Mordern, Free, Best Art Museums in Darien

"DowntownWalk among the Warhols If the modern wing at the Art Institute of Chicago isn’t enough, lovers of modern art can’t miss the Museum of Contemporary Art. In fact, the building itself (home to the MCA since 1996) is a modern marvel and an ode to Chicago in both its nods to famous architects from the Chicago School and in its design, which was inspired by the city’s grid system. Featuring a collection that includes Andy Warhol, Alexander Calder, Jasper Johns, Jeff Koons, and countless more modern art heavy-hitters, the museum will leave you dazzled for hours."

"The National Museum of Mexican Art is one of the only Chicago museums of art that showcases the art, culture and history of the Latino, Mexican and Chicano communities. Founded in 1982, it now counts some 10,000 pieces in its collections. These range from pre-Hispanic and pre-Colombian objects made by indigenous Mexican groups – including the Maya, Mezcala and Toltec – to folk art, textiles and paintings."

"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."

"Admission is free year-round at the Museum of Contemporary Photography. All visitors must reserve a free timed ticket. Dates are subject to change and may not include fees to view special exhibits."

"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."

"The David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art is part of the University of Chicago's campus. The Smart Museum has a permanent collection with more than 15,000 objects, ranging from modern art to Asian art to contemporary art to European art. The galleries are rehung each year."

"The Smart Museum of Art is scheduled to re-open April 8, 2021. These aren’t the only free things to do in Chicago!. Find more in our ultimate guide."

"Ongoing weekend programs at the museum include workshops for kids to learn about identifying rocks and minerals or learning how to make jewelry. Collections include gemstones, fossils and an ornate castle. Online activities include virtual jewelry classes and rock identification classes."

"The Arts Club of Chicago is an art museum with public exhibitions and private tours. The club's first floors are open to the public at no admission cost; private tours of the permanent collection can be arranged. The Arts Club, which opened in 1916, was home to the first United States showing of Pablo Picasso's work."

"Spavia Day is a lovely, welcoming spa that desires to treat each guest with an exceptional experience. Their warming staff presents the most attentive service, and treatment options are affordable. So whether you’re seeking products and selections in beauty, body treatments, skin care, or massages, you won’t leave disappointed with this choice."

"Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing. At Spavia, you can go for massages, spa treatments, body treatments, skin care, beauty treatments and much more. Think of this as the most luxurious spa treatment ever!"

"Spavia is open, but due to regulations, they might not be able to provide all of their usual services. They offer massages, waxing, skincare, and body treatments for both men and women."

"If you’ve ever read the ingredients label on your lotion and felt slightly freaked out, head to this green boutique spa. For hair removal, they do sugaring. Their nail services use only 5- to 10-free polishes (meaning they’re free of harsh chemicals)."

"The Ritz-Carlton is another enduring elite hotel brand that defines posh. So, you can only imagine what their top-notch spas have to offer. Chicago’s Ritz-Carlton Spa is truly an exclusive haven of luxe pampering."

"Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account. View this post on Instagram. A post shared by The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago (@rcchicago) on Oct 30, 2018 at 9:00am PDT"

"Allyu Spa delivers medicinal massage and bodywork, superior skincare and elegance tools in a relaxing and lavish mood. Their aspiration is habitually to anticipate for your wellness needs in your individual and accurate way. Their gift inside their society would be a competent distance, higher treatments and services and products to promote health insurance and wellbeing."

"Allyu Spa dedicates a tremendous effort to giving you a truly relaxing environment. Modern and luxurious, the spa is the ultimate getaway that doesn’t require a passport. They provide unique services, valuable to your health and wellbeing, and are designed to alleviate discomfort and stress symptoms."

"A post shared by Allyu Spa (@allyuspa) on Nov 22, 2016 at 10:18am PST. With an aim to ensure your well, the Allyu Spa is known for its therapeutic massages and treatments. They offer special massages and treatments for expecting mothers as well as couple massages and services."

"Make one large or four minis from the cookie dough balls ($3 each) in chocolate chip, peanut butter or funfetti flavors. The Lettuce Entertain You beach house concept restaurant in Lincoln Park never seemed to make much sense to me as a former Southern California resident, but we can all use a virtual escape right now."

"A post shared by Summer House Santa Monica (@summerhousesm) on Dec 6, 2018 at 11:55am PST. It’s easy to forget the frigid temperatures when you’re inside Summer House Santa Monica, a California-inspired restaurant in Lincoln Park. Each day comes with an assortment of holiday cookies, from reindeer to mittens."

"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 you’re wondering what happened to Bridgeport Bakery 1.0, it closed. But thankfully version 2.0 has the same delicious treats as the original. And while they have a lot of baked goods besides donuts, we like coming here for their long johns and bismarks."

"A partnership of L.A.’s Stan’s Donuts with our homegrown Labriola Baking Company, the Chicago version may not be quite as star-struck, but wow, do they know how to donut. Now open in nine Chicagoland locations (with a 10th coming soon to Oak Brook Terrace), you can load up on their Standard (Glazed, Powdered Sugar, Plain Old Fashioned), Dough Boy’s Best (Peanut Butter Banana Pocket, Glazed Pretzel), and Specialty (Raspberry Bismark, Glazed Orange Old Fashioned, Dreamsicle Bar) donuts, as well as a small selection of “glutenless” donuts, and wash it down with Stan’s Dark Roast coffee (another happy partnership, this one with local Passion House Coffee Roasters)."

"We like going to Stan’s when we want a lot of variety or a donut that sounds like it was created by an eight-year-old. For example, they have a caramel marshmallow, Cap’n crunch, and our personal favorite, the biscoff (a.k.a. cookie butter-filled) pocket. If you don’t feel like feeding your inner child, consider ordering something like their pretzel-glazed or the pistachio old fashioned."

"The Best of the Batch: Glazed Old Fashioned Donuts ($2.75) or Nutella Pocket Doughnut ($3.75). Stan’s yeasty doughnuts have become a Chicago staple in the past few years. Stan’s was one of the first specialty doughnut shops to open in Chicago."