art institute of chicago private tours

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Art Institute of Chicago Tour by Art Historian

Duration: 2-2.5hs private tour, from $80 - $215, tour description, meeting point.

The North Lion or the one on the left as you face the Art Institute. Also known as the lion that is “on the prowl”, it is located outside the main Museum entrance on South Michigan Avenue.

Starting Time Option

10:30am or 2pm (5pm option Thursday nights)

Skip-the-line museum tour; Private professional tour guide just for you; Tour includes all entrance fees

About This Tour

Embark on a captivating 2+ hour journey through the heart of creativity with a private tour of the Art Institute.  As you traverse the hallowed halls, you’ll discover an extraordinary collection spanning centuries and cultures, from classical masterpieces to cutting-edge contemporary works. Our expert guides will illuminate the stories behind each brushstroke, sculpture, and masterpiece, providing a rich narrative that breathes life into the art.

Whether you’re an art enthusiast, a history buff, or simply seeking inspiration, our tour of the Art Institute promises an unforgettable experience. Unleash your imagination and let our highly trained guides help you explore the major artworks.

Highlights usually Include: (unless on loan or being restored, etc.) Hartwell Memorial Window – Tiffany Studios Paris Street; Rainy Day – Gustave Caillebotte Sunday on La Grande Jatte – Georges Seurat The Bedroom – Vincent van Gogh Sky Above Clouds – Georgia O’Keefe Nighthawks – Edward Hopper A Picture of Dorian Gray – Ivan Albright American Gothic – Grant Wood America Windows – Marc Chagall The Old Guitarist – Pablo Picasso Four Mona Lisas – Andy Warhol Greyed Rainbow – Jackson Pollock

Private Tour

“Private Tour” tour guide exclusively for you”

semi-private

“Semi-Private” group size is never more than 12 guests maximum.

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How Our Tours Work

All of our tours are private, not public. So the tour is arranged just for you and yours.

• We recommend using our online booking tool for up-to-date availability.
• Select your tour experience and set your preferred date and time.
• Our booking system will help you select the right guide from our team of art historians based on the guides' availability.
• Tell us a bit about your interests and private group. We'll customize your tour from there.
• Your confirmation will show where the guide will meet you at the museum.
• Private tours for 1 - 4 people in your group booked online* are $225 per hour (a $5 discount over tours booked via email or phone).
• All tours have a two-hour minimum.
• Additional people and/or additional time have an additional fee.
• Museum admission needs to be added for each person. This will be added during your booking.
• We'll get your tickets ahead of time for you. So you can skip the lines!

Prefer a personalized booking experience?

* For those who need a bit more service via email and phone, our pricing is $225 per hour for 1 – 4 people. Larger groups are $50 per adult, $25 per child.

Real Art Historians, not scripted actors

ART SMART's art guides are primarily graduate-level professional art historians from top universities who have their fingers on the pulse of the art world.

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Chicago family tours at the art institute of chicago.

Family tours are our specialty; our pace and presentation will keep everyone engaged.

Private Family Tour through The Art Institute of Chicago

Our Family art tours of The Art Institute of Chicago are crafted with the explorative spirit of families in mind. Designed to engage children and families, our tour offers museum highlights selected for their potential for family fun. Your guide will be an art historian who has specifically been selected and trained to guide families.

We can customize the family art tour to suit the interests and ages of your children. Just let us know the ages of the kids when booking. Custom activities can also be planned depending on particular interests and children’s ages as well.

What to Expect on Your Guided Family Art Institute of Chicago Tour

Along the way, you and yours will enjoy these activities on our family art tour of The Art Institute of Chicago:

• Peek, literally, into the incredible Thorne Miniature Room collection for a seek-and-find search
• Encourage kids to touch the art, in the Elizabeth Morse Touch Gallery that is
• Stand among the knights in armor on their horses in the newly unveiled and spectacular Deering Family Galleries of Medieval and Renaissance Art, Arms, and Armor.
• Engage in a museum hunt that takes you to highlights and notable works in the collection

Museum Details

Open Daily 10:30–5:00

Thursdays Until 8:00

Book Yours Now

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3. Booking Summary

4. payment details, pricing questions.

Private tours for 1 – 4 people in your group booked online* start at $225 per hour (a 5% discount over tours booked via email or phone). All tours have a two-hour minimum. Additional people and/or additional time have an additional fee. Museum admission needs to be added for each person. This is added during your booking. We will get your tickets ahead of time for you. So you can skip the lines!

* For those who need a bit more service via email and phone, our pricing begins at $225 per hour for 1 – 4 people. Larger groups are $50 per adult, $25 per child.

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• Tue–Wed Closed
• Fri–Sun 11–5
• The first hour of every day, 10–11 a.m., is reserved for member-only viewing.

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From our podcast-style mobile app to our digital interactive for families to an hourlong highlights tour, we have various tools to help visitors plan their museum experience.

Hear the stories behind the art—straight from artists, experts, and community members—with our free mobile app, available for both Apple and Android devices.

Make your family visit to the Art Institute a fun-filled adventure—fly through the galleries like a superhero; travel back, or forward, in time; or discover strange and wondrous beasts.

The Art Institute offers almost a million square feet to explore. Use the museum floor plan to help navigate a course for your visit.

Short on time? Never fear, you can still see some of the most iconic and beloved works in the Art Institute’s collection on this quick spin through the galleries.

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COVID19 Rescheduling Policy: Book With Confidence! No Penalty For Rescheduling As Many Times As Necessary

Unveil Artistry: Semi-Private Skip the Line Tour at the Art Institute of Chicago

Elevate your museum visit: discovering masterpieces with our guided tour.

• Babylon Tours Chicago

From $125

Discover more about this tour

Only the highest quality guide is equipped to introduce you to one of the greatest museums on earth. the Art Institute, one of the world’s great art museums, houses a works that cover centuries of Art & History. Its is also known to have the worlds greatest collection of Impressionist artwork (Even rivaling the Musee D’Orsay in Paris). Your expert guide will help you explore the major artworks and hidden gems from this expansive collection and explain how this iconic American museum differs from its older European counterparts.

Highlights Generally Include: (if artwork is not on loan or being restored etc.)

Paris Street, Rainy Day by Gustave Caillebotte Sunday on La Grande Jatte – Georges Seurat Sky Above Clouds – Georgia O’Keefe Nighthawks – Edward Hopper A Picture of Dorian Gray – Ivan Albright America Windows – Marc Chagall The Old Guitarist – Pablo Picasso Inventions of Monsters – Salvador Dali Four Mona Lisas – Andy Warhol

“Semi-Private” means group size is never more than 8 guests maximum.

“Private Tour” means tour guide exclusively for you.

Prices Vary Based on Group Size

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Private Art Institute of Chicago Skip-the-Line Tour

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Here's the full list of Chicago free museum days for July 2024

The shedd aquarium, the field museum, chicago botanic gardens and more, published july 1, 2024 • updated on july 2, 2024 at 2:09 pm.

Illinois residents can get a break from the summer heat by visiting Chicago's many museums.

And getting inside might not cost you a dime.

📺 24/7 Chicago news stream: Watch NBC 5 free wherever you are

A number of museums in the Chicago area are offering free admission on select days, many of which happen to be in July.

Art Institute free days

Here's a full list of free days during the month:

Illinois residents can visit the Art Institute Chicago for free on Thursday evenings between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., June 6 through Sept. 26.

According to the Art Institute website, free tickets can be reserved in advance . Parking fees may apply.

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Admission for Illinois Pre-K–12 teachers, teaching artists working in schools, and homeschool parents is always free, the museum said. Admission is also free for active-duty members, kids under 14 and Chicago teens.

Adler Planetarium free days

Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.

The Adler Planetarium is free to Illinois residents every Wednesday evening from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.  Tickets  must be purchased online in advance.

According to the museum, the Planetarium is always free for Illinois teachers.

Chicago Botanic Garden free days

The Chicago Botanic Gardens, located in suburban Glencoe, is offering the following free days:

July: 9, 11

More information can be found here .

Chicago History Museum free days

The Chicago History Museum has announced the following free days for the month:

July: 4, 17

According to officials , the museum is always free for active duty Chicago police and firefighters, Illinois teachers, residents under 18 and all children under 12.

DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center free days

The museum offers free admission every Wednesday,  but online booking is required .

Field Museum free days

According to a press release, admission to the Field Museum will be free on Wednesdays throughout 2024 for Illinois residents.

Those residents will be required to provide proof of residency to obtain free admission. Those tickets will only be available on-site, and cannot be reserved online, according to Field Museum officials.

Another offering geared toward children will also be available on the free admission days, according to officials. Kids between the ages of 2-to-6 can participate in PlayLab PlayDates each week. Those activities are free and won’t require advanced registration.

The events will feature story time sessions, science experiments and more.

More information  can be found on the museum’s website.

Museum of Contemporary Art free days

Illinois residents  can visit the MCA for free every Tuesday. Additionally, the MCA is always free for visitors under 18, and has a pay-what-you-can police.

Shedd Aquarium free days

The Shedd Aquarium has the following free days listed for Illinois residents:

Tuesday evenings from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on July 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30.

According to the museum , there is a $5 convenience fee per order for Free Day reservations made online. Tickets can be reserved by phone with no convenience fee.

The Griffin Museum of Science and Industry isn't offering any free days in July, though more are planned for later this summer. Illinois residents will be able to receive free admission on August 19, 20, 26 and 27.

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