Chicago’s Must-See Museums

Chicago is home to some of the most acclaimed museums in the world.

You can easily spend a weekend or more exploring them. We’ve suggested a handful to get you started.

Families love to spend the day at the lakefront Museum Campus, home to the Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum and Adler Planetarium. The Shedd houses hundreds of aquatic wonders, including beluga whales, sharks and white-sided dolphins. See the dolphins and whales perform daily in an exciting aquatic show. In the Polar Play Zone, little ones can dress up like penguins and touch real sea stars. Plus, the Shedd recently announced a $500 million transformation, concluding in 2030, the aquarium's 100th anniversary. At the Field Museum come face to face with prehistoric dinosaurs, including towering Sue the T. rex, the largest dinosaur of its kind ever discovered. Or explore a mysterious tomb that holds one of the nation’s biggest collections of Egyptian mummies. At the Adler Planetarium walk with astronauts and see space treasures like real moon rocks. Take a seat in one of the dazzling sky theaters and get ready to blast off into the galaxies.

Set aside a second day to roam the halls of the Museum of Science and Industry, in the Hyde Park neighborhood. This massive museum holds more than 800 hands-on science exhibits. Explore the inner workings of a real German U-505 submarine, ride carts through the underground coal mine, and fasten your seatbelt for a virtual ride on a United Airlines Boeing 727 airplane. Need a break? Kick back in the museum’s giant Omnimax Theater.