Chicago Cultural Center - Grand Staircase and Preston Bradley Hall

The city of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

, has many cultural institutions and

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make th ...

s, large and small. Major cultural institutions include: *the

Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...

Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891. The ensemble makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival. The music director is Riccardo Muti, who began his tenu ...

, Chicago Architecture Foundation, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Goodman Theater,

Joffrey Ballet The Joffrey Ballet is one of the premier dance companies and training institutions in the world today. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the Joffrey regularly performs classical and contemporary ballets during its annual performance season at Lyric ...

, Central Public Harold Washington Library, and the

Chicago Cultural Center The Chicago Cultural Center, opened in 1897, is a Chicago Landmark building operated by Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events that houses the city's official reception venue where the Mayor of Chicago has welcomed presi ...

, all in the

Loop Loop or LOOP may refer to: Brands and enterprises * Loop (mobile), a Bulgarian virtual network operator and co-founder of Loop Live * Loop, clothing, a company founded by Carlos Vasquez in the 1990s and worn by Digable Planets * Loop Mobile, an ...

; *

Lincoln Park Lincoln Park is a park along Lake Michigan on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. Named after US President Abraham Lincoln, it is the city's largest public park and stretches for seven miles (11 km) from Grand Avenue (500 N), on the south, ...

's Lincoln Park Zoo,

Lincoln Park Conservatory The Lincoln Park Conservatory (1.2 ha / 3 acres) is a conservatory and botanical garden in Lincoln Park in Chicago, Illinois. The conservatory is located at 2391 North Stockton Drive just south of Fullerton Avenue, west of Lake Shore Drive, and ...

, Chicago History Museum, Chicago Academy of Sciences/Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and Steppenwolf Theatre; *the

Field Museum The Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH), also known as The Field Museum, is a natural history museum in Chicago, Illinois, and is one of the largest such museums in the world. The museum is popular for the size and quality of its educational ...

, Shedd Aquarium, and Adler Planetarium in the Near South Side's Museum Campus; *the Museum of Science and Industry, Oriental Institute, Smart Museum of Art, and

DuSable Museum The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, formerly the DuSable Museum of African American History, is a museum in Chicago that is dedicated to the study and conservation of African-American history, culture, and art. It was founded ...

in Hyde Park; *the Museum of Contemporary Art,

The Second City The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise and is the oldest ongoing improvisational theater troupe to be continually based in Chicago, with training programs and live theatres in Toronto and Los Angeles. The Second City Theatre o ...

comedy troupe, and the Chicago Shakespeare Theater in Near North Side; *the

Garfield Park Conservatory Garfield Park Conservatory, located in Garfield Park in Chicago, is one of the largest greenhouse conservatories in the United States. Often referred to as "landscape art under glass", the Garfield Park Conservatory occupies approximately insi ...

; *and Pilsen's National Museum of Mexican Art; *as well as the

Brookfield Zoo Brookfield Zoo, also known as the Chicago Zoological Park, is a zoo located in the Chicago suburb of Brookfield, Illinois. It houses around 450 species of animals in an area of . It opened on July 1, 1934, and quickly gained international reco ...

Chicago Botanic Gardens The Chicago Botanic Garden is a living plant museum situated on nine islands in the Cook County Forest Preserves. It features 27 display gardens in four natural habitats: McDonald Woods, Dixon Prairie, Skokie River Corridor, and Lakes and Shore ...

, and Morton Arboretum in nearby suburbs.

Museums

Art Institute of Chicago Michigan Avenue

Art

* 659 Wrightwood *

, second largest art museum in the United States * The Arts Club of Chicago * Chicago Athenaeum *

* DePaul Art Museum (

DePaul University DePaul University is a private, Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th-century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul. In 1998, it became the largest Ca ...

) * Design Museum of Chicago * Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art *

Loyola University Museum of Art The Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA), which opened in the fall of 2005, is unique among Chicago's many museums for mounting exhibits that explore the spiritual in art from all cultures, faiths, and eras. LUMA is located on Loyola Universit ...

* Museum of Contemporary Art *

Museum of Contemporary Photography The Museum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP) was founded in 1976 by Columbia College Chicago as the successor to the Chicago Center for Contemporary Photography. The museum houses a permanent collection as well as the Midwest Photographers Project ...

* National Museum of Mexican Art * National Veterans Art Museum * Smart Museum of Art (

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

) * Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art
wndr museum

Architecture

* Charnley–Persky House * Chicago Architecture Center * Driehaus Museum * Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts * Robie House

Children's

* Bronzeville Children's Museum *

Chicago Children's Museum The Chicago Children's Museum is located at Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1982 by The Junior League of Chicago who were responding to programming cutbacks in the Chicago Public Schools. Originally housed in two hallways of th ...

* Swedish American Museum and Children's Museum of Immigration

Chicago history

* Chicago History Museum * Chicago Maritime Museum * Clarke House Museum * Edgewater Historical Society & Museum * Glessner House Museum * Jane Addams Hull-House Museum * McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum * Norwood Park Historical Society Museum * The Walt Disney Birthplace

Cultural

* Alliance Française de Chicago *

American Writers Museum The American Writers Museum is a museum of American Literature and writing that opened in Chicago in May 2017. The museum was designed by Amaze Design of Boston. The American museum was inspired by the Dublin Writers Museum. Permanent Exhibits ...

* Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture * Chinese-American Museum of Chicago *

Copernicus Foundation The Copernicus Foundation ( pl, Fundacja Kopernikowska) is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization based in the Jefferson Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. It was founded by Poles in Chicago in 1971 in order to raise funds towards raisi ...

* DANK Haus German American Cultural Center * DuSable Museum of African American History * Haitian American Museum of Chicago *

Irish American Heritage Center The Irish American Heritage Center (Irish: ''Ionad na Oidhreachtas Éire-Mheiriceánach'') is a non-profit organization located in Chicago that seeks to enhance the study of Irish culture with programming centered on Irish dance, literature, her ...

* Lithuanian Research and Studies Center *

National Hellenic Museum The National Hellenic Museum is the second oldest American institution dedicated to displaying and celebrating the cultural contributions of Greeks and Greek-Americans. Formerly known as the Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center, the National Helle ...

National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame The National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit institution honoring exceptional U.S. athletes of Italian descent. In 1977 George Randazzo created the Italian American Boxing Hall of Fame. This was as a means for rai ...

National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture (formerly ''Institute of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture'') is a museum in Chicago dedicated to interpreting the arts and culture of the Puerto Rican people and of the Puerto Ricans in Chicag ...

* Mitchell Museum of the American Indian *

Polish Museum of America The Polish Museum of America is located in West Town, in what had been the historical Polish Downtown neighborhood of Chicago. It is home to numerous Polish artifacts, artwork, and embroidered folk costumes in its growing collection. Founded i ...

* Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership * Swedish American Museum Center *

Ukrainian National Museum Ukrainian National Museum (UNM) is located in the historical Ukrainian Village neighborhood of Chicago, United States. It is home to a plethora of Ukrainian artifacts, artwork, musical instruments, and embroidered folk costumes among its growi ...

Specialized/historical

A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum Pullman porters were men hired to work for the railroads as porters on sleeping cars. Starting shortly after the American Civil War, George Pullman sought out former slaves to work on his sleeper cars. Their job was to carry passengers’ bagga ...

* Chicago Sports Museum * Leather Archives and Museum * Money Museum *

Museum of Broadcast Communications The Museum of Broadcast Communications (MBC) is an American museum, the stated mission of which is "to collect, preserve, and present historic and contemporary radio and television content as well as educate, inform and entertain through our arc ...

Pritzker Military Museum & Library The Pritzker Military Museum & Library (formerly Pritzker Military Library) is a non-profit museum and a research library for the study of military history on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. The institution was founded in 2003, and its sp ...

* American Toby Jug Museum * Vegan Museum

Science, archeology, and natural history

* Adler Planetarium *

Field Museum of Natural History The Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH), also known as The Field Museum, is a natural history museum in Chicago, Illinois, and is one of the largest such museums in the world. The museum is popular for the size and quality of its educational ...

* International Museum of Surgical Science * Museum of Science and Industry *

Oriental Institute Museum The Oriental Institute (OI), established in 1919, is the University of Chicago's interdisciplinary research center for ancient Near Eastern ("Orient") studies and archaeology museum. It was founded for the university by professor James Henry ...

* Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Planned museums

Barack Obama Presidential Center The Barack Obama Presidential Center is a planned architectural project in Chicago to commemorate the presidency of Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States. The center will include a museum and library and is headed by the nonpro ...

Defunct museums

* ABA Museum of Law, closed in 2011 * American Police Center & Museum * McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum, closed in 2009 * Museum of Holography * The Peace Museum * Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows, closed in 2014 *

Terra Museum The Terra Museum of American Art was an art museum founded by Chicago businessman Daniel J. Terra in Evanston, Illinois in 1980. The museum was relocated to Chicago, Illinois in 1987. During its tenure, the museum presented more than 200 exhib ...

, closed on October 31, 2004, its foundation still exists and artworks travel.

Not-for-profit and university galleries

American Academy of Art The American Academy of Art College is a private art school in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1923 for the education of fine and commercial arts students. The school's Bill L. Parks Gallery is open to the public and features exhibitions ...

- Bill L. Parks Gallery * Anchor Graphics,

Columbia College Chicago Columbia College Chicago is a private art college in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1890, it has 5,928https://about.colum.edu/effectiveness/pdf/spring-2021-student-profile.pdf students pursuing degrees in more than 60 undergraduate and gradua ...

* ARC Gallery * Beacon Street Gallery and Performance Company * Boeing Galleries * Bridgeport Art Center *

Catholic Theological Union Catholic Theological Union (CTU) is a private Roman Catholic graduate school of theology in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the largest Catholic graduate schools of theology in the English speaking world and trains men and women for lay and or ...

- The Mary-Frances and Bill Veeck Gallery * Center for Book and Paper Arts, Columbia College Chicago * Chicago Architecture Foundation * Chicago State University - President's Galley and University Gallery * City Gallery at the Historic Water Tower * Columbia College Chicago - Glass Curtain Gallery, Hokin Gallery and Annex *

* DePaul Art Museum * Gallery 400 at the

University of Illinois at Chicago The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is a public research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, adjacent to the Chicago Loop. The second campus established under the University of Illinois ...

* Hairpin Arts Center *

Hyde Park Art Center The Hyde Park Art Center (HPAC) is a visual arts organization and the oldest alternative exhibition space in the city of Chicago. Since 2006, HPAC has been located just north of Hyde Park Boulevard, at 5020 S.Cornell Avenue, in the Kenwood neighb ...

* Illinois Institute of Technology - Kemper Gallery in the Galvin Library * ISM Chicago Gallery *

John David Mooney John David Mooney is a Chicago-based, internationally recognized artist, known for his large-scale public sculptures, light pieces, and environmental installations. Astronomy, science, and nature have played a significant role in Mooney's art, and ...

Foundation - International Currents Gallery * Lillstreet Art Center * Little Black Pearl Art & Design Center *

Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Chicago (Loyola or LUC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1870 by the Society of Jesus, Loyola is one of the largest Catholic universities in the United States. Its namesake is Saint Ignat ...

- Crown Center Gallery * Marwen *

Northeastern Illinois University Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) is a public university in Chicago, Illinois. NEIU serves approximately 9,000 students in the region and is a Hispanic-serving institution. The main campus is located in the community area of North Park ...

- Fine Arts Gallery * Old Town Triangle Art Center * The Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Arts * Renaissance Society *

Robert Morris University Illinois Robert Morris University Illinois, formerly Robert Morris College, was a private university with its main campus in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1965 but its oldest ancestor was the Moser School founded in 1913. It changed its name t ...

- State Street Gallery *

Roosevelt University Roosevelt University is a private university with campuses in Chicago and Schaumburg, Illinois. Founded in 1945, the university was named in honor of United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The unive ...

- Gage Gallery *

Saint Xavier University Saint Xavier University (or SXU) is a private Roman Catholic university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1846 by the Sisters of Mercy, the university enrolls 3,749 students. History Saint Xavier University was founded as a women's college by ...

- SXU Gallery * School of the Art Institute of Chicago - Sullivan Galleries and Betty Rymer Gallery * South Side Community Art Center * South Shore Cultural Center * Spudnik Press Cooperative *

Galleries - Logan Center, Neubauer Family Collegium for Culture and Society Gallery, and Regenstein Library exhibits * Woman Made Gallery

Nature

* Lincoln Park Zoo * Shedd Aquarium

Libraries

Chicago Public Library The Chicago Public Library (CPL) is the public library system that serves the City of Chicago in the U.S. state of Illinois. It consists of 81 locations, including a central library, two regional libraries, and branches distributed throughout the ...

Gerber/Hart Library The Gerber/Hart Library and Archives (or "The Henry Gerber– Pearl M. Hart Library: The Midwest Lesbian & Gay Resource Center"), founded in 1981, is the largest circulating library of gay and lesbian titles in the Midwestern United States. Loc ...

* John Crerar Library *

Newberry Library The Newberry Library is an independent research library, specializing in the humanities and located on Washington Square in Chicago, Illinois. It has been free and open to the public since 1887. Its collections encompass a variety of topics rel ...

Poetry Foundation The Poetry Foundation is an American literary society that seeks to promote poetry and lyricism in the wider culture. It was formed from '' Poetry'' magazine, which it continues to publish, with a 2003 gift of $200 million from philanthropist ...

Ryerson & Burnham Libraries The Ryerson & Burnham Libraries are the art and architecture research collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. The libraries cover all periods with extensive holdings in the areas of 18th-, 19th- and 20th-century architecture and 19th-century ...

Music, theater, and performing arts

Dance

Chicago Ballet Chicago Opera Ballet was a Chicago dance company located in downtown Chicago. History Founded in 1956, it is a Chicago dance company located in downtown Chicago. Chicago Grand Opera Company's first ballet master was Luigi Albertieri (protégé of ...

* Chicago Dance Crash * Chicago Festival Ballet * Clinard Dance * DanceWorks Chicago *

Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago Giordano Dance Chicago, formerly Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago and Gus Giordano's Jazz Dance Chicago, is a jazz dance company based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Gus Giordano in 1963 as Dance Incorporated Chicago, it has toured worldwide, includin ...

* Hedwig Dances * Hubbard Street Dance Chicago * Joel Hall Dancers *

* River North Chicago Dance Company * Ruth Page Center for the Arts (Ruth Page Civic Ballet) * Thodos Dance Chicago

Opera

* Chamber Opera Chicago * Chicago Opera Theater * DuPage Opera Theatre *

Light Opera Works Music Theater Works (formerly Light Opera Works) is a resident professional not-for-profit musical theatre company in Evanston, Illinois. It was founded in 1980 by Philip Kraus, Bridget McDonough, and Ellen Dubinsky. Music Theater Works has presen ...

Lithuanian Opera Company of Chicago The Lithuanian Opera Company of Chicago was founded by Lithuanian emigrants in 1956, and presents operas in Lithuanian. It celebrated fifty years of existence in 2006, and operates as a not-for-profit organization. It is noteworthy for perfor ...

* Lyric Opera of Chicago * Opera in Focus

Opera houses

* Civic Opera House * DuPage Opera Theatre *

Woodstock Opera House The Woodstock Opera House is a historical venue for performing arts and receptions located in Woodstock, Illinois. It was built in 1889 and designed as a multi-use facility with space for city administration offices as well as police and fire depa ...

Symphony

Chicago Sinfonietta The Chicago Sinfonietta is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is nationally and internationally acclaimed as a cultural leader and a powerful advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion and is renowned for its groundbreaking, d ...

* Grant Park Symphony Orchestra

Choruses

* Apollo Chorus of Chicago * Bella Voce *

Chicago a cappella Chicago ''a cappella'' is a non-profit organization devoted to furthering the art of ensemble singing without any instruments. The group of professional singers began in 1993 by Jonathan Miller and conduct a series of performances annually. The o ...

* Chicago Children's Choir * Chicago Chorale * Chicago Gay Men's Chorus *

Chicago Symphony Chorus The Chicago Symphony Chorus began on September 22, 1957, when the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) announced that Margaret Hillis would organize and train a symphony chorus. The music director Fritz Reiner's original intent was to utilize the choru ...

Music venues

* Gateway Theater * Harris Theater *

Jay Pritzker Pavilion Jay Pritzker Pavilion, also known as Pritzker Pavilion or Pritzker Music Pavilion, is a bandshell in Millennium Park in the Loop community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is located on the south side of Randolph S ...

* Metro *

Petrillo Music Shell The Petrillo Music Shell (sometimes referred to as the Petrillo Bandshell or formally as the James C. Petrillo Music Shell) is an outdoor amphitheater in Grant Park in the Loop community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United Stat ...

* Riviera Theatre *

Rosemont Theater The Rosemont Theatre is a concert hall in Rosemont, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The venue, which has seats for 4,400 people, opened in 1995 and hosts many different musical artists and shows. It is located near O'Hare International Airport, Fa ...

* Symphony Center

Theater

Festivals and fairs

Online museums

* The Museum of Classic Chicago Television
Museum of Holography

Organizations

* Chicago Art Dealers Association * Chicago Artists' Coalition * Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events * Chicago Public Art Group * Chicago Public Art Program *

Chicago Society of Artists The Chicago Society of Artists is a non-profit organization. The "CSA is the oldest continuing association of artists in the United States. Since its inception and incorporation in 1889, the Chicago Society of Artists has had two primary objectives ...

* Flat Iron Artists Association * Illinois Artisans Program * Illinois Arts Council * Jazz Institute of Chicago * Lawyers for the Creative Arts * League of Chicago Theatres * Public Media Institute *

Terra Foundation for American Art The Terra Foundation for American Art is a privately operated nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of American art exhibitions, projects, academic research, and publications worldwide. Its goal is to promote a greater understanding and a ...

References

External links

A guide to Chicago's museums and cultural institutions

Guide to Chicago house-museums

{{DEFAULTSORT:Museums And Cultural Institutions In Chicago, List Of * Chicago-related lists Culture of Chicago