The Bata Shoe Museum
Free: Thursdays 5pm – 8pm At the Bata shoe Museum, over a thousand shoes and related artefacts (from a collection numbering over 13,000) are on exhibit in architect Raymond Moriyama’s award-winning five floor structure. The Museum celebrates the style and function of footwear in four impressive galleries. Footwear on display ranges from Chinese bound foot...
Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO)
Free: Wednesdays 6pm – 8:30pm The new Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is Toronto-born Frank Gehry’s first building in Canada and marks the very place where he made the initial connection between art and architecture. Hallmarks of his AGO design connect the city and the Gallery in provocative new ways including,dramatic sculptural staircases, the warmth...
Steinway & Sons Piano Factory Tour
Free: Every Tuesdays 9:30am – 12pm Rated by Forbes as one of the top 3 factory tours in the country, Steinway & Sons piano factory tour allows visitor to witness the entire process of creating a piano. The 2.5 hour tour covers the making from starting with the raw food, to the various veneers, to...
The Elevator Historical Society Museum
Free: All time (by appointment only) Tucked away in the industrial neighbourhood of Queens, the Elevator Historical Society Museum focuses on, well, elevators and their history. The man behind the dedication is Patrick Carrajat – one of the most respected industry professional / historian / collector. His elevator-related paraphernalia has been amassed over decades. These...
Secret “Museum” in an Abandoned Elevator Shaft
Free: All time Simply named as “Museum”, the location of of this museum is just as inconspicuous as its name. Housed inside the ground floor of an abandoned elevator shaft in a quiet alleyway, the Museum is basically a one-room exhibition space. Behind the rusted metal door, visitors will find a brightly-lit room packed with...
DePaul University Art Museum
Free: All time The DePaul University Art Museum is a 15,000 square-foot building on the university’s Lincoln Park campus. The museum offers a wide variety of special exhibitions in all media throughout the year including paintings, sculpture, printmaking and installation. Admission is free at all time. Address: 935 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago, IL 60614 Opening...
City Gallery at the Historic Water Tower
Free: All time The City Gallery at the Historic Water Tower is located inside the old Chicago Water Tower. The tower gained its fame when it survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. It is also the second-oldest water tower in the United States. Today, the City Gallery serves as a venue showcasing the Chicago-themed...
Museum of Contemporary Photography
Free: All time Founded by Columbia College Chicago in 1976, the museum collaborates with artists, photographers, communities, and institutions locally, nationally, and internationally. As the leading photography museum in the Midwest, presenting projects and exhibitions and acquiring works that embrace a wide range of contemporary aesthetics and technologies, the museum offers students, educators, research specialists,...
National Museum of Mexican Art
Free: All time The National Museum of Mexican Art features prominent works by Mexican, Latino and Chicano artists and artifacts from Mexican history. The permanent exhibit “Mexicanidad: Our Past is Present” explores the history of Mexico in five stages: Pre-Cuahtemoc Mexico, Colonial Mexico, Mexico from Independence to revolution, Post-Mexican Revolution to Present-day Mexico and The...
Panoramic View of Chicago from Hancock Center’s Signature Lounge
Free: All time To get the best view of Chicago, the Sears Tower may be first to come to mind. But! Instead of paying $20 to go up the tower, you should hit up the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor of the John Hancock Center building. There’s no entrance fee and the dress code...
Artists Space
Free: All time Tucked in a short stone building in Soho, the Artists Space is easily missed. The gallery space, basically housed in a single floor on the third floor of the loft, is divided up by interior walls on which the artwork are hung. Although it may feel rather sparse, the Artists Space makes...
Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Museum
Free: All time. Besides the constantly changing FIT student and faculty exhibitions, the museum also has a permanent collection encompassing some 50,000 garments and accessories from the 18th century to present. Famous designers featured includes Adrian, Balenciaga, Chanel and Dior. Address: 7th Ave at 27th St. New York, NY 10001 Opening hours: Tues-Fri 12pm- 8pm,...
