Mordern, Free, Best Art Museums in Melrose Park

"Installation view, Duro Olowu: Seeing Chicago, MCA Chicago Feb 29-May 10, 2020 Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago. The Museum of Contemporary Art is always free for visitors under age 18, visitors with disabilities and their caregivers receive free admission, members of the military and police and fire departments and veterans, and Illinois elementary and high school teachers. To encourage more people to visit and visit often, the MCA has a pay-what-you-can policy — no one will be turned away."

"Another great family-friendly art museum is the Museum of Contemporary Art. Their belief is that it’s never too early to enjoy contemporary art and they have two great programs to help accomplish their mission. On the second Saturday of the month, the museum hosts Family Day with open-ended activities inspired by current art exhibits."

"One of the world’s largest contemporary art museums, the MCA is full of modern and contemporary works. This includes pieces by Arthur Jafa and Kerry James Marshall. Famous artists like Frida Kahlo and Jeff Koons held their earliest exhibitions at the museum, which regularly runs curated exhibitions throughout the year."

"PilsenImmerse yourself in Mexican culture The Pilsen neighborhood in itself is rich with Mexican murals and culture, but the National Museum of Mexican Art holds a 10,000-piece permanent collection by artists from both Mexico and America, offering a 3,000-year overview of works that often go overlooked in the American art world. Enjoy folk art, photography, sculpture, paintings and more, and make a visit here a priority during October for the museum’s Día de los Muertos exhibit, which features altars and other Day of the Dead art. What to know before you go: The museum is open 10am to 5pm Tuesday through Sunday, and admission is always free."

"Located in Pilsen, the National Museum of Mexican Art is the only museum dedicated to Latino culture that’s a member of the American Alliance of Museums. The museum has over 9,000 examples of Mexican art from ancient Mexico to the present as well as special exhibitions. While technically free, they do ask for a donation if you can spare it."

"South LoopExperience the world through photographs Don’t let the fact that this museum is on the Columbia College Chicago campus discourage you; it is one of the most famous photography museums in the entire Midwest, and it features an impressive collection of works by the likes of Marina Abramovic, Ansel Adams Henri Cartier-Bresson, Irving Penn, and countless more. Current and upcoming exhibits include “In Their Own Form,” an Afrofuturist exhibit which “seeks to illuminate the myriad ways blackness might hope to exist without the imposition of oppression,” and a collection of inventive collages titled “Echoes: Identity and Politics in Contemporary Collage.”. What to know before you go: The Museum of Contemporary Photography is open 10am to 5pm Monday-Wednesday and Friday-Saturday, 10am to 8pm Thursday and noon to 5pm Sunday."

"Founded by Columbia College Chicago in 1976, the Museum of Contemporary Photography presents works that reflect a wide range of aesthetics and technologies. It’s the leading photography museum in the Midwest, and is continually searching for new talent to exhibit. The museum is particularly interested in how photography impacts society, culture, and politics."

"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."

"The Smart Museum is small, free, an easy and engaging place to museums in Chicago. It’s easily accessible by public transit and there is a parking garage nearby. Exhibitions, which rotate, are really tremendous, tending towards the avant-garde but including the historical and always celebrating the vast diversity of the art world."

"5550 S Greenwood AveHours: Galleries are closed for reinstallation until September 11th, 2015. Regular hours (Mon-Fri, 8:30am-3pm; Sat-Sun, 11am-3pm) resume September 12th."

"If you want to see masterpieces but don't want to spend a long day wandering around one of the major art museums, the Smart may be just…"

"The Renaissance Society is a kunsthalle-style museum that presents about 4 exhibits a year from international artists. It focuses on contemporary art and is located at the University of Chicago."

"Tucked away at the edge of Lincoln Park that juts out into Lake Michigan, the Montrose Bird Sanctuary is a 15-acre wooded respite that features a few peaceful mulch-covered hiking trails to stroll through. What was once a site of Army barracks from the ’50s to the ’70s is now one of the best places in the area to spot a few of the tens of thousands of migratory birds from more than 300 different species that reportedly stop for some green space along their trek along the lake. Within the sanctuary, a 150-yard stretch of honeysuckle bushes has been nicknamed “The Magic Hedge,” because it attracts an especially high number of migratory birds."

"UptownThis more laid-back section of Montrose Beach is both a dune habitat and a bird sanctuary, as well as one of the best spots for trail hiking in the city with killer skyline views. If that’s not enough, there’s also a beach bar. And a damn fine beach bar at that."

"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)."

"In addition to a wide array of donuts (everything from Glazed to Nutella Banana Pockets), Stan’s Donuts also serves up gelato, shakes and Intelligentsia coffee. Stop by to take in the fun, retro vibe and order one of their most popular creations – Lemon 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."

"Just beyond the aquarium is the Adler Planetarium, which when constructed in 1930 became America's first planetarium. The building is more than a museum; it is a laboratory, a classroom, and a community exploring the Universe together. Each year half a million visitors experience the museum's interactive exhibitions, live planetarium shows, hands-on educational programs, and world-class collections."

"Finish your ride at the waterfront behind the Alder Planetarium, for your very last photography stop. With dreamy views of the skyline framed by the glittering lake, it’s considered one of the best spots in the city to watch the sunset and makes for the perfect ending to a whirlwind Chicago getaway."

"Taking you on a journey through the stars to unlock the mysteries of our galaxy and beyond, the Adler tells amazing stories of space…"

"PilsenImmerse yourself in Mexican culture The Pilsen neighborhood in itself is rich with Mexican murals and culture, but the National Museum of Mexican Art holds a 10,000-piece permanent collection by artists from both Mexico and America, offering a 3,000-year overview of works that often go overlooked in the American art world. Enjoy folk art, photography, sculpture, paintings and more, and make a visit here a priority during October for the museum’s Día de los Muertos exhibit, which features altars and other Day of the Dead art. What to know before you go: The museum is open 10am to 5pm Tuesday through Sunday, and admission is always free."

"Located in Pilsen, the National Museum of Mexican Art is the only museum dedicated to Latino culture that’s a member of the American Alliance of Museums. The museum has over 9,000 examples of Mexican art from ancient Mexico to the present as well as special exhibitions. While technically free, they do ask for a donation if you can spare it."