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5 of the Best Chicago Museums To See Your City

5 of the Best Chicago Museums To See Your City

  |     |   Chicago Activities, Lifestyle and Culture

Chicago is home to an abundance of beautiful museums and rich history, so we decided to put together a list of a few of our favorite museums to get you started on your journey. All of these are fairly close to Catalyst Chicago and will introduce you to several different areas in the city such as Lincoln Park or Museum Campus. Though in no particular order, these interesting Chicago destinations are sure to enrich your experience in the city and teach you a few things along the way!

Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

220 E Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

Special shows run through this place in abundance—from giant installations with multiple sculptures, to fashion, music, video and more, to obscure artists and big names. The list includes David Bowie Is and Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech. Writers and artists host interactive talks, and performances happen almost weekly. The museum is also known for its hosted talks between writers and artists, and various performance series. Visit the gift store; it’s worth it.

Shedd Aquarium

1200 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605

With everything from Amazonian snakes to piranhas, eels, and sharks, this aquarium is one of the best. Seven permanent exhibits make it easy to get lost and spend a whole day in this mesmerizing wonderland. Pick your must-see exhibits before, and be ready to spend a full day there and still want to come back for more!

Chicago History Museum

1601 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60614

Chicago’s past is rich and vibrant, and this museum lets you experience it all. They do a wonderful job of honoring the past with everything from Abraham Lincoln to the Chicago-style hot dog. "Chicago: Crossroads of America" allows visitors to climb aboard classic cars like the El, or visit the 1860s through lithographs and photos. For anyone working on a project that includes Chicago history, registering for the museum’s Research Library gets you access to thousands of photographs and other documents about the city.

The Field Museum

1400 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605

This enormous natural history museum draws endless people yearly with over 30 fixed exhibitions over 300,000 square feet. Dinosaurs, ancient artifacts, Egyptian tombs, Chinese gardens in the Hall of China, and more allow one to travel the globe. Máximo, the giant titanosaur skeleton in the lobby introduces you to an otherworldly experience. Just don’t tell SUE the T-Rex that you like him more. 

Art Institute of Chicago

111 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603
A very popular cultural building here in Chicago, due to the massive bronze lions out front, the Art Institute of Chicago is an impressive spectacle and must-see museum. Over 300,000 artworks such as paintings, photographs, sketches, and sculptures exist in its permanent collection. The Modern Wing hosts wonderfully weird modern art. Andy Warhol and Van Gogh are just two of the hundreds of artists to be featured throughout this amazing Chicago treasure. 

Have any other museums you love? Share them in the comments!

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