Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
179
Tips
Touring the Art Institute
Keeping track of your kids in the crowds that flood the Art Institute during its
peak days might reduce your enjoyment of your favorite masterpieces.
Your best bet is to avoid the craziest times: Many people don't realize the
museum is open on Monday, so the galleries are relatively subdued. Wednesday
is a close second. Tuesday tends to draw the masses because the Art Institute is
free and open late (until 8pm). Try to arrive when the doors open in the morning
or else during the lunchtime lull.
Another tip:
If the Michigan Avenue entrance is
crowded, head around to the entrance on the Columbus Drive side, which is usu-
ally less congested and is more convenient to the Grant Park underground park-
ing garage. There's also a small gift shop near the Columbus Drive entrance that
you might want to check out if the main shop is t oo bustling.
American textiles. No matter how many times y ou visit, there are always ne w works to
be seen and special shows that draw in even more crowds.
For a good general o verview of the museum's collection, take the fr ee “Highlights of
the Ar t I nstitute” tour, giv en at 2pm on Tuesday, S aturday, and S unday. Those with
limited time and kids with limited patience for tours should head straight to the muse-
um's renowned collection of I mpressionist art (including one of the world 's largest col-
lections of M onet paintings), one of the mor e highly trafficked ar eas of the museum.
Among the treasures here you'll find Seurat's pointillist masterpiece
Sunday Afternoon on
the Island of La Grande Jatte.
Your second must-see area is the galleries of E uropean and
American contemporary art, ranging from paintings, sculptures, and mixed-media works
from P ablo P icasso, H enri M atisse, and S alvador D alí thr ough Willem de K ooning,
Jackson Pollock, and Andy Warhol. Visitors are sometimes surprised when they discover
many of the icons that hang here. (Grant Wood's
American Gothic
and Edward Hopper's
Nighthawks
are two that bring double takes fr om many visitors.)
If you want to steer clear of the crowds, you'll find more breathing room in the galler-
ies of Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian art. Other recommended exhibits are the
collection of delicate mid-19th-centur y glass paper weights in the museum 's famous
Arthur Rubloff collection.
The museum also has a cafeteria and an elegant full-ser vice restaurant, a pictur esque
courtyard cafe (June-Sept), and a large shop. There is a busy schedule of lectures, films, and
other special presentations, as well as guided tours, to enhance y our viewing of the art.
111 S. Michigan Ave. (at Adams St.).
&
312/443-3600.
www.artic.edu. Admission $12 adults, $7 seniors
and students with ID, free for children 11 and under. Additional cost for special exhibitions. Free admis-
sion Thurs 5-8pm. Mon-Fri 10:30am-5pm (Thurs until 8pm, until 9pm Thurs-Fri Memorial Day to Labor
Day); Sat-Sun 10am-5pm. Closed Jan 1, Thanksgiving, and Dec 25. Sub way/El: Green, Brown, Purple, or
Orange Line to Adams; Red Line to Monroe/State or Jackson/State. Bus: 3, 4, 60, 145, 147, or 151.
Chicago Archicenter
Ages 13 & up.
Chicago's architecture is one of the city's main
claims to fame, and a quick swing through this center will help you understand why. Run
by the w ell-regarded Chicago Ar chitecture Foundation, it's conveniently located acr oss
the street from the Art Institute. Still trying to figure out the difference between Prairie
School and postmodern? S top in her e for a lesson. E xhibits include a scale model of
downtown Chicago, profiles of the people and buildings that shaped the city's look, and
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