Mentioned by Thrillist
The Coolest, Weirdest, and Best Museums in Chicago
"Another among the best museums in Chicago is the Museum of Contemporary Art. It’s located in the city center, next to the historic building and Water Tower Place shopping mall. It has an incredible collection and pieces developed by talented and internationally recognized artists, such as Cindy Sherman, Kara Walker, and Andy Warhol."
"A group of art patrons who felt the great Art Institute was unresponsive to modern work founded the MCA in 1967, and it has remained…"
"The art was so beautiful and I would say the artist extremely talented. It’s a beautiful museum that discusses and shows the beauty and story of Mexican culture. Came here on a field trip and had a tour guide walk us through the art."
"Tucked away in the South Loop, within Columbia College, the Museum of Contemporary Photography is one of Chicago’s best-kept secrets. It’s a small but mighty museum, regularly carrying the work of local photographers. The museum’s Midwest Photographers Project cycles through new and established midwest photographers, each examining a different social experience, from the slums of Mumbai to electronics and teens."
"Part of Columbia College Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Photography contains images by some of America’s greatest photographers. This includes Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans. A particular highlight is the Farm Security Administration collection of images, which portray life during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl."
"Located in the heart of The University of Chicago campus, the SMART Museum of Art truly makes art accessible for their youngest guests. On the first Saturday of the month, the museum hosts a free Family Day where kids can participate in hands-on art projects highlighting current art exhibits. After creating their masterpieces, kids and their families can join a docent-led tour or listen to a story being read in the art gallery."
"Plan ahead to pack a few stops in the surrounding area of this museum. You could explore the beautiful campus setting (University of Chicago in the leafy Hyde Park neighborhood) as well as other Museum Campus South attractions — like DuSable Museum of African American History — with budget-friendly admission prices. At the Smart Museum, everything is free."
"Part of the University of Chicago, the Smart Museum of Art has an impressive collection. This includes works organised by continent – such as Asia and Europe – and works organised by theme – e.g. contemporary art and modern art. The museum also houses a significant collection of works by the 20th century American sculptor and printmaker H.C."
"Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art in Chicago is a non-profit with a mission to share the work of outsiders. The center defines an outsider in the art world as "the work of artists who demonstrate little influence from the mainstream art world, and who instead are motivated by their unique personal vision." Since its inception in 1991, Intuit has become a leader in the field of promoting outsider and intuitive art. The museum's permanent collection, which they began amassing in 2002, has come to include more than 1,1000 works of art."
"Now open This unique museum, dedicated to work by self-taught artists, has reopened to the public. Intuit has taken several new precautions, including directional signage, reduced touch points, and enhanced sanitation. They’ve even re-installed their exhibition Outsider Art: The Collection of Victor F. Keen to increase spacing and allow more distancing."
"It is actually the only nonprofit organisation in the USA that is fully devoted to ‘outsider’ art and self taught art. It’s more than just an art gallery or museum – it’s somewhere to come for inspiration, and it’s actually used a lot by art students in the city of Chicago. There are over 1000 works of art here, so plenty to see!"
"Most people haven't tasted Filipino food unless they have friends or family but if you find yourself craving for an authentic Filipino breakfast in Chicago, head to Uncle Mike's Place. The Longaniza (sweet anise-wine chorizo sausage) and Tocino (annat and anise cured pork shoulder) can be ordered separately but also together as a combo that arrives with garlic fried rice and two eggs any style. It also serves bangus (boneless grilled milkfish) which is popular among Filipinos."
"A photo posted by Infatuation Chicago (@infatuation_chi) on Oct 28, 2016 at 9:17am PDT. Uncle Mike's Place may look like a fancy breakfast spot, but it's actually a Filipino-inspired diner. Save yourself the time of reading through their extensive menu and just order one of their Filipino breakfast plates, which come with your choice of meat, two eggs, garlic fried rice, and lugao (Filipino porridge), all for under $10."
"First-timers may come to Uncle Mike’s Place on the hunt for the perfect omelet or patty melt, but they quickly learn there’s much more to savor. The cozy family-run restaurant has a full menu of Filipino-American fare. Warm up with a bowl of lugao (chicken rice soup), try some tocino (Filipino bacon) with your eggs or go whole-hog with a side of spicy fried Spam."
"Vermicelli noodle salad bowl with grilled pork meatballs is a ginormous bowl layered with thin rice noodles, crispy lettuce, strips of crunchy carrots and cucumbers, bean sprouts, basil, ground peanuts and a fried egg roll, plus your protein of choice. Go to Cafe Hoang, one of the original restaurants in Viet Town, for the pho, the vermicelli noodle salad bowl or the bun bo hue."
"Enjoy vegetarian and vegan Thai food in Chicago, IL through a fusion of traditional methods and modern interpretation. Just like its name, I’m Vegan and Vegetarian is indeed a fully vegan and veggie restaurant with beautiful dishes you’ll Thai for (are you tired of the puns yet?)!. Location: 2907 N Lincoln Ave Chicago, IL 60657"
"If you don’t want to bake, or fry in this case too, then decorate with DIY cookie and doughnut kits ($14) starring colorful icing and sprinkles. You may find inspiration in the bakery’s smiley face cookies and Easter lamb cakes, wearing icing medical masks. Owner Can Lao, who revived the historic bakery in the Bridgeport neighborhood back in February, recently added Chinese egg tarts, plus a few staple items like paper towels, gloves, milk and Yakult, the yogurt-like drink."
"Restaurants Bakeries Bridgeport. This iconic Polish bakery closed in October 2019 after decades of serving pączki, doughnuts, cookies and other candy-colored sweets to its fans. Thankfully, new ownership swept in and restored the spot to its former glory."
"If the birthday star wants to share the stage with an over-the-top cake, Urban Icing is the place to go. Whether you prefer some traditional sweet confections or a 3D-shaped cake, this spot has got you covered. In addition to being a boutique bakery, Urban Icing is an event space where you can let them take care of all the details of your child’s party."
"(Primary Neighborhoods: Various events and locations, city and suburbs). Pancakes may not be the first thing that flips in our minds when we think about food truck fare, but if cupcakes sell like hotcakes, why not sell some hot cakes too. That’s the thinking behind this gourmet pancake truck."
"Lincoln Park Zoo is a renowned 35-acre zoo in Lincoln Park and a hotspot for tourists. It’s the zoo’s pavilion, designed to provide shelter for open-air on-site classes, that offers such a fantastically picturesque snap. With the design drawing inspiration from the appearance of a tortoise’s shell, the stunning curved wooden pavilion elegantly frames the Chicago skyline."
"The Regenstein Center for African Apes is also part or rather an extension of the Lincoln Park Zoo, where the visitors can come close to the apes, chimpanzees and the gorillas that have found their home there. It is home to some of the endangered species of western lowland gorillas as well as chimpanzees and exists to provide with the most realistic looking environment for them to live in comfortably. Location: 2058-2156 N Cannon Dr, Chicago, IL 60614, USATimings: 10 AM to 5 PMEntry Fees : –"
"However, for the admission, they should include some sort of souvenir or discount gift for next visit. On another note, the Zoo is pretty big and the parking lot is conveniently close by. Admissions process on a weekend was pretty quick."