The Art Institute of Chicago - Chicago, Illinois

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The Art Institute of Chicago - Chicago, Illinois

Come and visit one of the great art museums of the world, the Art Institute of Chicago presents a collection spanning 5,000 years of artistic expression. Paintings, prints and drawings, sculptures, photographs, video, textiles, and architectural drawings and fragments are complemented by a year-round schedule of exhibitions. And there’s more. The museum presents programs-lectures, workshops, performances, symposia, travel, or courses, every day.

Museum Hours
Monday 10:30-5:00
Tuesday 10:30-5:00
Wednesday 10:30-5:00
Thursday 10:30-8:00
(Target Free Thursday Evenings 5:00-8:00)
Friday 10:30-5:00
Saturday 10:00-5:00
Sunday 10:00-5:00

Admission Fees
Adults: $12
Children, Students, and Seniors (65 and up): $7
Children under 12 are free. Members are always free.

Location: 111 South Michigan Avenue,Chicago, Illinois 60603-6404

Phone: (312) 443-3600

Gallery Audio Guide
The gallery audio guide is a comprehensive overview that lets you explore the museum at your own pace. With its random-access format, the guide allows you to enter a gallery number into a small MP3 player to enjoy commentary on the collection. It can be rented at the admission counter at Michigan Avenue. The guide is available for $6 ($ 5 for members) and is free to visitors with visual and hearing impairments.

Exhibition audio tours are available for some exhibitions and include the gallery audio guide. The tour is available for $6 ($5 for members) and is free to visitors with visual and hearing impairments.

Checkrooms
$1 per item. The following items must be checked before entering the galleries: any parcel, purse, bag, or tote 13-by-17 inches, backpacks, baby carriers, long umbrellas, and briefcases. Food and drink are not allowed in the galleries and cannot be checked. The Art Institute of Chicago reserves the right to refuse checking services for any items at any time.

Photography
Photography of loan exhibitions is not permitted.
Still photography of the permanent collection, taken in existing light, is permitted on condition that the photographs are for personal, noncommercial use. Flashes, tripods, and video cameras are prohibited.

There is a new building going up at the museum, this is an exciting opportunity for the expansion of the displays. The Art Institute’s new building is also an integral part of the renaissance of the heart of the city. Along with Millennium Park, the new building represents the city’s most momentous civic undertaking since the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. On axis with Frank Gehry’s sculptural Pritzker Pavilion, the Art Institute’s new wing, an inspired design by Renzo Piano, will be an important addition to Chicago’s architectural legacy.

The building will dramatically increase the amount of gallery space for the institution and give a new home to modern art, contemporary art, photography, and architecture. Other parts of the collection will become much more visible as curators will now have the opportunity to increase the number of works on display in the existing museum galleries. The new building will increase the size of the Art Institute’s campus by one-third. 

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