Chicago’s Top Museums
Chicago is a culturally-vibrant city with the world’s most engaging museums and attractions. From Chicago’s famous Museum Campus to the extraordinary Art Institute, Chicago is a colorful journey through art, history, science, industry and the universe.Enjoy free days at Chicago’s Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, Museum of Science and Industry, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Chicago Children’s Museum, The Peace Museum and the Smith Museum of Stained Glass at Navy Pier.
Field Museum of Natural History. Chicago’s Field Museum displays over 20 million biological and anthropological specimens and collections of natural history through innovative exhibits and educational programs. Discover Sue, the largest and most complete T. rex ever found. Get a bug's-eye view in Underground Adventure, descend into an Egyptian tomb, watch a glowing lava flow, be dazzled by sparkling gems, come nose-to-nose with the man-eating lions of Tsavo, and learn about the world’s environments.
Now featured at the Field Museum: The Nature of Diamonds, open through March 28, 2010, Ernst and Young 3-D theater showing Dinosaurs Alive! 3-D and Egypt 3-D!, the newly renovated Grainger Hall of Gems, and The Ancient America’s. Coming to the Field Museum March 5, 2010 Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age. Open 9am-5pm daily. Visit www.fieldmuseum.org.
Art Institute of Chicago. One of the world's greatest art museums and schools, the Art Institute of Chicago features 300,000 works of art, including 30 by Claude Monet, and 10 departments. The Museum collections, dating from 3,000 B.C. through the present, include world-famous French Impressionist paintings and drawings; fine and decorative arts from America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America; collections of 20th-century art; Old Master drawings; Chinese jades; photography, textiles, and architectural drawings; and medieval armor that present art of the world's diverse cultures. Renzo Piano, Pritzker Prize winning architect, designed the Modern Wing providing a new home for the museum’s collection of 20th and 21st century art. This new addition makes the Art Institute the second largest art museum in the United States. Current exhibits at The Art Institute of Chicago include: Modern in America- Works on Paper, 1900-1950s (January 30, 2010-April 4, 2010), The Books of Mikhail Karasik (February 3, 2010-April 12, 2010), and In the Vernacular (February 6, 2010-May 31, 2010). Future exhibits include Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913-1917 (March 20, 2010-June 20, 2010) and Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Modern Century (July 24, 2010-October 3, 2010). Open: Monday–Wednesday, 10:30–5:00 Thursday, 10:30–8:00 (Free Admission 5:00–8:00) Friday, 10:30–5:00 Saturday–Sunday, 10:00–5:00. Visit www.artic.edu/aic. [Top]
Art Institute of Chicago. One of the world's greatest art museums and schools, the Art Institute of Chicago features 300,000 works of art, including 30 by Claude Monet, and 10 departments. The Museum collections, dating from 3,000 B.C. through the present, include world-famous French Impressionist paintings and drawings; fine and decorative arts from America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America; collections of 20th-century art; Old Master drawings; Chinese jades; photography, textiles, and architectural drawings; and medieval armor that present art of the world's diverse cultures. Renzo Piano, Pritzker Prize winning architect, designed the Modern Wing providing a new home for the museum’s collection of 20th and 21st century art. This new addition makes the Art Institute the second largest art museum in the United States. Current exhibits at The Art Institute of Chicago include: Modern in America- Works on Paper, 1900-1950s (January 30, 2010-April 4, 2010), The Books of Mikhail Karasik (February 3, 2010-April 12, 2010), and In the Vernacular (February 6, 2010-May 31, 2010). Future exhibits include Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913-1917 (March 20, 2010-June 20, 2010) and Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Modern Century (July 24, 2010-October 3, 2010). Open: Monday–Wednesday, 10:30–5:00 Thursday, 10:30–8:00 (Free Admission 5:00–8:00) Friday, 10:30–5:00 Saturday–Sunday, 10:00–5:00. Visit www.artic.edu/aic. [Top]
Chicago Museum Tour Packages. Discover the art of hospitality at The Whitehall Hotel! Enjoy luxury boutique accommodations, world-class service and unparalleled amenities at The Whitehall Hotel, just a few miles from the Field Museum and Art Institute of Chicago. This historic European-style lodging offers a unique cultural experience with the Field Museum of Natural History Package and the Art Institute of Chicago Package.
Museum of Science and Industry. The Museum of Science and Industry, the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere, features 14 acres of hands-on fun and learning. The museum's current exhibit. CSI: The Experience, allows you to play the role of crime scene investigator. Play through the history, culture and future of video games at Game On. Join a full descent of the world's most dangerous river as you experience the Omnimax Film Mystery of the Nile. The museum’s current exhibits include: U-505 Submarine, Fast Forward…Inventing the Future, The White House: A Look Inside (November 20, 2010-Februaury 15, 2010), and You! The Experience. Also see the ART + Science=Architecture exhibit (July 1, 2009-March 15, 2010) and Black Creativity 2010: Taking Charge of You (January 14, 2010-February 28, 2010). Currently playing at the Omnimax are Wired to Win, The Human Body, (October 23, 2009-February 11, 2010). and Mysteries of the Great Lakes (February 13, 2009-February 11, 2010). Located minutes from downtown Chicago, the Museum is open Mon. – Fri. 9:30am-4pm; Sat. 9:30am-5:30pm; Sun. 11:00am-5:30pm. Visit http://www.msichicago.org. [Top]
Museum of Science and Industry. The Museum of Science and Industry, the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere, features 14 acres of hands-on fun and learning. The museum's current exhibit. CSI: The Experience, allows you to play the role of crime scene investigator. Play through the history, culture and future of video games at Game On. Join a full descent of the world's most dangerous river as you experience the Omnimax Film Mystery of the Nile. The museum’s current exhibits include: U-505 Submarine, Fast Forward…Inventing the Future, The White House: A Look Inside (November 20, 2010-Februaury 15, 2010), and You! The Experience. Also see the ART + Science=Architecture exhibit (July 1, 2009-March 15, 2010) and Black Creativity 2010: Taking Charge of You (January 14, 2010-February 28, 2010). Currently playing at the Omnimax are Wired to Win, The Human Body, (October 23, 2009-February 11, 2010). and Mysteries of the Great Lakes (February 13, 2009-February 11, 2010). Located minutes from downtown Chicago, the Museum is open Mon. – Fri. 9:30am-4pm; Sat. 9:30am-5:30pm; Sun. 11:00am-5:30pm. Visit http://www.msichicago.org. [Top]
Chicago Children's Museum. The anchor of Navy Pier, the Children's Museum features engaging, interactive exhibits, activities and events that make every visit unforgettable for kids. Dig deep in the Dinosaur Expedition, get wet at WaterWays, or climb to the crow's nest on the Kovler Family Climbing Schooner. Little tots have fun in the Playmaze and Treehouse Trails. Hourly art workshops happen in the Kraft Artabounds Studio. Members and children under 1 are free. Permanent Exhibits: Artabounds Gallery, BIG Backyard & Play it Safe.
Hours: Daily 10am-5pm and Thursday evenings from 5pm-8pm. Visit www.chichildrensmuseum.org.Museum of Contemporary Art. Steps from Michigan Ave. and the historic Water Tower, the MCA highlights today's innovative and exciting artists. Take a free, guided tour, stroll through the grand, barrel-vaulted galleries overlooking Lake Michigan, enjoy lunch at the museum's Wolfgang Puck café and shop in the fun-filled MCA Store. The MCA is now featuring Italics: Italian Art between Tradition and Revolution 1968-2008 and Alexander Calder in Focus through February 14, 2010. Also featured is Elements of Photography through April 4, 2010. Coming February 6, 2010 The Museum of Contemporary Art is featuring, Production Site: The Artist’s Studio Inside-Out. Additional future exhibitions include: Rewind:1970s to 1990s Works From the MCA Collection (March 13-September 5, 2010) and Luc Tuymans (October 2, 2010-January 9, 2011). Visit http://www.mcachicago.org. [Top]
Shedd Aquarium. Experience the world's largest indoor aquarium featuring more than 19,000 aquatic animals from around the world. Exciting exhibits include: Wild Reef, Caribbean Reef,
Polar Play Zone, Oceanarium, Waters of the World, Amazon Rising, and Fanatasea, the new aquatic show. See all the Shedd has to offer with the Shedd Pass, which includes the newly renovated Oceanarium and Polar Play Zone, Wild Reef, Amazon Rising, Caribbean Reef, Waters of the World and Fantasea. Open: 9am - 5pm weekdays, 9am - 6pm weekends. Call (312) 939-2438 or visit www.sheddaquarium.org.
Adler Planetarium. The first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum exhibits artifacts from the history of astronomy. The Adler fuels your imagination with state-of-the-art computer technology in the world's first StarRider Theater, while showcasing a renowned collection of historical astronomy artifacts. Featured attractions at the Adler Planetarium include: Telescopes- Through the Working Glass, One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure, and Cosmic Collisions. The third Thursday of every month is Adler After Dark from 6:00 - 10:00 p.m. Coming March 2010 the former Milky Way Gallery will house a new two story rocket and space station along with a new planet. Planetarium hours: Open 10am-4pm weekdays, 10am-4:30pm weekends. Visit www.adlerplanetarium.org. [Top]
Adler Planetarium. The first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum exhibits artifacts from the history of astronomy. The Adler fuels your imagination with state-of-the-art computer technology in the world's first StarRider Theater, while showcasing a renowned collection of historical astronomy artifacts. Featured attractions at the Adler Planetarium include: Telescopes- Through the Working Glass, One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure, and Cosmic Collisions. The third Thursday of every month is Adler After Dark from 6:00 - 10:00 p.m. Coming March 2010 the former Milky Way Gallery will house a new two story rocket and space station along with a new planet. Planetarium hours: Open 10am-4pm weekdays, 10am-4:30pm weekends. Visit www.adlerplanetarium.org. [Top]
The Whitehall Hotel - Chicago, IL
105 E. Delaware Place, Chicago, IL 60611
Reservations: 1-800-948-4255 Phone: 312-944-6300 Fax: 312-944-8552
Email: info@thewhitehallhotel.com
