Last Updated: 4/29/2023

A Guide to the Art Institute of Chicago’s Artworks, Highlights, & Famous Paintings

A trip to Chicago isn’t complete without a trip to see the Art Institute of Chicago artworks.
This Chicago art museum isn’t just in the top 10 things to do in Chicago. Many people, including myself, consider the Art Institute of Chicago the best thing to do in the Windy City.

Luckily for me, I’ve become well acquainted with the Art Institute of Chicago artworks over the years. As a child, I traveled to Chicago’s western suburbs a couple times a year to visit my dad’s family. This was a real treat as a kid from rural northern Minnesota. Although we spent most of those visits in the ‘burbs, it was the very best Chicago day if we headed downtown to the Art Institute of Chicago.

If you’re wondering what’s so great about the Chicago art museum, read on! I’ve written this guide to answer all your Art Institute of Chicago questions. You’ll learn what artworks to see as a first-time visitor, my personal favorite Art Institute of Chicago artworks, plus all the other need-to-know facts like where to park and ticket prices.

After reading this post, I think you’ll agree that a trip to see the Art Institute of Chicago artworks should at the top of any Chicago itinerary.

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What makes the Art Institute of Chicago and its artwork special?

Hands down, the Art Institute of Chicago is the best art museum in Chicago. I get happy just strolling by the two lions guarding its entrance.

Writer Sarah Vowell writes that she gets excited every time she sees the National Park typeface because she knows she’s about to experience something really good. I get that same sense of giddy guarantee whenever I see a couple lions outside a popular attraction. I mean, how could there be anything other than goodness inside?!

(Fun fact: Vowell actually got her M.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. How’s that for a tidy, full-circle bow?)

The Art Institute of Chicago that we know and love today was a bit of a phoenix that rose from the ashes of the Great Chicago Fire. Back in 1866, a group of Chicago artists formed the Chicago Academy of Design. When the Great Fire destroyed the building where the artists had met, they began lobbying for a new, permanent home.

After a few makeshift solutions, the group saw a huge opportunity for their cause when Chicago hosted the 1893 World Fair. They proposed a waterfront exhibition building that would be converted into Chicago’s art museum when the fair concluded. Genius!

Now a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago allows us to step back into the days of 1893 World Fair, a fascinating event that helped shape many facets of modern life. Ascend the Grand Staircase in the center of the museum and Chicago’s little used nickname “Paris of the Prairie” starts to make a little more sense. 

Today the Art Institute of Chicago’s collection of more than 300,000 artworks are housed in both the original Beaux-Arts building and several additional buildings and wings, including the Modern Wing which opened in 2009 on Millennium Park side of the museum. 

A Guide to the Art Institute of Chicago

Location

The Art Institute of Chicago’s Beaux-Arts building and its lion guardians dominate South Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago.

Interestingly, the museum was once a waterfront building. It wasn’t until the 20th century that the Art Institute of Chicago’s backyard was filled in to create what today is Millennium Park and a large portion of Grant Park.

How to get to the Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago’s central downtown location makes it very easy to walk to. If you’re staying anywhere in the Chicago Loop or near the Magnificent Mile, don’t bother with public transportation; just hoof it over to the museum.

If you’re coming from farther afield, here are your transportation options.

By train: If you’re out in Chicago’s suburbs, you can take the Chicago commuter train, the Metra, into downtown Chicago’s Union Station. From there it’s just under a mile walk due east on Adams Street to the museum.

By the “L”: If you’re using Chicago’s elevated train system, aka “the L”, the closest stop to the Art Institute of Chicago is Adams/Wabash.

By bus: Several Chicago bus routes run straight past the Art Institute of Chicago on Michigan Avenue, including 1, 7, 28, and 126. Disembark at the Adams/Wabash stop.

By car: You can certainly drive into downtown Chicago, although Chicago driving is not for the faint of heart!

Parking near the Art Institute of Chicago

The closest parking garages to the museum are the Millennium Garages. If you don’t mind a bit of a walk, you can probably find cheaper parking farther away from the waterfront. Wherever you decide to park, reserve and pay online ahead of time to save money and hassle.

Hours

The Art Institute of Chicago is open to the public from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Fridays – Mondays and 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Thursdays.

Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Tickets

Tickets must be purchased in advance through the Art Institute of Chicago website.

Below are the prices for general admission for out of state visitors to the Art Institute of Chicago:
Adults: $32
Seniors (65+), Students, and Teens 14-17: $26.00
Children 13 and under: Free

If there are ticketed special exhibitions, you will need to purchase tickets for those on top of general admission.

Chicago and Illinois residents enjoy discounted rates. They can also visit the museum for free on Thursday summer evenings from 5-8 p.m. and other select times throughout the year.

If you don’t want to stand in the general admission line, you can purchase FastPass tickets for $40 per adult, or $32 for seniors, students, and teens. This pass also gets you expedited admission into special exhibitions.

I highly recommend getting the Chicago CityPass for most Chicago visitors. This pass gets you in Chicago’s most popular attractions and can save you handy chunk of change (and time). At the Art Institute of Chicago, your Chicago CityPass gets you FastPass admission.

An important note: your ticket is good for the entire day, so feel free to step out if you want to grab lunch some place other than the museum cafes. 

Why Visit

There are so many reasons to visit the Art Institute of Chicago.

You could go because it’s one of the oldest and revered museums in Chicago. Or you could go to see some of world’s greatest masterpieces (here’s looking at you Van Gogh’s Bedroom) in the middle of the humble American Midwest. The impressive Impressionist collection is another huge draw.

In fact, did you know that Chicago has the most expensive art collection in the world?! Chicago art museums house about $735 million worth of artwork. Paris museums comes in at a close second with a worth of about $734 million. 

Even if you’re not an art museum kind of person (admittedly, I am . . . even wildlife art!) plan to visit just to admire the original 1893 World Fair Exhibition Building architecture.

But personally, I visit the Art Institute of Chicago because it’s so much more than art. With artifacts from all around the world that run the length of human history, a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago isn’t just a visual delight. You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the human experience.

My Best Tips for Visiting the Art Institute of Chicago

Use the coat check

I don’t usually mind carrying my coat around a museum, but the Art Institute of Chicago is huge. I greatly prefer to check my coat rather than cart it through the museum’s 273 galleries that cover more than 500,000 square feet.

Don’t be surprised by long lines

The Art Institute of Chicago isn’t only popular tourist destination, it’s beloved by residents as well. If you head to the Art Institute of Chicago on a weekend and there’s a popular special exhibit on, you may find the general admission line running down the block.

If you don’t want to shell out the extra $8 for a FastPass ticket that bypasses the general admission line, consider visiting midweek. While I’ve waited in line for probably 30 minutes on a Saturday, I’ve also experienced essentially no line when visiting midweek.

Use the mobile app

I know destination apps can be pretty hit or miss, especially for theme parks. However, I do recommend downloading the Art Institute of Chicago app before you visit, if only for its audio guide features.

I especially enjoy the “look it up” feature which allows you to access audio commentary about pretty much any piece of artwork that strikes your fancy. The app also has tours and other handy features.

Take advantage of free tours

Art Institute of Chicago staff members and other artists and educators frequently lead museum tours. Free with admission, these tours are a great way to quickly gain a lot of knowledge about the Art Institute of Chicago collection. Check out the museum’s event page to see if you can incorporate a tour into your visit.

The Most Famous Paintings at the Art Institute of Chicago

With more than 300,000 pieces of artwork, it’s impossible to see all of the Art Institute of Chicago in a single visit . . . let alone a lifetime. But if you’re a first-time visitor and only want the highlights, here’s a quick list of what’s generally considered the Art Institute of Chicago’s most famous artwork.

You can see many of these pieces by taking the Art Institute of Chicago “Essential Tours” in the museum’s app.

10 Pieces of Must-See Artwork in the Art Institute of Chicago

1) Nighthawks by Edward Hopper
Location: Gallery 262 – Arts of the Americas

2) American Gothic by Grant Wood
Location: Gallery 263 – Arts of the Americas

3) The Bedroom by Vincent Van Gogh

Location: Gallery 241 – Painting and Sculpture of Europe

4) A Sunday on La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat

Location: Gallery 240– Painting and Sculpture of Europe

5) Water Lilies by Claude Monet

Location: Gallery 243– Painting and Sculpture of Europe

6) Paris Street; Rainy Day by Gustave Caillebotte

Location: Gallery 201 – Painting and Sculpture of Europe

7) The Child’s Bath by Mary Cassett
Location: Gallery 273 – Arts of the Americas

8) The Old Guitarist by Pablo Picasso
Location: Gallery 391 – Modern Art

9) The Assumption of the Virgin by El Greco

Location: Gallery 211 – Painting and Sculpture of Europe

10) Armor Collection

Location: Gallery 239 – Applied Arts of Europe

My Favorite Artwork in the Art Institute of Chicago

My personal top five Art Institute of Chicago artworks aren’t located on some tidy tour of the museum. If you opt to follow in my Art Institute footsteps, you’ll find yourself tromping up and down the Grand Staircase and sinking down to the lower level.

Although my favorites might not be your favorites, my hope is that this list of random art scattered throughout the Chicago museum will inspire you to find your own very favorite pieces during your visit.

America Windows – Marc Chagall

Chagall’s America Windows makes many top 10 lists of Art Institute of Chicago artwork . . . and not just because it serves as the backdrop for Ferris Bueller kissing Sloane in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Made specifically for the Art Institute, Chagall gave this six-window installment to the Chicago museum in 1977.

In part, the windows celebrate the United States’ bicentennial. If you look closely, you’ll spy the Statue of Liberty as well as a bit of Chicago’s skyline. Chagall also wanted to honor America’s vibrant art scene. The installment devotes a panel each to music, painting, theatre, literature, architecture, and dance.

But more than evoking an “American feeling,” the windows just feel BLUE. A known master of color, it seems Chagall squeezed the very essence of the color blue into these windows. The windows cast a blue glow into the airy museum room where they’re housed. Step in front of them and you’ll feel both joy and calm wash over you.

Want more Chagall? Swing by his Four Seasons mosaic in the Chase Tower Plaza just a few short blocks away from the Art Institute main entrance.

Stacks of Wheat – Claude Monet

The Art Institute of Chicago has one of the largest collections of impressionist art in the world. I’m hesitant to single out one painting to represent the magnitude of the Institute’s impressionist collection . . . so I didn’t.

The Art Institute owns six of Monet’s 25 painting series of haystacks in a field near his home in Giverny, France. While I’d agree that his Water Lilies might be more immediately engaging, his haystack series become more captivating the more you look at them. (Apparently the world agrees with me, because these are the most valuable paintings in the Art Institute of Chicago.) 

I have fond memories of standing among Monet’s paintings in the second story Art Institute room while my dad pointed out how Monet captured different lights and temperatures depending on what season he was painting in. Stacks of Wheat (End of Summer) is probably my favorite of the six, but I find each intriguing in its own way.

Elaine – Edward Rosenthal

Located right off the sculpture court, I remember wandering past this painting as a teenager and coming to a dead stop. For that reason alone, this is the one painting I try to see every time I visit the Chicago museum. Happily, the centrally located sculpture court makes it easy to “swing by.”

Sure, it’s a melodramatic Victorian painting that might reminder you of Queen Victoria’s legacy. But when I first saw it, the story of Elaine’s body being ferried to Camelot after dying of a broken heart (damn you, Lancelot and Guinevere!) was fresh in my mind. At first glance, I instantly recognized the story Rosenthal was retelling.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s poetry inspired Rosenthal to paint Elaine and in turn, this painting piqued many others’ interest in Elaine and Arthurian legend.

If you’ve ever read Anne of Green Gables, you might remember Anne and Diana taking an ill-fated trip down a river when they decided to dramatize Elaine’s death. Although the girls credit Tennyson as the inspiration for their folly, it was actually this painting that caused a surge in Tennyson’s popularity in the late 1870s and 80s.

Narcissa Niblack Thorne’s miniatures

In my very first memory of the Art Institute, I’m standing on my tiptoes, peering into one of Narcissa Niblack Thorne’s gorgeous miniature rooms. So special they have their very own room in the museum’s lower level, Thorne’s