Attractions in Chicago: The Art Institute of Chicago

Both the tourists visiting Chicago and the Illinois locals, especially those who want to explore the arts and culture of the city, can check out The Art Institute of Chicago (AIC), an encyclopedic fine art museum situated in the city's Grant Park. This area is within the Chicago landmark known as the Historic Michigan Boulevard District. The museum is also directly linked to the esteemed Millennium Park via a sleek pedestrian bridge.

As of this writing, the AIC is the second largest art museum in the United States after the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. For general inquiries, people can reach the museum at +1-312-443-3600.

Galleries and Exhibits

The AIC features globe-spanning galleries where guests can enjoy the beauty, grandness and distinction of artworks coming from different countries. It is acknowledged as home to one of the world's most notable collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist pieces, American art, European and American decorative arts and the works of Old Masters. It also hosts a number of Asian artworks including those of Indian, Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic origins.

This art location showcases world-renowned collections of both old and contemporary works using varying art forms, particularly paintings, photographs, mixed media art and architecture and design pieces. It is a premier venue for masterworks from internationally renowned collections of famous icons such as Grant Wood and Rembrandt. It also has a huge collection of historical prints and drawings in its galleries.

The museum's facilities allow guests to delve into the history of photography through modern installation areas available for photographers. An exhibition space for American folk artists is available as well.

Dining

The award-winning Terzo Piano along the museum's Modern Wing offers an elegant Italian menu distinct of its authentic Italian ingredients and local and organic food offerings. Its grand location provides diners with stunning city views of the Chicago landscape. The Garden Cafe, which features an interesting outdoor dining space during the summer months, is an ideal option for a casual meal. The McKinlock Court Small Plates, which is known for its contemporary small plate offerings for both kids and adults, is an ideal place to relax and chit-chat with family members, friends and colleagues.

Shopping

The Main Museum Shop located along the historic building's Michigan Avenue lobby offers a wide selection of unique and innovative products and gift items for both tourists and locals. The Asian/Exhibition Shop located at the crossroads of the historic building and the Modern Wing supplies an exciting and rotating array of merchandise items of Asian origin. The Modern Wing Shop located within the Modern Wing's Millenium Park entrance is a haven of diverse selections of art reproductions, books, design objects, textiles, jewelries and gift and novelty items. Each shop's revenue helps support the different art and education programs of the museum.

Location

The Art Institute of Chicago is located at 111 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60603. This is just one block east of the Loop, which makes it easy to reach using the "El" train system. The Brown, Green, Orange, Pink and Purple lines all stop above ground at Adams/Wabash, which is right in front of the AIC, while the Red and Blue lines also stop underground at Monroe, which is just a few blocks away from the museum. The Van Buren and Millennium stations of the commuter rail transit system Metra stop underground about one to two blocks away in Michigan Avenue as well. For those bringing private vehicles or charter buses during their visits, the museum also provides guests with wide parking spaces.