# Best museums in Chicago

Impressionists, dinosaurs and a U-505 submarine: the Chicago museums visitors and locals rank highest.

- 458 votes · 16 items
- Jul 5, 2023 · Matthew R.
- https://even.best/en/l/1081/best-museums-in-chicago

## Top 10

1. **Art Institute of Chicago** (70 · ▲71 ▼1) — World-class collection with Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte and Nighthawks.
2. **Field Museum** (46 · ▲51 ▼5) — Natural history museum home to Sue, the T. rex, and an Ancient Egypt exhibit.
3. **Griffin Museum of Science and Industry** (34 · ▲38 ▼4) — Huge science museum with a U-505 submarine and a coal mine.
4. **Chicago Architecture Center** (26 · ▲32 ▼6) — Exhibits and the famous architecture river cruise.
5. **National Museum of Mexican Art** (26 · ▲28 ▼2) — Free museum in Pilsen.
6. **Shedd Aquarium** (25 · ▲30 ▼5) — Lakefront aquarium with beluga whales.
7. **Adler Planetarium** (25 · ▲29 ▼4) — America's first planetarium, with skyline views.
8. **Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago** (24 · ▲30 ▼6) — One of the world's largest contemporary art museums.
9. **DuSable Black History Museum** (24 · ▲25 ▼1) — One of the oldest museums of African American history.
10. **Chicago History Museum** (21 · ▲26 ▼5) — The city's story from the Great Fire to today.
11. **Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum** (12 · ▲18 ▼6) — Butterfly haven in Lincoln Park.
12. **Smart Museum of Art** (8 · ▲13 ▼5) — The University of Chicago's art museum, free to visit.
13. **Richard H. Driehaus Museum** (2 · ▲9 ▼7) — Gilded Age mansion with Tiffany glass.
14. **Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Wright's own house and studio in Oak Park, where he worked from 1889 to 1909.
15. **Chicago Cultural Center** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Former central library (1897) with the world's largest Tiffany glass dome; free exhibitions and concerts.
16. **Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures Museum** (-1 · ▲0 ▼1) — The University of Chicago's museum of the ancient Near East, formerly the Oriental Institute; free entry.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.