Location: North Side
Top Things to do in North Side
10 Museums in North Side That You Shouldn't Miss
The windy city is a cornucopia of modern art, fine dining, cutting edge comedy, and die-hard sports fans. Snap a photo of your reflection in the silver Cloud Gate sculpture at Millennium Park before heading to Grant Park to get hit with the refreshing spray of Buckingham Fountain. There are dozens of museums and theater companies in Chicago, so a cultural experience is never hard to find. You’re sure to laugh your head off at the Second City Theater, the professional launch pad of many famous comedians.
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1. Comfort Station
2. Alphawood Gallery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 4 reviews
The 12,000-square-foot space first served this purpose for the Chicago presentation of the groundbreaking national touring exhibition, Art AIDS America, which was on view from December 1, 2016 to April 2, 2017. Our new exhibition Then They Came for Me: Incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII and the Demise of Civil Liberties will be on view from June 29 until November 19, 2017.
3. Wrightwood 659
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 9 reviews
Wrightwood 659 is a new exhibition space conceived for the presentation of exhibitions of architecture and of socially engaged art. It is designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando, who has transformed a 1920s building with his signature concrete forms and poetic treatment of natural light. In a city rich with art institutions and internationally known for its architecture, Wrightwood 659 is designed as a site for contemplative experiences of art and architecture, and as a place to engage with the pressing social issues of our time. Located at 659 W. Wrightwood Avenue, in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, it is a private, non-commercial initiative envisioned as an integral part of the cultural and civic fabric of Chicago, as well as a new kind of arts space and cultural resource.
Reviewed By Forkfull - New York City, United States
Wrightwood 659 has four floors of beautifully designed exhibition spaces. Contemporary art shines in the warm, spacious galleries. I used the handsome staircases, which offered birds eye views of the next art I was about to see. Not too big and not too small, Wrightwood 659 is perfect for an afternoon of art appreciation.
4. Chicago History Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,146 reviews
From Chicago's sports to politics, the Union Stockyards to the Great Chicago Fire - there's so much to explore at the Chicago History Museum. Dive right in with the Museum's exhibitions and programs or get out and explore the city through guided tours and events. Founded in 1856, the Chicago History Museum shares Chicago's stories, serving as a hub of scholarship and learning, inspiration and civic engagement. If you live in Chicago or visit here and are curious about the city's past, present and future, the museum should be your first stop.
Reviewed By ellenbR4096MW - Hortonville, United States
I just spent the afternoon at the museum. What a great collection! The exhibits are many and varied. I really enjoyed the Silver Screen to Mainstream American Fashion exhibit. The Modern by Design exhibit illustrates well how industrial design was influenced by Art Deco. It was incorporated into so many everyday products! The little dioramas of the city are very well crafted, especially the Chicago Fire exhibit. I also enjoyed viewing the many Chicago made products in the City on the Make exhibit. The American Medina exhibit opened my eyes to the prejudices faced by Muslims here. I definitely recommend this museum. If you have time, stop for a meal in the cafe. The food is delicious! I recommend the Chicago Dog & French Onion Soup.
5. The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 199 reviews
There's always something new to explore at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Bask in the warmth of our Judy Istock Butterfly Haven, home to more than 1,000 butterflies. Touch a live snake. Meet gorgeous exotic birds. See scientists engaged in real conservation and more. With over 15 exhibits to discover, the Nature Museum is the ideal family getaway, right in Chicago!
Reviewed By bfindysz - Jerusalem District, Israel
Went with a couple of small children and their parents. Midweek on a cold, snowy but sunny day,the museum was almost empty. All the better to appreciate its offerings: a new, temporary exhibit on birds of paradise which even preschoolers can enjoy as well as the permanent exhibits which are hands-on for all ages, especially a room full of models with running water to dam up, send rubber boats through locks, etc. The most wonderful exhibit is the museum's pride as well: a butterfly haven with butterflies from Australia and other faraway places which arrive at the museum while still in cocoons, hatch in a special place and are freed into the haven. In the haven, there are also some small birds for pest control and a turtle which climbs out of her pool to seek winter sunshine.
6. Architectural Artifacts, Inc.
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 21 reviews
7. DePaul Art Museum
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 13 reviews
DePaul Art Museum's new 15,200-square-foot three-story building, which opened in September 2011, reflects DePaul's broad commitment to the arts through provocative exhibitions that rotate every six to eight weeks. The gallery is renowned for its permanent collection of artwork from 20th century Midwest painters as well as photography, but exhibits run the full gamut of artistic tastes.
8. National Shrine of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
9. Uncommon Ground
Overall Ratings
3.0 based on 6 reviews
10. Watershed Studioworks
Watershed Studioworks is an artist-owned gallery and work studio in Chicago's Avondale neighborhood. We hope to foster artists who believe in the applied practice of creative self expression, and are driven to create work that engages and challenges as it facilitates a compelling dialogue with the community. Experience new work from established and emerging artists on display every 8 weeks as well
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