The Real Chicago

Top Menu

  • Home
  • E-newsletter
  • Contact

Main Menu

  • Home
  • The Big City Blog
  • General Features
  • Around Town
    • First Look – Reviews
    • Hidden Gems
    • Inside Scoop
  • Eat. Drink. Shop.
    • Good Eats
    • Signature Dishes
    • A Round of Drinks
    • Shop Around the Corner
  • The Local Angle
    • Chicago Insider
    • The Local Corner
    • My Chicago
  • Interviews
  • Forum
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login
  • Home
  • E-newsletter
  • Contact

logo

Header Banner

The Real Chicago

  • Home
  • The Big City Blog
  • General Features
  • Around Town
    • First Look – Reviews
    • Hidden Gems
    • Inside Scoop
  • Eat. Drink. Shop.
    • Good Eats
    • Signature Dishes
    • A Round of Drinks
    • Shop Around the Corner
  • The Local Angle
    • Chicago Insider
    • The Local Corner
    • My Chicago
  • Interviews
  • Forum
  • Chicago’s hidden gems: Kiss Kiss Cabaret, Unabridged Bookstore, Lulu Belle’s Pancake House and TNT at The Annoyance

  • New on the scene: Recapping recent restaurant and bar openings in Chicago

  • The Big City Blog: A Chicago summer bucket list

  • Outdoor drinking: A guide to some of our favorite beer gardens and rooftops in Chicago

  • A day at the museum: Exploring the iconic Field Museum in Chicago

General Features
Home›featured-blogs›General Features›Learning curve: Get out and explore some of Chicago’s lesser-known museums

Learning curve: Get out and explore some of Chicago’s lesser-known museums

By TheRealChicagoOnline
February 18, 2016
658
0
Share:

Your ads will be inserted here by

Easy Ads.

Please go to the plugin admin page to set up your ad code.

Photo by Michael Tropea

Photo by Michael Tropea

By Nicole Cash

Arts Club of Chicago
201 E. Ontario St.
www.ArtsClubChicago.org
What it’s known for: Although a membership at the Arts Club allows access to special events, one isn’t necessary to enjoy most of what the Arts Club has to offer. The Club typically has four public exhibitions a year, varying from Andy Warhol to the work of John Baldessari (think huge ears on the wall with an even bigger trumpet protruding out from the wall).

What stood out: Since there is only one exhibit open to the public at a time, the Arts Club is a brief visit, but it doesn’t really feel like that. The current exhibit, Pele’s Curse by artist Kerstin Brätsch, displays paintings so intricate and grandiose, you will easily spend much more time than necessary wandering about in admiration.

Swedish American MuseumSwedish Museum 1 (web)
5211 N. Clark St.
www.SwedishAmericanMuseum.org
What it’s known for: The museum focuses on Swedish history, art and culture, as well as the impact the Swedish population continues to have in modern-day Chicago. It also gives guests a glance at the immigration and exploration experience. The museum has a gift shop, a genealogy center, lectures, events and Swedish classes.

What stood out: The children’s museum is incredibly interactive and educational, as it really gives kids an idea of what it was like for people to come to the U.S. generations ago. There’s a replica of a ship so that kids can pretend they are going through Ellis Island, a replica of a typical Swedish house and real Swedish toys.

National Museum of Mexican ArtMexican Art 2 (web)
1852 W. 19th St.
www.NationalMuseumOfMexicanArt.org
What it’s known for: The museum incorporates Mexican art from both sides of the border. More specifically, the art represents the indigenous and Spanish groups of Mexico, a modern Mexico, and Mexican identity here in the U.S. and Chicago. The museum also has a shop and puts on a variety of events, especially for Día de los Muertos.

What stood out: The museum is small and doesn’t require your full day, but the variety of art it offers is great. Each piece pays homage to Mexico, whether it’s a piece about immigration issues, Chicano identity, Día de los Muertos or Mexican music icon Selena. The museum truly does an excellent job of incorporating all aspects of Mexican culture and identity through the art it showcases.

Jane Addams Hull House
800 S. Halsted St.
www.HullHouseMuseum.orgJane Addams 3 (web)
What it’s known for: The museum is known as Hull House, a settlement created by Jane Addams in the 1880s to provide different forms of support for immigrant communities such as daycare and English and citizenship classes. Today, the museum focuses on its original values of community engagement and social justice. It offers artifacts from the late 1800s and early 1900s and exhibits such as Mapping the Neighborhood, which tells the stories of Chicago immigrants from Jane Addams’ time.

Your ads will be inserted here by

Easy Ads.

Please go to the plugin admin page to set up your ad code.

What stood out: The museum is obviously rich in history, but it also keeps the values of social engagement and justice relevant to modern times. The exhibits examine everything from the conditions European factory workers had to deal with to the incarceration of people of color and the diversity of immigrant communities in Chicago from the 19th century through today.

International Museum of Surgical Science
1524 N. Lake Shore Dr.Surgical Science - tools (web)
www.IMSS.org
What it’s known for: The Museum of Surgical Science is known for its variety of all things medicine. It gives a comprehensive history of medical and surgical science, with images depicting how a surgery was done in the old days and the seemingly archaic tools once used for procedures of all kinds. The museum also incorporates contemporary art into their repertoire: A current exhibit shows the work of Stevie Hanley, which allows guests to experience a number of sensory responses at once.

What stood out: This museum appears to be very tiny and discreet from the outside, but once inside, it seems around each corner is another room with even more to see. The museum gives such a broad history of surgery and integrates how methods vary from different countries and different time periods.

Museum of Contemporary Photography
600 S. Michigan Ave.Museum of Contemporary Photography (web)
www.MOCP.org
What it’s known for: Columbia College’s museum, known most for its photography exhibits, works with local and international artists while engaging with both its students and local communities. It strives to showcase emerging artists, offering a variety of photography that focuses on everything from portraits to architecture and cultural phenomenon.

What stood out: The museum is completely free, and its size and high caliber of photography is impressive. One current exhibit, Grace of Invention, features the work of several artists, all of whom clearly have their own style, making it a very extensive display and one definitely worth your time.

Your ads will be inserted here by

Easy Ads.

Please go to the plugin admin page to set up your ad code.

TagsAndy WarholArts Club of ChicagoChicago MuseumsColumbia College ChicagoInternational Museum of Surgical ScienceJane Addams Hull HouseJohn BaldessariMuseum of Contemporary PhotographyNational Museum of Mexican ArtStevie HanleySwedish American MuseumThe Real Chicago
Previous Article

Shop Around the Corner: Lakeview’s Foursided provides ...

Next Article

Chicago Insider: Etienne Padin on Bom Bolla’s ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

TheRealChicagoOnline

Related articles More from author

  • The Big City Blog

    The Big City Blog: Bagels, books and booze — my Saturday in Wicker Park

    July 28, 2015
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • Chicago Insider

    Chicago Insider: Caitlin Meeter on RM Champagne Salon, LaBagh Woods, and bowling at Southport Lanes

    May 1, 2017
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • Shop Around the Corner

    Shop Around the Corner: Build your own jewelry creation at String a Strand in Old Town

    October 4, 2016
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • Chicago Insider

    Chicago Insider Sheena Lawrick on ice skating at the Maggie Daley ribbon, cocktails at The Sixth and celebrating at Homestead ...

    December 22, 2017
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • First Look - Reviews

    First Look review: Second City’s “She the People” is a reassuringly funny discussion about sexism and the world of women

    October 11, 2017
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • First Look - Reviews

    First Look review: The riveting “Odysseo” by Cavalia is so much more than just a circus with horses

    April 7, 2017
    By TheRealChicagoOnline

You might be interested

  • Around TownGeneral Features

    Chicago’s best burgers: Everyone loves a good burger. Here are some of the city’s top options

  • Around TownGeneral Features

    Chicago’s claim to fame: Tours for pizza and The Devil in the White City

  • Around TownGeneral Features

    Love is in the air: Romantic spots to spend Valentine’s Day in Chicago

  • LATEST REVIEWS

  • TOP REVIEWS

Timeline

  • November 11, 2021

    Inside Scoop: Massive FoBAB beer festival returns to Chicago this weekend, Nov. 12-13

  • July 31, 2019

    Chicago Insider Etienne Padin on obscure museums, shopping in Andersonville and dining at Maple & Ash

  • July 30, 2019

    First Look review: CMX CineBistro provides a fun, fresh take on the luxury dine-in theater experience

  • July 28, 2019

    Finger lickin’ good: Six trusted Chicago spots for a stellar barbecue experience

  • July 25, 2019

    The Big City Blog: Four Friday Night Flights beer tastings remain this summer, including July 26 in Ravenswood

Latest Comments

  • The 14 Best Fireplaces in Chicago | UrbanMatter
    on
    October 11, 2017
    […] Photo Credit: The Real Chicago […]

    Cozy on up: We asked active Chicagoans for their favorite spots to warm up in the ...

  • Why You Should Visit a Museum | FreeForAll.org
    on
    January 16, 2017
    […] Photo Credit: Therealchicago   […]

    It’s cold out there: A few spots to warm up this winter

  • Why You Should Visit a Museum – FreeForAll.org
    on
    October 23, 2016
    […] Photo Credit: Therealchicago   […]

    It’s cold out there: A few spots to warm up this winter

  • The Real Chicago – The Big City Blog: A very Chicago night on the town
    on
    May 31, 2016
    […] up was The Redhead Piano Bar for drinks and live music. I’ve said it before ...

    Friendly, unfussy, and serious about music: Hanging with Marshall Nelson from the Redhead Piano Bar

  • Scouting Logan Square: A Renewed Historical Neighborhood - The Annex, a blog by Casamatic
    on
    March 10, 2016
    […] (cover photo via The Real Chicago) […]

    The rise of Logan Square: Why this diverse area has quickly become one of Chicago’s hottest ...

Find us on Facebook

Originally launched in 2006, The Real Chicago — as a glossy entertainment magazine, website and email newsletter — has consistently provided the very best insider information, features and reviews to help both tourists and active locals get the most out of exploring the greatest city on Earth.
  • Latest Posts

  • Inside Scoop: Massive FoBAB beer festival returns to Chicago this weekend, Nov. 12-13

    By TheRealChicagoOnline
    November 11, 2021
  • Chicago Insider Etienne Padin on obscure museums, shopping in Andersonville and dining at Maple & ...

    By TheRealChicagoOnline
    July 31, 2019
  • First Look review: CMX CineBistro provides a fun, fresh take on the luxury dine-in theater ...

    By TheRealChicagoOnline
    July 30, 2019

Photostream

    Follow us

    © Copyright The Real Chicago. All rights reserved.