Do I need to buy tickets in advance for Chicago Art Institute?
 

We're looking forward to finally heading out to Chicago soon. Do we need to buy tickets in advance for the CAI?

It's only open from 10:30 to 5pm. Should we plan 2 days there?

Thanks for your help - I'm getting very excited about this trip.

I am a big art lover and I felt that I was able to adequately see the Art Institute in one day. But, if you think you need more time than 10:30 am to 5pm, you could go on a Thursday when the museum is open until 8pm.

The advantage to buying your ticket in advance is being able to bypass the ticket-buying line and go straight into the museum. I had a City Pass which gave me this "perk" at all the attractions it covered. (I can't remember if the line was long at the Art Institute, but I do remember it being really long at the Field Museum!

If you can buy a ticket ahead of time I would do so. I think I had something like a 20 minute wait in line, and that was at the end of April. (Fortunately it was just windy, not wet!)

I found an afternoon to be plenty of time, but I prefer decorative arts to paintings.

Thanks for the replies. I would prefer not to buy ahead so that I can be a little freer with my schedule but if it makes sense.

I don't mind waiting to get in but we'll be there this month and perhaps it would be worth it to skip the lines and the families with children.

Unfortunately, we'll be home by Thursday. The good news is that their special exhibit is Magritte and I've seen a lot of Magritte's work so I'm okay to skip it this time. It just seems like such an extensive museum.

When we visited in late June on a rainy Monday the lines were not bad. we did have a City Pass that included entry for the Art Institute. This might make sense for you depending on what else you want to see in the city.

I would think one day would be enough to see the Art Institute, but it is certainly an amazing collection.

No. And No.

BUT - you might give serious consideration to getting the audio tour (small amount extra).

thx, we always say yes to the audio tours :)

I don't know what other sites you are planning to visit, but I wanted to mention that we really enjoyed touring the Frank Lloyd Wright home and studio in Oak Park and driving and walking around to see other buildings in the area.

Oh yes! Oak Park is the 1st full day. It's too bad that the Robie House is a long way on the EL it's one of MH's favorites of FLW.

There's a lot of "must see" buildings in Chicago; The Aqua bldg, the (fairly new) Helmut Jahn, Louis Sullivan's work etc.

I'm really looking forward to Millennium Park too.

Millennium Park is great, and there are lots of special exhibits this year for the 10th year anniversary.

My husband and I just watched the Ken Burns documentary about FLW and I recommend that if you haven't seen it already.

A little update. We got there about 10:15 on Monday morning and got in right away even with standing in the ticket line.

I'm in the process of writing my trip report. What a wonderful museum.