I often think about how lucky I am to live in such an amazing city with incredible restaurants, sports teams, activities and architecture. We always make it a point to become members of one or two museums at a time – as a family of six, it’s worth it because it pays itself off within one or two visits. The one membership I keep renewing forever into eternity, though, is for the Art Institute of Chicago. Often rated as one of, if not THE best, museums in the world, the AIC is chock full of incredible art, and some really super famous pieces too that almost anyone will recognize.

The AIC is housed in a century-plus old building which was built as more of an office building/headquarters for the 1883 World’s Fair in Chicago. About 20 years or so ago, the Modern Wing was constructed, housing art mostly from the 20th Century forward. The museum often has really epic special exhibits which are free for members. The grand staircase in the main building is your welcome to the museum, where the modern wing entrance is also stunning in its architecture.

This time, over our kids’ spring break, the impetus for going to the AIC was the Dali exhibit, “Salvador Dali: The Image Disappears” that they had going on. I was excited to see some more of this artist’s work after the last time the AIC did a surrealist exhibit. The colors and symbolism are always so interesting and I always chuckle at the detailed names of the pieces.

This exhibit was actually quite small, taking up only two gallery rooms in the modern wing, but included some really cool works such as “Apparition of Face and Fruit Dish on a Beach (1938)” and “Autumnal Cannibalism (1936)”. This was a nice intro of Dali to the kids.

Elsewhere at the AIC you will find ridiculously famous works of art such as Van Gogh’s “The Bedroom (1889)” and Grant Wood’s “American Gothic (1930)”.

Clara’s favorite has long been Seurat’s “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte (1884/6)” and we all love stopping by for a look to see if we can see something new each time.

You’ll find Hopper’s “Nighthawks (1942)” and El Greco’s “The Assumption of the Virgin (1577-9)”. There’s something for everyone here!

Visiting here is not super cheap if you’re not from Chicago or Illinois, with adult tickets costing $25, however all kids 13 and under are always free, and really, it’s a small price to pay for seeing so many of the world’s most famous and priceless artworks. Their free app is excellent, and provides free audio tours as well – I highly recommend checking out “The Essentials” tour which is 34 minutes long with 15 stops, which will take you to the most famous works in the museum. The museum is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, though, so be sure to take that into account if you are visiting.

The Art Institute of Chicago is an absolute do-not-miss attraction here in the city. Seriously, do not skip it if you are visiting Chicago! And, when you’re done, saunter across the street to one of my absolute favorite restaurants on Michigan Avenue, The Gage, for a cocktail and some delicious food. Read my full review about The Gage here!