Chicago — By Lisa Davis on January 31, 2011 at 11:32 pm
Filed under: art museums, culture, entertainment

Free Admission to the Art Institute

With Chicago bracing for what CNN is calling a “snow storm of historic proportions,” it might be an ideal week to tuck inside and take advantage of the remaining Art Institute’s Free Days.

Each year the Art Institute (111 South Michigan Avenue; map) offers free admission, which is a deal considering admission for adults is normally $18.

This year’s Free Days at the Art Institute run thru February 4, so there is still plenty of time to check out the Art Institute gratis, which houses the third largest art collection in the nation.

About the Art Institute

The Art Institute is said to be one of the most stunning art museums in the country and is located on Chicago’s famous Michigan Avenue near Millennium Park.

The museum has a large collection of French Impressionist paintings, as well as a Miniature Room, which is one of my favorite exhibits at the Art Institute for its tiny replications of southern 1800s plantations and Old World English homesteads. The museum is also most famous for having more than 30 paintings by Claude Monet and important works by Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Henri Matisse.

In 2009, a 264,000-square-foot Modern Art Wing was built and includes:

Contemporary Art and Architecture & Design Galleries.
European paintings and sculptures since about 1900, including works by Picasso, Matisse, Kandinsky, Brancusi, and Giacometti.
A sculpture terrace.
A restaurant.
And an entrance via the Nichols Bridgeway (from Millennium Park).

Hours of Operation

The Art Institute is opening during the following days and times:

Monday–Wednesday, 10:30–5:00 p.m.
Thursday, 10:30 a.m.–8:00 p.m.
Friday, 10:30 a.m.–8:00 p.m.
Saturday–Sunday, 10:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
The Art Institute is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.

Admission