Skip to content
visitorfun
BusinessesGrow
MuseumsArt loverRainy-day pick

Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

220 E Chicago Ave · Chicago, IL

Why you should go…

A block off Michigan Avenue, the MCA is one of the world's largest contemporary art museums, known for headline-making exhibitions, its 2017 Takashi Murakami show drew record crowds, alongside a collection spanning surrealism, minimalism, and conceptual art from 1945 onward. The grand staircase and terraced sculpture garden are destinations in themselves, and Marisol restaurant handles lunch. Adults pay $21, visitors under 18 enter free, and Illinois residents get in free on Tuesdays.

  • #contemporary art
  • #museum
  • #streeterville
  • #exhibitions
  • #art

Good to know

General museums guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Check the special exhibition separately

    Touring shows usually carry their own ticket and their own opening hours, listed apart from general admission.

  • Look for the free window

    Many museums run community days, member evenings, or discounted late openings. It is worth a look before you pay full price.

  • Travel light through the door

    Large bags and backpacks often have to go to a coat check, and lines for it move slowly at opening.

  • Weekday mornings beat weekend afternoons

    School groups clear out by early afternoon midweek, while weekends stay busy from late morning on.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Tours
    Quirky Fun

    Chicago Crime Tours

    $25–$50

    Guided bus tours through Chicago's Prohibition-era mob history and notorious crime landmarks.

    Steps awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Sightseeing
    Date Night

    360 CHICAGO Observation Deck

    $25–$50

    Lake-and-skyline views from 1,000 feet up, plus TILT, the glass ledge that leans you over Michigan Avenue.

    Steps awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Shopping
    Iconic

    The Magnificent Mile

    Free

    Chicago's iconic stretch of Michigan Avenue: 400+ stores, landmark towers, and the historic Water Tower, river to Oak Street.

    0.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Museums
    History Buff

    International Museum of Surgical Science

    $25–$50

    The only North American museum devoted to the history of surgery, set in a Gold Coast mansion on Lake Shore Drive.

    0.9 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Iconic

    The Art Institute of Chicago

    $25–$50

    Home of American Gothic and a world-famous Impressionist collection, guarded by two bronze lions.

    1.2 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Museum of Broadcast Communications

    Free

    A Chicago museum devoted to the history of American radio and television broadcasting.

    1.3 mi awayMore like this