Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago

American Gothic and Nighthawks, in the flesh

⚠ Closed Tuesdays

Hours

Mon, Wed, Fri-Sun 11am-5pm; Thu 11am-8pm; closed Tue, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day

Tickets

About $32 for out-of-state adults, under-14s free; book at artic.edu. Price from third-party guides, so check before you go

Address

111 S Michigan Ave at Adams St, the entrance guarded by two bronze lions

Climb the steps between the bronze lions and you're in one of the best art museums in the country. The textbook paintings are all here: Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte is far bigger than you'd guess, filling a whole wall, and up close it dissolves into thousands of dots. There's always a quiet little crowd in front of Hopper's Nighthawks, and a queue of people doing the pitchfork pose at Grant Wood's American Gothic. Add Monet's haystacks, Van Gogh's Bedroom and the Thorne Miniature Rooms downstairs, and a full day still feels short.