Your Trip to Chicago: The Complete Guide SEE FULL GUIDE prev next Theater in Chicago Live Music Venues Shopping Guide Annual Festivals Top Restaurants Kid-Friendly Restaurants Best Bars Craft Beer in Chicago Nightlife Guide The Best Time to Visit Chicago Weather & Climate O'Hare International Airport Midway Airport Guide Neighborhoods to Know Driving in Chicago Public Transportation in Chicago One-Day Itinerary Day Trips From Chicago Top Things to Do Free Things to Do Things to Do With Kids Chicago's Best Beaches Hikes Near Chicago Skiing Near Chicago Best Parks Top Museums Your Trip to Chicago: The Complete Guide close Overview United States Illinois Top 10 Chicago Museums By Jennifer Roche Jennifer Roche Jennifer Roche is a freelance writer and editor with over 17 years' experience. She has lived in the Chicago area since she was in the fifth grade. TripSavvy's editorial guidelines Updated on 06/26/19 Fact checked by Patrice Williams Fact checked by Patrice Williams Temple University Patrice J. Williams is a travel and style content creator, fact-checker and author of the thrift shopping book Looking Fly on a Dime. TripSavvy's fact-checking ShutterRunner.com (Matty Wolin) / Getty Images Chicago is an exciting getaway destination—great for a long weekend. Chicago's museums are bright jewels in its crown and rank among the best in the world. They cover the waterfront of interests, from art to history, science, nature, and astronomy. These are the top 10 that consistently turn up as the city's most popular, based on attendance. So book a room in the Loop or on the Magnificent Mile, which is both, convenient to many of these museums, and have yourself a ball in Chicago. It's your kind of town, no doubt about it. 01 of 10 The Shedd Aquarium TripSavvy / Kathleen Messmer View Map Address 1200 S DuSable Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605, USA Get directions Phone +1 312-939-2438 Web Visit website The Shedd is dedicated to "engaging, inspiring, entertaining and informing" the public about the life in oceans and waterways. You're in a building on Lake Michigan in downtown Chicago, but you are immersed in a world of coral reefs, rainforests, and the Pacific Northwest coast. The Shedd, on the Museum Campus northeast of Soldier Field, prides itself on its dedication to conservation and the protection of wildlife habitats. 02 of 10 Museum of Science and Industry TripSavvy / Cory Giguere View Map Address 5700 S DuSable Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60637, USA Get directions Phone +1 773-684-1414 Web Visit website Geeks 4.2 Since 1933, this enormous museum in the Hyde Park neighborhood has been dedicated to educating the public about science and technology. From the coal mine exhibit with a working elevator to the captured German World War II submarine, the museum's collections and hands-on exhibits never fail to thrill kids, and adults have a pretty good time, too. It's also home to special exhibits like "Brick by Brick," a Lego structures challenge, and "Robot Revolution," a collection from around the world. 03 of 10 The Art Institute of Chicago TripSavvy / Cory Giguere View Map Address 111 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603, USA Get directions Phone +1 312-443-3600 Web Visit website Culture Vultures 4.4 The Art Institute of Chicago consistently ranks among Chicago's most-visited museums and is the second-largest and one of the most prominent art museums in the United States. Its famous lions greet you on the steps as you enter from Michigan Avenue in the Loop, and it just gets better from there. It is renowned for its impressionist, post-impressionist, and American art collections. If you love paintings by the French impressionist Claude Monet, you will think you're in paradise at the Art Institute. It has one of the largest collections of his work in the country. The Thorne Miniature Rooms are also a unique and special exhibition. 04 of 10 Museum of Contemporary Art TripSavvy / Cory Giguere View Map Address 220 E Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, USA Get directions Phone +1 312-280-2660 Web Visit website Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art, just off the Magnificent Mile, explores, exhibits, and collects art created since 1945. The museum is dedicated to allowing the public "to directly experience the work and ideas of living artists and understand the historical, social, and cultural context of the art of our time." It also puts a major emphasis on diverse voices that communicate through art. Continue to 5 of 10 below. 05 of 10 National Museum of Mexican Art TripSavvy / Cory Giguere View Map Address 1852 W 19th St, Chicago, IL 60608-2706, USA Get directions Phone +1 312-738-1503 Web Visit website The National Museum of Mexican Art, southwest of the Loop, is dedicated to stimulating and preserving knowledge and appreciation of Mexican culture. It is one of the largest collections of Latino art in the nation, and it is also the only Latino institution to receive accreditation from the American Association of Museums. The current collection includes more than 5,500 objects. 06 of 10 Adler Planetarium TripSavvy / Cory Giguere View Map Address 1300 S DuSable Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605, USA Get directions Phone +1 312-922-7827 Web Visit website Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum is on Museum Campus just east of Soldier Field. The planetarium was founded in 1930, and that makes it America's first and oldest planetarium. It now houses two stargazing theaters, a collection of antique instruments, extensive exhibit space, and many hands-on exhibits. It also offers one of the most wonderful views of the skyline in the entire city. 07 of 10 The Chicago History Museum TripSavvy / Cory Giguere View Map Address 1601 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60614, USA Get directions Phone +1 312-642-4600 Web Visit website The Chicago History Museum in the Lincoln Park neighborhood exhibits artifacts from the depth of its 22-million item collection and from the breadth of the city's history. From the Chicago Bulls to the Great Chicago Fire, the museum covers it all and offers context and exhibits to make Chicago's history relevant to life today. It was formerly known as the Chicago Historical Society. 08 of 10 The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center TripSavvy / Cory Giguere View Map Address 740 E 56th Pl, Chicago, IL 60637-1408, USA Get directions Phone +1 773-947-0600 Web Visit website The DuSable is the nation's oldest museum dedicated to the exploration, documentation, and celebration of Black history in the U.S. It's in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood and is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. Its holdings include 15,000 paintings, sculptures, and historic memorabilia, while educational programs and temporary exhibits round out the experience. Continue to 9 of 10 below. 09 of 10 The Field Museum of Natural History TripSavvy / Cory Giguere View Map Address 1400 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605, USA Get directions Phone +1 312-922-9410 Web Visit website The Field Museum is probably best known for its dinosaur displays, and that's a huge draw for kids. But it also has a rich and deep dedication to "the diversity and relationships in nature and among cultures." It currently holds, conserves, and studies more than 20 million objects, a collection that grew from holdings it received after the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, held in Chicago. It's on Museum Campus, along with the Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium, just north of Soldier Field. 10 of 10 Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum TripSavvy / Cory Giguere View Map Address 2430 N Cannon Dr, Chicago, IL 60614, USA Get directions Phone +1 773-755-5100 Web Visit website The Nature Museum in Lincoln Park is devoted to the environment and nature and works in conjunction with the collections and scientists of the Chicago Academy of Sciences to create exhibits and programs. Its 27,000-square-foot greenhouse houses more than 1,000 butterflies that belong to 40 species. And it's warm and tropical in the winter, a big bonus in Chicago. You'll see exotic birds like macaws and aracari in the Bird House and learn about life in a marsh, on dunes, on the prairie, and on the savanna, all part of the Chicago environment. Theater in Chicago Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Tell us why! Submit