Chicago · MUSEUMS
Good museum experiences fill up weeks ahead; the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
A spooky 1.5-hour torture museum in Chicago with an audio guide and a ghost-hunting app, plus plenty of photo-ready, interactive displays.
“Very enlightening museum with a well done audio tour. We are very fortunate to be in more civilized times!”
Chicago’s Field Museum options for dinosaurs and world cultures, from Sue and Maximo to jade, gems, and Tsavo lions.
“I took my 5 year old Grandson and he loved every exhibit from the Dinosaurs in the big hall to the rocks and crystals on 2, to the native exhibits and the birds. Lunch in the hall and then to the Trex and the life of Jane and probably the hit of the day - the Virtual Reality ride.”
Prebook tickets for Chicago’s Field Museum to see SUE the T. rex, Egyptian mummies, ancient Americas halls, and the Hall of Gems.
“Don’t go there unless you have a passion for ancient artifacts or different cultures or you have young children cause you’re gonna be bored and get field trip vibes. I’d rather go to a zoo instead of seeing lifeless taxidermy animals behind glass cases. Next time we’ll just go to the Science and Industry Museum cause that’s more our speed”
Museum of Ice Cream Chicago is ticketed, photo-filled play with unlimited ice cream samples, crazy golf, a speakeasy, and sprinkle pool.
“This was my first time going to the Museum of ice cream. It wasn’t worth a $50 ticket. I expected more. Small and not much to do.”
Ride a Segway through Chicago’s lakefront and Museum Campus on a small-group, 2-hour tour with helmet training, live guide commentary, and great photo stops.
“Shannon was a great tour guide. He was energetic, was patient with us, and offered to take some photos of me and my partner”
Experience Museum of Ice Cream Chicago with 14 interactive rooms, unlimited ice cream, a sprinkle pool, Sprink-L ride, and mini golf in 90 minutes.
“The museum doesn’t check in your ticket from the app but they will have your information on their tablets! Easy and convenient!”
Timed entry to Chicago’s Griffin Museum with hands-on science, Tesla lightning, Apollo 8, and optional Spider-Man, U-505, and coal mine add-ons.
“Everything is nice. Very nice. The experience inside the submarine should be free. And it shall be better explained all the fees during the ticket purchase. We can de ide to purchase the entrance on the submarine ahead of time with discount.”
Cruise Chicago’s lakefront and museum campus on a small-group Segway tour, with top landmarks, skyline views, and calm, hands-on training.
“This is a great tour filled with beautiful sites and fun Chicago facts. Our family of 5 had a great time with Jeremy, our tour guide. Our kids are 12-17 years old and this was the perfect way to see lots of Chicago sites that they would not have wanted to walk that distance to see. We learned so much from Jeremy and had a great time. It was well worth the money and time. Jeremy was an excellent tour guide.”
Chicago Lakefront and Museum Campus Segway Tour, glide past Buckingham Fountain, Lake Michigan, museums and Soldier Field with training.
“Jeremy is a great professionnal He makes us discover Chicago with a good remenber Ask to be with Jeremy”
Skip stress with an All-Access Field Museum pass, timed entry, and free docent tours, plus major halls like SUE and Egypt.
“We went to see the “The First Kings of Europe “ exhibit and enjoyed it very much but there is so much more to see. We saw “Sue” the T-Rex, the lions of Tsavo and the Egyptian tomb exhibit. There was way too much to see in a day and we definitely want to go back. It was a great day.”
Timed entry to Chicago’s Museum of Illusions with 60+ brain-bending exhibits, standout photo ops, and a Smart Playroom brain game zone.
“staff was so helpful, available, pleasant. It was such fun and amazing”
Flexible 14-day entry to Chicago's American Writers Museum, packed with interactive timelines, typewriters, and Chicago literary exhibits for $16.
“Extremely interesting about so many writers - we wanted to stay for hours. Excellent displays that made us want to learn more.”
Skip the line setup and explore Chicago’s MCA at your pace. Mobile ticket entry, contemporary exhibits, and an easy 1 to 3 hour outing.
“Very well organized, attended is well lit, positioned and composed. For those who appreciate contemporary art, it’s an opportunity to rediscover or discover a few remarkable artists. Unfortunately some of work are heavily politicized, but not all.”
American Writers Museum Chicago ticket for $16, with interactive exhibits on American literature and an included 3pm guided tour.
“Vet informative in a very creative presentation.. you learn what an art writing ia. Great value too.”
Visit Volo Auto Museum in Chicago for $24.10. Explore 35 acres of cars and Americana for 1 to 5 hours, plus videos.
“Wear walking shoes!! The cars are unique, memorable, and a blast from the past. Read the stories. But DONT TOUCH THE CARS😆”
Every kind of day out in the city, and the best of each.
