I’m a fiend for museums. Every time I travel for work (which is thankfully alone most of the time), I find museums to go to. When I travel for leisure, I pretty much always find some museum to go to in between whatever else I’m doing, too.
I am particularly fond of contemporary art, and technology museums, closely followed by natural history museums.
My favorite museum of all time is Mass MoCa in North Adams, MA, USA. I go at least twice a year, even though it’s a ~4 hour drive. I used to be a member at $250 a year, which also gave me ROAM reciprocal admission to tons of other museums, but money is tight these days and I had to give that up. There was a time when I was doing enough work travel that the money I saved via all the free admission to ROAM museums I got on the road was actually a net savings over the $250 membership!
Has anyone else been to Mass MoCa? We may have crossed paths!
What is your favorite museum? How often do you go? Are you a member?
I’ve been thinking about museums a bunch since I started planning my Art Basel Miami trip later this year… I’m trying to figure out how to bundle the Kennedy Space Center and Art Basel into one weeklong trip with minimal expense lol.
This may sound odd living in Chicago, with so many great museums it’s hard to pick a favorite… but I still have a soft spot for the Old Courthouse Museum in my hometown of Sioux Falls, SD. It cost only a voluntary donation, but it was always a cool, quiet place to retreat from the hustle of city life and interact with some history, some technology, some art, and some architecture. I hope it’s still there; I have so many fond memories of afternoons spent there either with my family or on my own.
There’s something to be said about a small museum. I’ve been to plenty of very small places, and have enjoyed them all. It is great to get away from the bustle of a super popular place. I talked about a steam-engine museum I found in my town in another reply here, it’s its own little magical place.
I have been to Chicago a couple times in the past, but have always been super busy. I did find time to make it to the Museum of Science and Industry, which was amazing (I went again the second time I went to Chicago lol)
I will be in Chicago AGAIN this November, and will have ~2 free days (A Friday and a Sunday). Do you have any good local recommendations? I have tentatively just chosen the other 2 big’ns I haven’t been to yet, the Field Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Field and MAIC are both great museums, but don’t sleep on the Museum of Contemporary Art. I haven’t been to them, but there’s also contemporary art museums that focus on Ukrainian art (in Ukrainian Village, natch) and Mexican art (in Pilsen, which makes sense if you know Chicago). If you’re going to the former, you’ll also be right by the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, set in the former Humboldt Park stables. If you’re going to the latter, get lunch at 5 Rabanitos and order the Torta Ahogada.
If you want to get a little weirder, try the Museum of Surgical Science — unless you’re squeamish. And visit the Harold Washington Library Center: not only is it beautiful in its own right, but the eighth floor hosts both a “Winter Garden” and a small museum with a rotating exhibit.
If you’re coming with anyone under the age of eleven, the Children’s Museum at Navy Pier is legitimately amazing. Field also has a Children’s Museum on the ground floor (below the first floor) that’s pretty fun. And finally, not a museum, but the Maggie Daley Park playgarden is amazing for kids.
Thanks for the recommendations! I hadn’t even seen the museum of contemporary art. It looks a bit smaller, might be better for my last day when I’ll be blitzed from the whole week of work stuff haha. I’ll be there all alone, my preferred way to travel…
I would so badly want to go to the museum of surgical science… but alas, I am indeed very very squeamish. I went to the Mutter museum in Philadelphia once and almost passed out (specifically at the exhibit showing the entire human vascular system removed from a body and displayed in a hollow human-shaped shell… My skin is crawling just thinking about it)… I find everything so fascinating, though, I wish I could handle looking at it!
I’ll add 5 Rabanitos to my list, that Torta does look delicious. I’m staying in the Loop, so I could just hop a train over there. I’m absolutely terrible at choosing places to eat when it’s just me, so having some guidance is always extremely welcome.