Art Institute of Chicago Tours and Tickets

No. Most adults have to pay to visit the Art Institute of Chicago, although kids under 14 and Chicagoans under 18 go free all year. Certain days are free for Illinois residents during winter, while active-duty military, Illinois educators, and students at some partner institutions enjoy free entry year-round.

Yes, the Art Institute of Chicago is most definitely worth visiting. The second largest art museum in the US, it hosts works by Vincent van Gogh, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Georgia O’Keeffe, Andy Warhol, Salvador Dalí, Jackson Pollock, and many other boldface names.

Most adults will want to spend at least 2–3 hours, but an hour is generally enough time for kids. The Art Institute of Chicago displays thousands of works from its collection of almost 300,000 pieces alongside multiple special exhibitions, so you could spend days here and still not see it all.

Not always. A general admission ticket to the Art Institute of Chicago includes access to non-ticketed special exhibitions, but you need to buy an additional ticket for some special exhibitions. Members of the Art Institute of Chicago enjoy free admission to both the museum and ticketed special exhibitions.

Yes. A general admission ticket to the Art Institute of Chicago is valid for the full day that it’s issued, meaning you can go out for lunch, fresh air, or a stroll in Millennium Park, then come back and see more art. Just be sure to keep hold of your ticket.

Flowers, balloons, and food and drinks other than water bottles are not allowed anywhere in the museum. Weapons, toys, tripods, video cameras, selfie sticks, wrapped gifts, pens, art materials, shopping bags, large bags, backpacks, and tall umbrellas are not allowed in the galleries, while water bottles must always be carried in bags.