Perhaps the best-known museum in the city it’s home to nearly 300,000 works of art, spanning numerous centuries and countless styles. It's just a couple minutes' walk from several subway stations and is conveniently located right next to Millennium Park, so you can complete your visit with a Bean selfie.

The Art Institute of Chicago

If your artistic interests lean more toward the modern, the MCA will not disappoint. Just a few steps from the Magnificent Mile, it's one of the largest museums in the U.S. to be dedicated to contemporary art and its permanent collection boasts 2,500 pieces and counting, ranging from the 1920s to the present day.

Museum of Contemporary Art

Located inside Washington Park, the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center is the oldest independent African American museum in the country. The museum’s mission is to preserve history and spark conversation, no matter how difficult it may be all while hosting workshops and lectures and curating memorable temporary exhibitions.

DuSable Black History Museum

Kids of all ages will fall in love with this museum which spans more than 400,000 square feet and is all about hands-on, interactive exhibits. The complex also includes the five-story Giant Dome Theatre, which screens immersive films about some of the world's most remote places, like Mount Everest and the island nation of Vanuatu.

Museum of Science and Industry

Spread out across 27,000 square feet, the Field Museum tells the story of planet earth and its evolution with impressive installations and interactive displays. The museum's most famous resident is Sue, the world's largest Tyrannosaurus Rex, but she's just a small part of the impressive collection that spans 4.5 billion years.

Field Museum