museums in chicago near me

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The living history community tells the story of Naperville in its early settlement days. Historic buildings can be toured in the summer months and the visitor's center is open year round for revolving exhibits. Kids will be charmed by costumed villagers and special events include a summer outdoor concert series. Outdoor walking tours are available with a guided app, and masks are required inside buildings and when social distancing isn't possible outdoors. This museum's devotion to a three-dimensional experience is impressive. And in the Chicago Gallery, more than 4,000 mini buildings represent the modern city, used as a backdrop for a sound and light show that illustrates the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and its subsequent expansion.

The CAC's bread and butter is its 85 architectural tours, which can be done by foot, boat, bus, or train. The architectural boat tours depart from a dock across the street. The walking tours, that leave directly from the center, offer an introduction to downtown development, but even better are the neighborhood walking tours in Hyde Park and Kenwood. Due to COVID-19, the museum is temporarily closed and set to open May 1, 2021. Situated on the University of Chicago campus in Hyde Park , the Smart Museum of Art was conceived as an institution where scholars could study the arts and develop exhibitions.

Today, it's open to the public and is home to the college's collection of fine art and antiquities, including scrolls and ceramics from China as well as contemporary works by the likes of Kerry James Marshall and Andy Warhol. Explore exhibits devoted to sprawling installations and local art movements before taking a seat in the museum's courtyard smartly sculpture garden. There couldn't be a better location for the Chicago Architecture Center than legendary Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's skyscraper at One Illinois Center, overlooking the Chicago Riverwalk. Discover culture and history through stories and interactive exhibits that celebrate expression, camaraderie and love for the sport. A visit to the H-D Museum is an experience that will stay with you for a lifetime.

Wonder Works is best for the little guys, ages birth to eight-years-old. This children's museum is a designated shoe-free play space, with things to climb, jump and run on. Art, performance, design and building are the main objectives here and kids are encouraged to be creative and let their personalities shine.

Over 600 special events are held every year, including a concert series, celebration of African American History and Dino Works. Kids here can meet other pals and brush up on their social skills and adults can hang out with new friends, too. Littles will enjoy the gallery story time on the first Thursday of the month, as well as the drop-in family arts programs. There is also a gallery of artwork made by children, families and teens, as well as the chance to visit the gallery's permanent and rotating exhibits. Daily drop-in events include story time, music and movement, and time in the studio. Rotating exhibitions add to permanent hands-on exhibits about energy, architecture, physics and art, and there's even a spot designed just for kids under 2.

Local parents and educators founded KidsWork because they wanted a safe and fun place for kids to play and learn. Kids can roam around the museum's two floors, discovering science, art and movement exhibits. Highlights include the Pet Vet, Imagination Theater, Art Works, Tot Spot and Light Exhibit.

Children eight and under will love exploring this museum with hands-on exhibits to keep them busy for hours. The love of learning is nurtured here through music, art, water play, and nature-focused exhibits. Shop in the Whole Foods Market, make sandwiches in the play café, take care of stuffed pets at the vet, and send hand-made cars down a chute at the SpotHero Car Garage.

New activities and exhibits are featured on the regular, which means that there is always something fresh and fun at the museum. Chicago has some of the best children's museums in the world where interactive play, with a focus on engaging youth development, is the modus operandi. We've rounded up the GOAT museums for kids, all with special family programming and events, that are fitting for various ages and interests.

Our philosophy of building children's minds is reinforced by a unique guided tour format that emphasizes the educational message each exhibit is designed to achieve. We believe that this format is critical to ensuring that the hands-on play experience imparts knowledge, and that our children remember what they learned and not just that they had time to play. The museum hosts family day workshops monthly and includes interactive exhibits in its rotating exhibition schedule. The McCormick House, a Mies van der Rohe-designed structure, is on the museum campus, and interactive programs and exhibits are often held there. In addition to in-person exhibits, families can enjoy the museum "At Home," which includes artist discussions, behind-the-scenes looks at exhibits and more.

Best for ages 8 and older , the Harvey L. Miller Family Youth Exhibition center teaches kids about Upstanders and how to stand up for themselves. They can peek into the school lockers of kids like Rosa Parks, help solve problems and even tell their own stories. Permanent exhibits include interactive hologram and survivor stories experiences. The hands-on museum is recommended for birth to age 8 and is all located on one floor. Kids can play dress-up, sort groceries, visit the "fire house," ride in kid-sized vehicles, make art and one of the five "experience zones" includes an outdoor organic garden. Weekly and monthly specials include story times, art, sewing, nature and science, transportation, the senses and more.

Exhibits for ages up to tweens include a planetarium, sports dress-up, sound waves, electricity, an outdoor discovery park, a tot spot, health and body, weather, bubbles and more. Monthly activities rotate and highlight science, nature and agriculture among others, helping kids discover their passions. You can see bright, colorful murals by walking through the streets of Pilsen, but there's even more amazing art on display at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Harrison Park. One of the largest Latinx cultural organizations in the U.S., exhibitions draw from a permanent collection of more than 10,000 works, highlighting the creativity of artists on both sides of the border. Start with the permanent exhibit "Nuestra Historias," which includes everything from 18th century religious paintings to a tricked-out lawn mower.

Admission is always free, new shows debut regularly and you'll usually find vendors selling fresh churros just outside the museum's entrance, delicious. Also, while here, you're walking through a building that was originally created for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Returning visitors can explore the Thorne Miniatures Rooms in the museum's basement, as well as traveling exhibits devoted to the likes of Andy Warhol and Van Gogh. Arguably too much art at this instiution, we're not complaining. Guests come from all around the world to see towering dinos, marvel at ancient artifacts from a royal Egyptian tomb or relax in a Chinese rock garden hidden inside the Cyrus Tang Hall of China. While a gigantic titanosaur skeleton named Máximo now guards the lobby, you'll find the Field's former greeter, SUE the T.

There's something for everyone, and you can easily spend an entire day here. Get an in depth look into the lifestyle, culture, and the motorcycle community that only Harley-Davidson can provide. Discover the mechanics behind how motorcycles work and learn about the iconic history of Harley-Davidson through a gallery of bikes from 1903 to the present.

Our temporary exhibits bring to life experiences and stories that shape moto culture and influence the world around us. We bought the CityPass for our trip after realizing it would offer discounted tickets to almost all the attractions we wanted to see. The fast-pass parts for the 360 Deck and Shedd were well worth it (the other attractions we saw weren't busy enough at the time to make a difference). We liked the added items at the museum aquarium, but they weren't anything that would sway us to want the CityPass. Highly recommend if you plan on doing more than 2 attractions in the city.

Family days on the second Saturday of the month allow families to work together to learn architectural properties . All ages will love to get out of the museum for an architecture walking, bus or L tour. Family Days on the second Saturday of each month give parents and kids an opportunity to dive into art using different mediums. Stroller tours on the first Wednesday of the month give babies and toddlers their first looks at contemporary art without the parent worry of noise in a gallery.

Weekends at Mitchell are primed for crafts as kids learn about the Native American culture and history through doing. Past crafts have taught kids to make moccasins, canoes and dolls. Learn about Chicago and Illinois in the time of Lincoln and Robert McCormick and beyond, then view the photographic archives of the Chicago Sun-Times and squeeze yourself into a Chicago-style hot dog.

This museum is most fun for kids ages 6 and older who have a background in U.S. history. Great for kids ages 6 and older, there are also rotating art exhibits and monthly events and programs. The country's first African American children's museum, exhibits include a tour of healthy eating, African American inventors who changed lives, Bronzeville's top landmarks and STEM activities. Our local museums offer interactive exhibits and resources to teach kids of all ages about everything from history to how their heart works and how to conserve energy. The Chicago Botanic Garden, a 385-acre living plant museum, features 27 distinct gardens and four natural areas.

Those figures are impressive enough to draw more than one million visitors annually, making it one of the most frequented botanical gardens in the United States. While the venue is open to the public and offers free admission , its 53,000 members receive perks like free parking and discounts at the gift shop and on select classes and events. Inside the gates, the Garden's living collections feature more than 2.6 million plants from around the world that grow well in the Chicago area and are adapted to Midwest climate and soils. Expect to see a lush array of trees, shrubs, vines, and tropical plants, among other varieties.

One of the world's best Impressionist collections and the greatest concentration of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the world are just a couple of the superlatives that characterize the treasures in Chicago's best museums. Whatever your interest, from literature to industry, Pacific white-sided dolphins to Egyptian mummies, you'll find it in one of the city's cultural institutions. The city also smartly caters to kids in search of nothing more than a fun place to run around for an hour as well as adults deeply invested in rare and obscure work. While most museums on this list are now open to visitors, stay tuned this spring as the rest continue to open their doors.

Set amid prairies and gardens in Lincoln Park, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum offers a variety of ways to heighten your appreciation of the natural world. Exhibitions explore Chicago's prairie and river ecosystems as well as the biology of Ice Age mammals and Midwestern birds. Kids will enjoy taking a guided tour of the museum's 1/3-mile outdoor nature trail while guests of all ages will be wowed by the thousand fluttering beauties that reside within the 2,700-square-foot Judy Istock Butterfly Haven.

It's near the middle of Lincoln Park, so it's a great spot to go to mid-stroll too. Stop scrolling through Instagram and check out some of the amazing shots that line the walls of the Museum of Contemporary Photography. Founded by Columbia College Chicago, the Loop-based gallery hosts around six shows each year, including groundbreaking new work made by artists around the globe as well as archival prints from the institution's archives. Learn more about the Chicago River and its famous movable bridges at the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum. The five-story museums allows visitors to explore a historic bridgehouse, watch the massive gears of a moving bridge, take in stunning water views, and learn about the history of the Chicago River. Be some of the first to see a brand new exhibit refresh throughout the museum.

Pritzker Military Museum & Library is dedicated to educating the public about military history. The unique museum hosts a permanent exhibition on the Medal of Honor and is currently showing a special exhibit about Allied forces during World War II. As soon as you step through the door, you're going to be wowed by Driehaus Museum's glistening marble floors, grand staircases, ornate decorative arts, imposing fireplaces, and antique furnishings.

The museum is housed in the former Nickerson Mansion, which became known as the "Marble Palace" — a fitting place to bring Chicago's Gilded Age to life. The museum hosts rotating exhibits, as well as special events such as Halloween whodunits and Mother's Day teas, throughout the year. Where culture, science, and nature collide, Balboa Park is home to more than 16 museums, multiple performing arts venues, lovely gardens, trails, and many other creative and recreational attractions, including the San Diego Zoo. With a variety of cultural institutions among its 1,200 beautiful and lushly planted acres, there is something for everyone. In addition to programs, Jackson Park hosts fun special events throughout the year for the entire family such as holiday-themed events.

Since 1930, Chicagoans have been learning and exploring at this planetarium, which includes interactive permanent exhibits, the Doane Observatory and highly-rated Sky Shows. Special programming exists for kids of all ages, including special nights out for teenagers. For general sightseeing, the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus or Trolley Tour is the easiest and most convenient way to see the highlights of the city and to get oriented. Get on and off at the sights that interest you, skip those that don't, and learn a little history from this narrated tour. If you are spending more than one day in the city, do this tour on day one to get the layout of the city and figure out where you might want to spend the rest of your time.

The four-hour Chicago Grand Half-Day Tour is the perfect way to be able to see and learn about the city's most important landmark buildings and sights. If this is your first visit to Chicago, the SkyDeck is a must-do. Buy your Chicago SkyDeck Tickets in advance to experience the Ledge, explore the exhibits, and watch a short video on the history of the building. The enormous museum features immersive exhibits that explore over 4.6 billion years of natural history, including dedicated sections to ancient Egypt, the Chinese Qing Dynasty, the dinosaur era, and beyond. The interactive experiences are high-tech and a must for Chicago sports fans of all ages. Kids can try on championship rings, geek out in the fan section and learn about players' superstitions.

Masks are required in the museum, and some high-touch exhibits are closed. Ongoing weekend programs at the museum include workshops for kids to learn about identifying rocks and minerals or learning how to make jewelry. Online activities include virtual jewelry classes and rock identification classes.

The museum celebrates African Americans in labor history, focusing on Pullman Porters. On a National Monument dedicated by President Barack Obama in 2015, the museum is best for ages 7 and older, and is great in the summer when your family can also visit the Pullman Monument. Located within the University of Chicago, visitors can learn about ancient Middle East with artifacts excavated by the school's archeologists. Galleries about Egypt, Nubia, Persia, Mesopotamia, Syria, Anatolia, and the ancient site of Megiddo are permanent and rotating exhibitions include events for kids, adults and seniors.

The former home of Colonel Robert McCormick, longtime editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune and member of the U.S. Army's First Division, two museums sit on the 500-acre land in the western suburbs. The Robert R. McCormick Museum teaches visitors about the public and private life of the man while The First Division Museum houses interactive military historical exhibits. This African-American history museum has a massive collection of artwork as well as limited exhibits that focus on African-American art.

Like many other educational attractions in the city, this location also offers free admission to Illinois residents on specific days throughout the year. This natural history museum has a lot of interesting exhibits including a Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil, ancient Egyptian sarcophagi, and much more. This location provides kids with a variety of fun, hands-on exhibitions, and activities that they can use to learn about the world around them. This aquarium is one of the most popular family attractions in Chicago, and they offer free admission for Illinois residents on certain days each month.