Art Institute of Chicago in Illinois, USA

Founded in 1879 as both a museum and a school for the fine arts, the Art Institute of Chicago holds nearly 300,000 works ranging from ancient objects to contemporary art and design. Its collection covers about 5,000 years of artistic production, while its buildings occupy a large campus beside Grant Park in downtown Chicago.

A Collection Spanning Thousands of Years

The museum’s holdings include painting, sculpture, decorative arts, textiles, prints, drawings, photography, architecture and design, as well as art from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. The range makes it possible to move between works separated by centuries, materials and cultural traditions within the same museum.

Several paintings closely associated with the Art Institute are part of its permanent collection. Georges Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884, Grant Wood’s American Gothic, Vincent van Gogh’s The Bedroom and Gustave Caillebotte’s Paris Street; Rainy Day are among its widely recognized works. Individual objects can temporarily leave the galleries for conservation, loans or other reasons, so the museum’s online collection pages are useful for checking current display status.

The collection also extends well beyond familiar European and American paintings. Visitors can encounter Chinese bronzes, Asian textiles, African sculpture and decorative arts, photography, works on paper, architectural material and modern installation art. The museum also maintains research resources connected with art, architecture and design.

From the 1879 Institution to Michigan Avenue

The institution began in 1879 as the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and adopted the name Art Institute of Chicago in 1882. Its first collections relied heavily on plaster casts used for artistic study and instruction.

The museum found its permanent home on Michigan Avenue in 1893. The building was constructed in connection with Chicago’s World’s Columbian Exposition and was occupied by the museum and school after the exposition closed. Later additions expanded the original structure while preserving the Michigan Avenue building as the historic public face of the museum.

Two bronze lions by American sculptor Edward Kemeys stand outside the Michigan Avenue entrance. The pair was unveiled on May 10, 1894, and has remained one of the most recognizable features of the building.

The Modern Wing

The Art Institute expanded eastward with the Modern Wing, designed by architect Renzo Piano and opened on May 16, 2009. The 264,000-square-foot addition created new gallery space for areas including 20th- and 21st-century art, architecture and design, and photography.

The Modern Wing has its own entrance at 159 East Monroe Street, while the historic entrance remains at 111 South Michigan Avenue. Together with the museum’s earlier additions, the campus offers almost one million square feet of space. Using the museum floor plan before or during a visit can make it easier to locate specific collections without repeatedly crossing the building.

Planning a Visit

Current public hours are 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday through Sunday, with extended hours until 8:00 p.m. on Thursday. The museum is closed on Tuesday. On days when the museum is open, 10:00–11:00 a.m. is reserved for member viewing.

Admission prices and free-entry programs vary by visitor category and eligibility. The museum maintains current ticket information through its official admissions system, while free-admission opportunities are listed separately on the Art Institute website.

Visitors with limited time can use the museum’s self-guided collection highlights and floor plan to choose a smaller group of galleries rather than trying to cover the entire campus. The Art Institute also runs gallery tours and other programs, with current schedules published on its official website.

Accessibility Inside the Museum

Elevators provide access to all museum levels, and manually operated wheelchairs are available free of charge from the checkrooms at both main entrances without a reservation. Personal manual and electric wheelchairs are permitted, and service animals are welcome.

The Art Institute also provides resources for visitors who are blind or have low vision, visitors who are deaf or have hearing loss, and people with sensory-processing needs. Its official mobile app includes audio material and accessibility support, while a sensory map identifies areas that may be quieter or provide tactile activities.