The Bucket List: 7 Overlooked Chicago Museums
Chicago boasts a handful of world-renowned museums, many of which are conveniently located within Museum Campus. While most visitors understandably flock to Chicago’s bigger cultural showcases—like the Shedd Aquarium or the Museum of Science and Industry—the city is home to countless other collections of equal merit.
These seven museums, a number of which are free, are perfect for the frequent visitor or those looking for exhibits slightly off the beaten track.
1. Chicago Design Museum
Photo via Chicago Design Museum
The Chicago Design Museum (ChiDM), located in the Loop, brings together Chicago’s design-minded community for exhibitions and educational programming. “We define design holistically, encompassing graphic design, architecture, urban planning, interior design, systems thinking and more,” says the ChiDM website. The museum’s current exhibit, “The State of Detroit,” which opened May 13, explores the creative ways the city of Detriot is rebounding after years of decline.
Admission: Free
Address: 108 N. State Street
2. Smart Museum of Art
The Smart Museum of Art (formally the David and Alfred Smart Museum and informally the Smart) holds its own in a city with more than a few impressive art museums, including the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Located on the University of Chicago campus in Hyde Park, the museum is home to more than 100,000 permanent artworks spanning from ancient to the contemporary, including pieces by Henri Matisse, Frank Lloyd Wright, Mark Rathko and Pablo Picasso. The museum is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary through 2015.
Admission: Free
Address: 5550 S. Greenwood Avenue
3. Chicago Children’s Museum
For those with kids, the Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier is a worth-while destination. The museum and its interactive exhibits are designed to inspire imagination. Kids—and kids at heart—can pretend to captain their own vessel along Lake Michigan in the museum’s new summer exhibit or climb on three stories of ship-shaped rigging. Several makerspaces also allow you to build and create using real tools and materials, include the Tinkering Lab, Kraft Artboards Studio and the Skyline exhibit.