The renowned Art Institute of Chicago is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the country. Home to an extraordinary collection of art and objects from throughout history, the Art Institute is a must-see during any trip to Chicago.
The museum’s galleries showcase a stunning breadth of genres and periods, including contemporary and modern art, sculpture, international art, historic works, and one of the world’s most impressive collections of Impressionist paintings.
Here’s everything you need to know before you visit the Art Institute of Chicago.
Art Institute of Chicago
About the Art Institute of Chicago
Founded in 1879, the Art Institute is considered one of the world’s great art museums. The renown cultural institution first opened in its current downtown home in 1893, located inside one of the grand buildings built for the Chicago World’s Fair.
The museum’s entrance is flanked by their famous bronze lions, welcoming visitors from around the world to the Art Institute. The museum’s Modern Wing opened in 2009, showcasing works by modern and contemporary masters like Picasso, Matisse, Dali, Magritte, and beyond.
Today, the museum is famous for its collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. It’s also home to more than 300,000 pieces of art, from ancient artifacts to revered masterpieces. Throughout the year, the museum offers a full schedule of public events and special exhibits, featuring deep dives into artists like Frida Kahlo, Vincent Van Gogh, Andy Warhol, Auguste Rodin, John Singer Sargent, Georgia O’Keeffe, and more.
Art Institute of Chicago permanent collection
The Art Institute of Chicago allows guests to get up close and personal with some of the world’s most famous artworks. Their wide-ranging collection includes thousands of works that span cultures and centuries, including paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, and other objects of art from all around the globe.
The galleries, covering almost one million square feet, feature extraordinary treasures like a 12th-century statue of the Buddha, medieval armor, stained glass, an Aztec coronation stone, Impressionist masterpieces, surrealist sculptures, and beyond.
Here’s a glimpse at what you can discover throughout the Art Institute of Chicago’s main galleries:
- Impressionism: The largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings paintings outside the Louvre, with renowned works from Monet, Cassatt, Renoir, Degas, and more masters of the genre.
- Arts of Asia: A breathtaking array of artworks and everyday objects spanning nearly five millennia of Asian art, including Chinese bronzes, ceramics, and jades; Japanese woodblock prints; and Hindu and Buddhist sculpture.
- Arts of Africa: Admire over 5,000 years of Africa’s diverse artistic tradition, encompassing intricate masks, jewelry, beadwork, textiles, ceramics, and beyond from every corner of the continent.
- Modern art: The striking Modern Wing houses a wide range of thought-provoking works from some of the 20th century’s most well-known names like Marcel Duchamp, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Henri Matisse, Vasily Kandinsky.
- Arts of the Americas: See objects from North, Central, and South America from 5,000 BCE to the present. This gallery includes Mesoamerican art, pre-colonization Aztec carvings, folk art, well-known paintings, and more.
Other galleries include photography and film, textiles, architecture and design, arts of ancient Egypt, Chicago architectural fragments, arms and armor, medieval and Renaissance art, Chagall and Tiffany stained glass windows, Japanese prints, sculptures, arts of the Greek, Roman, and Byzantine worlds.
Within its diverse collections, the Art Institute of Chicago’s is home to many of the planet’s most famous paintings, including:
- Paris Street; Rainy Day by Gustave Caillebotte
- A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884 by Georges Seurat
- American Gothic by Grant Wood
- The Child’s Bath by Mary Cassatt
- The Bedroom by Vincent van Gogh
- Water Lilies by Clause Monet
- The Old Guitarist by Pablo Picasso
- Nighthawks by Edward Hopper
- Sky Above Clouds IV by Georgia O’Keeffe
- Liz #3 and Flowers by Andy Warhol
Not sure where to start? Check out the free daily gallery tours or use this guide on what to see in an hour to cover a few key highlights.
Art Institute tickets and free museum days
You can purchase tickets for the Art Institute of Chicago online in advance or in person as the museum. Admission options include:
- General admission: Includes access to the museum’s galleries and non-ticketed exhibitions
- Fast pass admission: Allows visitors to bypass the lines at the museum entrances, includes general admission access
- Special exhibitions: Select special exhibitions may require an additional ticket
Ticket prices are lower for seniors, college/university students, and teens. Children age 13 and younger can receive free admission. Discounted admission is available for Chicago and Illinois residents.
The Art Institute offers free admission for Illinois resident on select dates throughout the year. Check the free museum day schedule for upcoming dates and more information.
The Art Institute of Chicago also provides free access to active-duty service members, Chicago teens under 18, Link and WIC cardholders, and Illinois educators.
Getting to the Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute is located in the heart of downtown Chicago just south of Millennium Park. The main entrance is located at 111 S. Michigan Ave. and the Modern Wing entrance is at 159 E. Monroe St.
- By car: Visitors driving to the Art Institute can pay to park at nearby Millennium Garages.
- By bike: The Field Museum is accessible via Chicago’s paved Lakefront Trail. Public bike racks are available on streets near the museum.
- By CTA train: The Adams/Wabash station, one block west of the museum, is serviced by the Brown, Green, Orange, Pink, and Purple lines. Also within walking distance, the Monroe station is connected to the Red and Blue lines.
- By Metra train: The Van Buren and Millennium stations are a convient way for Metra riders to get to and from the museum.
- By bus: Many CTA bus lines stop near the museum entrance. Check the Chicago Transit Authority for route maps and schedules.
Learn more about getting to the Art Institute of Chicago.
