The Art Institute of Chicago

02/28/11

Fantastic collection; confusing and badly organized layout

by supersquirrels

The Art Institute is amazing. It has an incredible collection and we spent almost a full day there and could easily return anytime. The only thing that was off putting was the fact that it is poorly laid out and confusing to visitors. We had to ask staff multiple times for directions through the building to the collections.

Suggestion: put colour-coded arrows on the floors guiding patrons through the art gallery to the respective sections. Eg. "To the Impressionist collection" etc. It would simplify it. There are too many nooks & crannies, various elevators that only go to certain parts of the gallery, and it wasted a lot of time wandering through the gallery. The layout was poor, the aesthetics of the galleries was wonderful. The art was superb. I hope they reconsider the layout in the future or at least work with the terrible layout to make it clearer through arrows on the floor to guide guests through the galleries.

07/02/08

Too Much Art!

by IceMouse

My girlfriend and I are avid art-lovers, but it almost feels like there was too much here. We were so exhausted by the end of the couple hours we spent here that we passed up other museums. The miniature rooms were amazingly impressive, and there is a whole floor dedicated to art that you can touch(Great for kids). As of June 30, the museum was undergoing a lot of construction it seemed, which could be inconvenient at times as stairways were often closed off. Many famous pieces, both western and eastern were on display, but we were upset to find that many impressionist and post-impressionist works were NOT on display. Many famous(Not all) works of Monet, Cassatt, Van Gogh, and Seraut were all hidden away for the construction making the trip somewhat disappointing, however they still had a lot of other famous works of Degas, Duchamp, Renoir, Manet, Picasso, and others. A lot of art that one certainly should see in their lives, just be aware, it is a BIG place, the second floor WILL wear you out. Also, a lot of large-scale works are extremely breathtaking. Look in the corner rooms of the second floor for these.

• Pros: $7 if you're a student, many famous works, more art than I could have asked for
• Cons: Construction, many famous works put away because of this

01/21/07

Fabulous Museum

by ajjan1973

Easily one of the best museums in the U.S. Do yourself a favor and visit it if you haven't already. I'll definitley check out the upcoming Cezanne to Picasso exhibit.

• Pros: Great collection
• Cons: Not as good as the MET in New York

10/25/06

Large collection for a small price

by sdollx

Large collection of artwork by many masters. Great place to experience a little bit of everything. It's worth the admission.

• Pros: Large collection
• Cons: parking

06/25/03

Wonder in Chicago's Art

by Dianna

I wanted other readers to know that Chicago's art Institute is a 'must see' while visiting the Windy City. I was wonderfully surprized when I was lucky enough to visit. I hadn't expected so much art by so many of the masters. Everything from Van Gogh to Monet and beyond. Don't miss this, you'll see the works you've always dreamed of seeing.