Location: Central
Top Things to do in Central
10 Specialty Museums in Central 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. American Writers Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 377 reviews
Visit the American Writers Museum today! Through innovative and dynamic state-of-the-art exhibitions, as well as compelling programming, the American Writers Museum educates, enriches, provokes, and inspires visitors of all ages. Special exhibits FREE with paid admission; My America: Immigrant and Refugee Writers Today (through Spring 2021), and Tools of the Trade (through June 30, 2020).
Reviewed By FelicitySpike - Scarsdale, United States
The American Writers Museum features well organized and engaging exhibits for lovers of reading and writing. A special exhibit of Bob Dylan demonstrates some of the reasons Dylan received the Nobel Prize for Literature. There was also an exhibit of old typewriters used by well-known American writers.
2. The Glass Gallery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 11 reviews
Please note LH Selman is currently open by appointment only. Please get in touch if you would like to schedule a time to come by the gallery. Welcome to L.H. Selman Ltd., a name that has been synonymous with the finest antique and contemporary paperweights for over 40 years. As the country's premier dealer in fine art glass paperweights our mission is to promote the very best by exhibiting and selling through our gallery and at auction the finest examples made in centuries past, and by nurturing new talent emerging from contemporary independent studios.
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
My wife and I recently purchased a fine glass antique paperweight from L.H. Selman Ltd. in Chicago to serve as a centerpiece for our extensive Civil War collection of rare and first-edition books, manuscripts, autographs, paintings and artifacts. Until we visited the Selman gallery and museum at 410 South Michigan Avenue, in the historic Fine Arts Building, overlooking Millennium Park and Grant Park and the nearby Art Institute of Chicago, we didn't have any knowledge about paperweights. In less than two hours, we received a thorough education. Selman is a name that has been synonymous with the finest antique and contemporary paperweights for over 40 years. It is the premier dealer in fine art glass paperweights in the United States and its mission is to promote the very best by exhibiting and selling through its gallery and at auction the finest examples made in past centuries and by nurturing new talent emerging from independent studios. It's a fascinating adventure, viewing the largest collection of antique and contemporary paperweights in the world. After it's over, you understand that a paperweight isn't a simple desk accessory. The origin of glass paperweights can be traced to France in 1845, when glass factories such as Baccarat, Saint Louis and Clichy were competing to create the world's finest crystal luxury items, including water sets, tableware and inkwells, then paperweights. Collectors range from kings and American presidents to writers and investors to Truman Capote and Arthur Rubloff. L.H. Selman was introduced to paperweights in the mid-1960s. He began collecting them, started a small mail order business, created a publishing company to distribute information about paperweights, then founded the International Paperweight Society and Museum on South Michigan Avenue. In 2001, he was named "one of the Top Ten People of the 20th Century" to influence the paperweight art form. In 2009, he sold his business to Mitch and Ben Clark. They picked up the torch--or the paperweight--and the Chicago art scene remains in sterling condition.
3. Museum Of Illusions Chicago
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 18 reviews
Reviewed By carolinephauser - Evanston, United States
This was a very cool experience with my teenage daughter. The staff was super helpful explaining how to get the most out of the different exhibits. We really had fun, and it was the perfect birthday outing during covid. Highly recommend for people of all ages. The staff took all Covid precautions. It was very well done.
4. Thorne Miniature Rooms
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 7 reviews
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
My wife and I have browsed the Thorne Miniature Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago on previous occasions. But after seeing the display of the Thorne collection at the Phoenix Art Museum during our recent two-week vacation in Arizona, we decided to make another visit to larger Thorne collection in Chicago. It is an exhibit unlike any other, a child's dream. Thorne Miniature Rooms are a set of about 100 miniature models of rooms created between 1932 and 1940 under the direction of Narcissa Niblack Thorne, who was born in 1882 in Vincennes, Indiana. As a child, she began to collect miniature furniture and household accessories. Her uncle, a U.S. Navy vice admiral, sent her many antique dollhouse miniatures from around the world. When she was 19, she married Montgomery Ward department store heir James Ward Thorne, whose fortune helped to finance her hobby. Ninety-nine of the rooms are still believed to be in existence. The majority of them, a total of 68, are on display at the Art Institute of Chicago, located at 111 South Michigan Avenue. We saw 20 of them at the Phoenix Art Museum. The Art Institute's rooms document European and American interiors from the late 13th century to the 1930s and the 17th century to the 1930s, respectively. Constructed on a 1:12 scale, the rooms are largely made of the same materials as full-sized rooms and some even include original works of art, including paintings and sculpture, silver bowls and crystal chandeliers. They are among the most popular attractions at the Art Institute with an authentic appearance and attention to detail that boggles the mind.
5. Glessner House Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 92 reviews
A National Historic Landmark, Glessner House was designed by noted American architect Henry Hobson Richardson and completed in 1887. It remains an internationally-known architectural treasure in Chicago. A radical departure from traditional Victorian architecture, the structure served as an inspiration to architects such as Louis Sullivan, Mies van der Rohe, and the young Frank Lloyd Wright and helped redefine domestic architecture.
Reviewed By MidwestKathM - Detroit, United States
Ever on the hunt for something interesting to see in Chicago, having visited there at least a dozen times through the years, I came across this architectural gem by Richardson that gives visitors a peek at the Gilded Age life in Chicago. The Glessner House tells the history of one family in a time of industrial growth and personal prosperity. With original furnishings and personal belongings, it is unique in sharing the family's legacy. Our tour guide was outstanding in telling the story and answering questions for nearly 90 minutes. To become more immersed, walk up and down Prairie Avenue to see some of the other remaining original houses and the in-fill houses built in the style of the times. Truly a must-see gem!!
6. Richard H. Driehaus Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,422 reviews
The Richard H. Driehaus Museum explores the art, architecture, and design of the late 19th century to the present. Its permanent collection and temporary exhibitions are presented in an immersive experience within the restored Nickerson Mansion, completed in 1883.
Reviewed By w945106 - Tampa, United States
This house was amazing. I can’t really call it a home. Mr. Driehaus has done a great service restoring and presenting this wonderful house for us to see. Several docents about - we took a tour (excellent). Lots of photos with further explanation. Even the guards had a working knowledge of the museum. Some amazing woodwork and marble - silk wall coverings and complex wooden floors. There are traveling exhibits from the Driehaus we have seen twice this year - French posters, Tiffany lamps. There is another Tiffany exhibit coming soon. I wasn’t taken by the external exhibit by British-African artist. But I am glad I was exposed to his art.
7. The McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 148 reviews
Celebrating the Chicago River and its world-famous movable bridges. Note: We are closed for the 2015 season. We will reopen in May 2016!
Reviewed By skenyon1995 - Hoffman Estates, United States
A friend of mine sent me a snail mail article from the Chicago Tribune about the Chicago Bridge Museum. Chicago has made an actual museum inside one of their 4 story Chicago River bridge towers. You can take a tour below ground and actually see the gears & inner workings of the DuSable(formerly Michigan) Ave double decker four lane bridge lift machinery. Lots of history in the upper levels. A tour guide came down to the lower level when the boats were passing above & the bridge was lifting to explain things & answer questions. The gigantic counterweight weighs an amazing 12,000 tons! The 100 yr old bridge is so superbly balanced that it only takes about a 150 HP motor & a LOT of BIG gears to lift & lower it in one minute. Amazing what they could design back then with slide rules instead of software. You can go through on your own self guided tour fairly quickly, access is from the Riverwalk area. I believe an adult ticket was $12 or so. Didnt know that boats have the right of way over cars, since the Chicago river is a federal waterway. Sorry, you have to wait for the Skipper & Gilligan!
8. Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 510 reviews
Where can you take your picture with a million bucks? Create your own currency? Try your hand at managing inflation? These are just some of the interactive activities available at the Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.We're open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (except Bank holidays, when we are closed). If you want to learn a bit more about the Fed, come for our 1 p.m. guided tour (allow about 45 minutes). Admission is always free. The best part: you'll walk away with about $300 in cash--shredded, of course.
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
Chicago has many world-class museums, dedicated to history, art, science, archaeology, space, mammals, marine life, medicine and architecture. But a museum in a bank? Devoted to making money fun with zany exhibits such as a cube containing a million one-dollar bills? Welcome to the Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Located at 230 South La Salle Street, the museum is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Guided tours are offered each day at 1 p.m. Go through the Fed's front doors on La Salle Street and look for the museum on your left. Admission is free. All visitors must show a photo ID, walk through a metal detector and have their bags x-rayed before entering the museum. It includes a free kiosk, which takes a guest's picture in front of a million dollars in $100 bills. A million dollars in one-dollar bills and a million dollars in $20 bills are on display. The museum has been known for giving out bags of shredded money as souvenirs. The exhibits cover a mix of academic, hands-on and outright fun. Watch the movie about the history of the Federal Reserve. Counterfeit money is displayed next to real currency to test your skills of observation. And you can see the million-dollar cube. Opened in 2001, the museum offers visitors an informative and interactive look at the important role of the Federal Reserve in maintaining a healthy, growing economy. The 5,600-square-foot space features a functional interplay of elliptical forms, curves and diagonal walls to create a space that invites visitors to explore. How about the disused elevator shaft that has been filled with over $50,000 in coins, creating a cartoonish well of monies? Did you know that the bank regularly shreds around $10 million a day? More importantly, learn about the Fed's role in helping banks run safely and soundly as you take the perspective of a bank manager in the museum's "Banker Challenge" game. Don't miss the Hamilton exhibit. Learn about Alexander Hamilton, the man who was the first Secretary of the U.S. Treasury and understand how his vision led to the eventual creation of the Federal Reserve System. Or the video that shows how money is processed. Or the exhibit that enables a person to e-mail a bill of any denomination with his or her face on it. If only it was for real.
9. Hamilton: The Exhibition
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 58 reviews
Alexander Hamilton’s remarkable story inspired millions of Americans. Now, you can see it through his eyes in this 360-degree immersive museum exhibition from the creators of the revolutionary musical. Featuring interactive games and displays, lifelike projections, full-scale statues, and Instagram-worthy art installations, Hamilton: The Exhibition takes visitors deeper into Alexander Hamilton’s life as it chronicles the American Revolution and the creation of the United States of America. Underscored by a brand-new, 27-piece orchestral recording of the music from Hamilton, the exhibition also features an audio tour narrated by the musical’s author, Lin-Manuel Miranda, along with Phillipa Soo and Christopher Jackson, who played Eliza Schuyler and George Washington in the original Broadway production. The perfect opportunity for the entire family to experience the full story of Alexander Hamilton and the inspiring founding of our nation. See it. Live it. Walk in his shoes.
10. Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit Chicago
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 9 reviews
The US premiere of the new Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit from creators of the blockbuster show in Paris seen by over 2 million visitors and still wowing crowds in Toronto, the US premiere of the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit will bring the art of Vincent to life in Chicago. Experience art like never before – lose yourself in 500,000 cubic feet of flawless projections animating Vincent van Gogh’s oeuvre
