want to visit museums in Chicago. There are so many opportunities that are available. We are talking about some of the most respected institutions in the country, with tremendous opportunities to get in touch with culture, science, history, art and architecture. Below you can find some of the best museums that Chicago has to offer. Remember that there are many free days that you can take advantage of and it is a guarantee that you will love all the museums that this great city has to offer. It is a really bad idea to visit Chicago and not to visit a museum.
The Field Museum
This is a museum that was founded in order to house anthropological and biological collections that were assembled for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. We are faced with a huge natural history museum that houses over 30 exhibitions and covers 300 thousand square feet. In permanent displays, you can notice glowering dinosaurs, ancient artifacts and go through a cannibalism lesson in the highly popular Pacific Spirits gallery. You will also want to visit the Halls Of Gems And Jade.
Art Institute Of Chicago
You can practically spend days while exploring this museum. There are over 300 thousand artifacts and artworks from various countries and eras from present times to antiquity periods. You will surely want to see the Japanese prints, the Frank Lloyd Wright local building fragments and the quite impressive Thorne Miniature Rooms. The Modern Wing is very interesting. It offers so many opportunities and views of the stunning Millennium Park.
Shedd Aquarium
This institution is 75 years old and offers many interesting favorites among tourists like Amazon snakes, frogs and piranhas. You can also see moray eels, turtles and rays from the Caribbean and all these are just examples. On the whole, this museum/aquarium is tremendous and gives access to so many wonderful opportunities. It is impossible not to love all the animals presented here.
Museum Of Contemporary Art
We do not need to waste a lot of time talking about this museum since it is surely one that you heard about. You gain access to a huge modern art collection, one of the largest in the US. Major touring exhibits are housed and besides the regular galleries, you also end up vising a huge theater, restaurant, bookstore, sculpture garden and gift store.
Chicago Museum Of Science And Industry
If you enjoy whistles and bells in interactive exhibits, the Hyde Park location is the one to put down on your list. We are looking at another large museum that has great permanent displays. Use the internet to see what exhibits are highlighted and enjoy the old favorites like the simulated coal mine, the chicks hatchery (it is glass covered) and the U-505 restored German submarine that can be visited.
Chicago History Museum
In the past, this location was a stodgy Historical Society library that had many archived photographs that were available for those interested in history. The library is still available but now there are also various temporary and permanent exhibits that you can take advantage of. The big one is Crossroads Of America, which houses historical objects of great interest, including Fort Dearborn. You will want to consider Sensing Chicago and many other exhibits.
These are just some of the really impressive Chicago museums that you want to consider. Many others are available. As always with such tourist attractions, there are different personal tastes that have to be accommodated. You may not agree with the list we highlighted here. If your favorite Chigago museum is not on the list, let us know.