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Richard H. Driehaus Museum: Tickets & Tours
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Oriental Institute Museum: Tickets & Tours
Museum of Broadcast Communications: Tickets & Tours
Hamilton: The Exhibition: Tickets & Tours
The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum: Tickets & Tours
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wndr museum: Tickets & Tours
Museum of Contemporary Photography: Tickets & Tours
International Museum of Surgical Science: Tickets & Tours
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Swedish American Museum: Tickets & Tours
Thorne Miniature Rooms: Tickets & Tours
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Top Speciality Museums in Chicago, IL
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40
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67
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27
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17
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5
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18
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3
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40 results
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Speciality Museums
American Writers Museum
375 reviews
#3 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"The American Writers
Museum
offers a fascinating look at individual writers, including Hemmingway, Faulkner, and Julia Childs, as well as a Children's Room with stories by Maurice Sendak and other favorite authors."
"It contains biographical snippets, noteworthy quotes, and assorted memorabilia of the nation’s writers, but one of the best things about it is their
collection
of photos, from Edgar Allan Poe and Walt Whitman to K..."
Learn More
See 4 Experiences
Richard H. Driehaus Museum
1 422 reviews
#4 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"... Driehaus Museum is a "hidden gem" when the large and fashionable mansion is situated on the corner of Wabash and Erie on Chicago's Near North Side, near the Magnificent Mile, the very epitome of The
Gilded Age
."
"... you'll walk away glad that you had spent time in this fabulous gem! Conveniently located far away from the hustle and bustle of the
museum
campus on the waterfront, yet it is still in the middle of the city."
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Oriental Institute Museum
551 reviews
#5 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"Founded for the university by professor James Henry Breasted with funds donated by John D. Rockefeller Jr., it conducts research on
ancient civilizations
throughout the Near East, including at its facility, Chicag..."
"An internationally recognized research center for ancient Near Eastern or Oriental studies and archaeology museum, its collection of Near Eastern and Southwest Asian and
Egyptian artifacts
is one of the finest in..."
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Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank
510 reviews
#8 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"This very pleasant
museum
is well-organized, presents complex subjects such as the Gold Standard, Interest and Inflation in an easy-to-understand way, and has lots of interactive exhibits to help keep younger kids..."
"We were glad we did, the museum is smalll but very informative, with lots of
interactive displays
which kept us amused while teaching us about how the Federal Reserve works."
Learn More
See 3 Experiences
The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
199 reviews
#12 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"The most wonderful exhibit is the museum's pride as well: a butterfly haven with
butterflies
from Australia and other faraway places which arrive at the museum while still in cocoons, hatch in a special place and..."
"Located at 2430 North Cannon Drive, at the corner of Cannon and Fullerton in Lincoln Park, across the street from Lincoln Park
Zoo
, steps from North Lake Shore Drive at the Fullerton Parkway exit, the museum focus..."
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Hamilton: The Exhibition
58 reviews
#13 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"References to the
musical
are cleverly woven into the exhibit, along with narration from Lin, Chris Jackson and Phillipa Soo, and each of the different rooms evoke key moments from Hamilton’s life, as documented i..."
"If you have an interest in history, Alexander Hamilton (the individual), Alexander Hamilton ((the Broadway show), the Revolutionary War or the origin of our country’s
government
, you will enjoy the trip created by..."
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Adler Planetarium
2 137 reviews
#14 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"So many
museums
, so many historical sites, so many sporting events, so many restaurants, so many shopping and sight-seeing opportunities."
"The
telescope
exhibit was interesting and the Big Bang/ Universe creation was excellent!"
Learn More
See 18 Experiences
The McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum
147 reviews
#16 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"This unique little
museum
covers a lot for a small space, including how the bridge works, nature conservation efforts of the river, and newspapers featuring the river throughout the city's history."
"Visitors to the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum at 99 Chicago Riverwalk can learn the history of the Chicago River and the city's moveable bridges and their significance to the
city
."
Learn More
See 2 Experiences
Chicago Sports Museum
140 reviews
#17 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"... of Water Tower Place, next to Harry Caray's 7th Inning Stretch Restaurant and Sports Bar, it offers 23,000 square feet of space to hi-tech interactive skill challenges, sports
memorabilia
and game-used artifacts."
"For example, it houses the city's largest
collection
of 2016 World Series memorabilia, including Addison Russell's Game 6 grand slam ball, Kris Bryant's cleats and David Ross' Game 7 catcher's gear."
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Museum of Broadcast Communications
175 reviews
#18 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"We had a blast walking through the special Saturday Night Live exhibit; learning about what they do each day to prepare and viewing some neat artifacts such as scripts,
costumes
, and sets."
"This awesome
museum
has exhibits on all of our favorite TV shows from the 1970's and 1980's, including Bozo's Circus, Frazier Thomas, Garfield the Goose, plus the aforementioned Ray Rayner and Gigglesnort Hotel."
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Glessner House Museum
92 reviews
#19 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"The John J. Glessner House, virtually all that remains of the once magnificent Prairie Avenue Historic District, which featured the
Gilded Age
homes of Chicago's most famous families, is an architecturally importa..."
"... Victorian mansions on South Prairie Avenue, the Richardson Romanesque style building was clad in huge Braggville granite with minimal ornamentation and a long servant hall and spacious
private courtyard
within."
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International Museum of Surgical Science
189 reviews
#23 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"Displays include more than 7,000 photographs,
paintings
and drawings, sculpture, medical equipment, skeletons, medical specimens and historic artifacts."
"The
museum
houses an exceptional timeline of artifacts and paintings that tell the story of the surgical sciences."
Learn More
See 1 Experience
Museum of Contemporary Photography
103 reviews
#24 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"After viewing the riveting collection of Chicago Sun-Times
photographs
on display at the Chicago History Museum, my wife and I were persuaded to visit the Museum of Contemporary Photography at Chicago's Columbia C..."
"Founded in 1976 by Columbia College in Chicago, the
Museum
of Contemporary Photography has become the world's premier college art
museum
dedicated to photography."
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Swedish American Museum
57 reviews
#26 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"The
collection
of 12,000 objects includes items and artifacts that contribute to the narrative about Swedish immigration, Swedish communities in North America and Swedish and Swedish American culture."
"It features two gallery spaces with special art exhibits, "The Dream of America" exhibit, the Brunt Children's
Museum
of Immigration, a genealogy center and a
museum
store."
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Museum Of Illusions Chicago
13 reviews
#27 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"I was particularly impressed with the great lengths they went to make the experience Covid safe(masks and social distancing mandatory of course) but also disinfectant stands throughout the
museum
."
"It's in a great location in the city about a block or so from the Bean and
Millennium Park
."
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Polish Museum of America
42 reviews
#32 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"Amazing
collection
of artwork, sculpture, books and more."
"Excellent Polish
library
next door, and the museum is even better."
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Ed Paschke Art Center
18 reviews
#34 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"Located at 5415 West Higgins Avenue, in the heart of Jefferson
Park
, it opened in 2014, on what would have been Ed Paschke's 75th birthday, as a tribute to the legendary Polish-American artist's work and life."
"To the Chicago experience along with the Elmhurst Art
Museum
and Elmhurst College Library."
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Chinese-American Museum of Chicago
15 reviews
#36 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"... dance figure who teamed with Paul Wing during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s to become the most famous Asian American dance duo in this country's history, pioneers who performed on Broadway and in Hollywood
films
."
"There are also dozens of
artifacts
and documents that capture the rich history of the Chinese who came to America and called it their home."
Learn More
The Glass Gallery
11 reviews
#37 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"After visiting the remarkable paperweight
collection
at the Art Institute, we were delighted to stumble upon this beautiful little shop in the historic Fine Arts Building overlooking Michigan Avenue."
"Without knowing, my family entered the Fine
Arts
Building near Grant Park in Chicago and found this awesome gallery of fine glass paperweights."
Learn More
Clarke House Museum
22 reviews
#39 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"More impressive than the building was the tour guide Brenda Bohen’s knowledge of the
history
and construction of the building."
Learn More
wndr museum
59 reviews
#40 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"The visit was pricey, but the
museum
is immersive and it was a really fun departure from everything else we did in Chicago which was more traditional and tame."
"And OMG we LOVED IT! (Especially me, but my husband agreed that it was good!) It's an intersection of
art
and science, and the staff totally geeked out on the areas that they were staffing and made it very interes..."
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National Hellenic Museum
25 reviews
#41 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"Congratulations to the Greek Americans who have created this National Hellenic
museum
which boasts the largest collection of Greek American artefacts in the world.It gives a great insight as to how life was for al..."
"National Hellenic
Museum
is really a highlight from my Chicago trip."
Learn More
Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture
13 reviews
#42 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"On the third floor was a special display of their story of Lithuanian history,
stories
of the DP camps (post WWII), emigration
stories
, and the long struggle for independence."
"It is a lovely
museum
and has interesting artifacts and photos of life in Chicago for Lithuanians over the years."
Learn More
Thorne Miniature Rooms
7 reviews
#45 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"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."
"I have a feeling the great Victoria and Albert Museum of London would like to acquire this
collection
."
Learn More
National Cambodian Heritage Museum & Killing Fields Memorial
3 reviews
#56 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"It is a heartbreaking visit, akin to visiting Auschwitz, but a must do to understand more about humans and
history
."
Learn More
Fire Museum of Chicago
3 reviews
#57 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"Located at 5218 South Western Avenue, in the former quarters of Engine Company 123, it was established in 1997 to preserve the
history
and tradition of the fire service in and around Chicago."
"The Fire
Museum
is located in a restored Chicago fire house."
Learn More
United States Pizza Museum
5 reviews
#58 of 135 Museums in Chicago
"Bruns was inspired to pursue his dream of opening a
museum
wholly dedicated to pizza by watching the development and growth of museums like the New Orleans Historic Voodoo
Museum
and the Design
Museum
of Chicago."
Learn More
Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership
14 reviews
#64 of 135 Museums in Chicago
Learn More
Read/Write Library
2 reviews
#65 of 135 Museums in Chicago
Learn More
National Shrine of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
10 reviews
#69 of 135 Museums in Chicago
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Frequently Asked Questions about Chicago
What are the best places for speciality museums in Chicago?
These places are best for speciality museums in Chicago:
Richard H. Driehaus Museum
American Writers Museum
Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank
Adler Planetarium
Oriental Institute Museum
See more speciality museums in Chicago on Tripadvisor
Which places provide the best speciality museums in Chicago for kids and families?
These are the best places for kid-friendly speciality museums in Chicago:
Chicago Sports Museum
American Writers Museum
Oriental Institute Museum
Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank
The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
See more speciality museums for kids in Chicago on Tripadvisor
Which places provide the best speciality museums in Chicago for couples?
These are the best places for couples seeking speciality museums in Chicago:
Chicago Sports Museum
Richard H. Driehaus Museum
Oriental Institute Museum
Adler Planetarium
International Museum of Surgical Science
See more speciality museums for couples in Chicago on Tripadvisor
Which places provide the best speciality museums in Chicago for travellers on a budget?
These are the best places for budget-friendly speciality museums in Chicago:
Chicago Sports Museum
American Writers Museum
Oriental Institute Museum
Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank
The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
See more budget-friendly speciality museums in Chicago on Tripadvisor
Which places provide the best hidden gems for speciality museums in Chicago?
These are the best hidden gems for speciality museums in Chicago:
Richard H. Driehaus Museum
American Writers Museum
Oriental Institute Museum
Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank
Glessner House Museum
See more hidden gem speciality museums in Chicago on Tripadvisor