Museums and Collections in Chicago

Discover 13 unusual museums and collections in Chicago.

Chicago, Illinois

The Insect Asylum

A small Chicago museum filled with thousands of preserved butterflies, beetles, and more.

Chicago, Illinois

Oriental Institute Museum

This surprising gem is a world-class archeological museum hidden at the University of Chicago.

Chicago, Illinois

Michael's Museum

A curious collection of miniatures in a quiet corner of the Chicago Children's Museum.

Chicago, Illinois

National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame

Honoring Italian greats from Joe DiMaggio to Rocky Marciano.

Chicago, Illinois

Thorne Miniature Rooms

Each of these gorgeous, intricately decorated rooms is painstakingly crafted to the scale of 1 inch: 1 foot.

Permanently Closed

Chicago, Illinois

Stained Glass at Navy Pier

A display of magnificent stained glass windows is the first exhibit of its kind.

Chicago, Illinois

International Museum of Surgical Science

A monument to the art of slicing people open.

Chicago, Illinois

Leather Archives & Museum

Chicago's museum dedicated to the history of bondage and fetishism is more textbook than titillation.

Chicago, Illinois

Money Museum

This museum celebrating the almighty dollar lets visitors literally stand in the shadow of a million bucks.

Chicago, Illinois

The Fountain of Time

A hollow cement depiction of time's inexorable effect on the human body.

Permanently Closed

Chicago, Illinois

Rock N Roll McDonald's and Museum

The palatial McDonald's that inspired Wesley Willis.

Chicago, Illinois

The DNA Discovery Center

At Chicago's revered Field Museum, visitors are invited to learn about and literally explore DNA.

Chicago, Illinois

Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art

Nonprofit art center that promotes outsider, intuitive, and self-taught art.

Chicago, Illinois

Busy Beaver Button Co.

The world's only known button museum.

Are we missing something unusual in Chicago?