Best Museums in Bucktown

"Get a little bold and adventurous at the Museum of Contemporary Art, located just one block east of historic Water Tower Placeon The Magnificent Mile. Browse the museum’s permanent collection, which includes more than 2,500 works, displayed in rotation, spanning media and movements from the 1920s to the present. Over the summer, Tuesdays on the Terrace brings you free, live jazz in the museum gardens, while morning visitors are greeted with weekly farmer’s markets at the museum’s monumental front steps."

"Museum of Contemporary Art With an ever-changing set of temporary exhibitions, you never really know what you’re going to get at this museum. It’s good for modern art lovers but sometimes verges on just being weird."

"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…"

"This accredited museum in the Pilsen area is dedicated to preserving and facilitating knowledge about Latino life and history. Exhibits focus on Mexican culture as it's represented in the US and in Mexico, and the permanent collection includes folk art, ephemera, sculpture, textiles and drawings. Performing arts are also featured and the center hosts special events throughout the year to advance the museum's objectives."

"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."

"If you saw the world in the stars at the Chicago Adler Planetarium, you’ll see a vibrant and beautiful new world in the National Museum of Mexican Art."

"The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum opened in 1999 in Lincoln Park with a clear mission: to educate the public, especially urban dwellers, on the importance of maintaining the quality of nature that surrounds us and steps to take that can help the environment. Your little ones will learn a little bit about nature and the environment that surrounds them, with a look at Chicago's waterways, an animal habitat play area, a year-round butterfly garden and more. The museum also hosts traveling exhibits that change every few months."

"Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is one of the top things to do in Chicago with kids. Located in Lincoln Park museum, this is a great museum that creates hands-on experiences for the kids to enjoy themselves as well as learn something along the way. The museum is an informative curation of Illinois’ natural history and ecology."

"The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum has been a Chicago staple for more than 160 years!. Located in Lincoln Park, the museum is dedicated to educating visitors about our natural world, conservation, preservation, and restoration through hands-on fun. Toddlers love exhibits and museum areas such as:"

"This center dedicated to the famous artist is located in Jefferson Park, and with its bright mural you can’t miss it. You can check out an iPod at the front desk for a self-guided tour, or visit the first Thursday of the month at 2pm for a thirty-minute guided tour."

"Get a little bold and adventurous at the Museum of Contemporary Art, located just one block east of historic Water Tower Placeon The Magnificent Mile. Browse the museum’s permanent collection, which includes more than 2,500 works, displayed in rotation, spanning media and movements from the 1920s to the present. Over the summer, Tuesdays on the Terrace brings you free, live jazz in the museum gardens, while morning visitors are greeted with weekly farmer’s markets at the museum’s monumental front steps."

"Museum of Contemporary Art With an ever-changing set of temporary exhibitions, you never really know what you’re going to get at this museum. It’s good for modern art lovers but sometimes verges on just being weird."

"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…"

"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."

"From the second you arrive in the lobby of The Peninsula Spa, you’ll be transported. Natural wood interiors and raku-style tiles evoke an Asian oasis, while your prime location on the Magnificent Mile is reiterated by a spectacular view from the glass-enclosed pool. Before or after a treatment, guests can gaze dreamily at the skyline; with premium snack and glass of port."

"The Peninsula Spa sits on the 19th and 20th floor of the Peninsula Hotel. This gem of a spa offers a blend of both modern and enduring Eastern treatments. We’re talking holistic Asian and Ayurvedic as well as modern result-driven massages and aromatherapy."

"Source: Photo by Flickr user Lou Stejskal used under CC BY 2.0. The Peninsula Spa is the epitome of urban luxury. If you need to de-stress, relax or just let loose then you must visit this spa."

"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"

"The extra-light macarons served at Pierrot Gourmet can only be described as very moreish. The European-style bakery and cafe found on East Superior Street inside the Peninsula Hotel, which also boasts a terrace eatery, just like theseother great bars and restaurants with rooftops in Chicago. Pierrot Gourmet is home to a range of fabulous baked goods, including macarons, which are said to pair perfectly with a specialty coffee or a glass of wine."

"Fancy and intricate French dishes are always a pleasure but sometimes all you need is a cup of coffee, a croissant, and prime views. This all-day café inside the Peninsula offers a casual setting that’s ripe for people-watching in the heart of downtown. Though the menu includes items like tarte flambée, boeuf bourguignon, and duck cassoulet, the restaurant’s bakery is its biggest standout."

"It’s part of the Chicago Peninsula hotel and offers authentic Parisian vibes. They have both indoor seating as well as an outdoor patio, adorned with flowers, located in a prime people watching spot in the city. It is incredibly charming."