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Museum Tour: Early Access with Art Historian Guide
5.0
223 Ratings
Chicago
Beat the crowds at the Art Institute of Chicago with an expert guide. Discover masterpieces and their stories in an exclusive, intimate tour.
Beat the crowds at the Art Institute of Chicago with an expert guide. Discover masterpieces and their stories in an exclusive, intimate tour.
Duration:
2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- The Art Institute of Chicago - Our expert guide will take you on a journey to explore one of the world’s premier art museums. Whether you’re an art enthusiast, a history buff, or simply seeking inspiration, our tour of the Art Institute promises an unforgettable experience. Along the way they will discuss some or all of the following art works:…
- The Art Institute of Chicago - Our expert guide will take you on a journey to explore one of the world’s premier art museums. Whether you’re an art enthusiast, a history buff, or simply seeking inspiration, our tour of the Art Institute promises an unforgettable experience. Along the way they will discuss some or all of the following art works:
Hartwell Memorial Window – Tiffany Studios
Paris Street; Rainy Day – Gustave Caillebotte
Sunday on La Grande Jatte – Georges Seurat
The Bedroom – Vincent van Gogh
Sky Above Clouds – Georgia O’Keefe
Nighthawks – Edward Hopper
A Picture of Dorian Gray – Ivan Albright
American Gothic – Grant Wood
America Windows – Marc Chagall
The Old Guitarist – Pablo Picasso
Four Mona Lisas – Andy Warhol
Greyed Rainbow – Jackson Pollock
What's Included
- Skip-the-Line Semi-Private Guided Museum Tour (Group Size of 12 or Less)
- All Admission Fees
- Skip-the-Line Semi-Private Guided Museum Tour (Group Size of 12 or Less)
- All Admission Fees
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Beat the crowds with an expert art historian guide on this exclusive early morning tour. Immerse yourself among the masterpieces housed within the acclaimed museum and listen as your guide brings each piece to life by sharing the story behind it. Let your guide lead you to the most important pieces of the 300,000-strong collection, taking the hard work…
Beat the crowds with an expert art historian guide on this exclusive early morning tour. Immerse yourself among the masterpieces housed within the acclaimed museum and listen as your guide brings each piece to life by sharing the story behind it. Let your guide lead you to the most important pieces of the 300,000-strong collection, taking the hard work out of finding where to go and what to see. Explore in a small group for a special, personal experience, and interact with your guide who can give insider’s insight into the museum.
Location
The Art Institute of Chicago
South Michigan Avenue
Guide will be standing near the North Lion (the one on the left as you face the main entrance to the museum).
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(223 Ratings)
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Habibiart
May 15, 2025
Excellent investment and experience for getting acquainted with the Chicago Art Institute! - What an incredible tour of the Chicago Art Institute! It's so large I didn't know where to begin to get the most out of one visit, so signed up on-line for this small group tour through Chicago Museum Tours. It was great to be allowed in an hour before opening to the public since we were part of a tour. Our tour guide, Mark, has a background steeped in creating and teaching art and art history. Beginning with the building structure itself, Mark guided us through the historical evolution of art as we went through the galleries teaching those unfamiliar how to look at a painting and compare to earlier/later works. With only a few minutes in each area he covered we received a broad overview of what the museum contained which allowed us to return later that day (with a pass he provided) to areas where we wanted to spend more time. Those three hours breezed by! There are benches to sit on in many of the galleries, several restrooms, and an elevator if needed. Also, there's an in-house cafe for lunch, though we chose to go outside of the Institute for lunch instead. With just five of us in the group, there was ample time for questions. A wonderful experience all around!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paulhauck
May 13, 2025
Our guides name was Joel.... - Our guides name was Joel. He was absolutely delightful. Entertaining, informative, and lively. He provided a great deal of back stories for both the artwork and the museum itself. Highly recommend him.
Review provided by Viator
Faraway746712
May 12, 2025
Informative and entertaining art museum tour - Joel, our guide, was very informative and entertaining. We enjoyed the stories he told us to bring the art to life. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Simonakm4995pk
May 11, 2025
Fun, informative and interesting- just please use more elevators. - The guided tour gave a lot of context and a lot of great info that isn't easy to find in the digestible way this was presented. Bernie was personable and great to talk to. My only true gripe was the lack of time to sit. We only were able to sit in the very end, after climbing and running around. Please create a route using more of the elevators for people with mobility issues. I would not recommend this for people who get easily tired or have some pain or are sick. This is an amazing tour but if you have some pain or illness, probably talk about it to the tour guide beforehand or find a tour with a less demanding schedule. I'm giving this five stars because I enjoyed myself too much to be disappointed and for me, the pain was worth it over all. I loved hearing how all of the art is tied together, and the history of the building itself. Thanks Bernie!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mark_t
May 11, 2025
Great tour by Robert - Very good introductory tour of the gallery, taking in the main pictures and background history of the pictures and the artists
Review provided by Viator
Raymondl817
May 11, 2025
A Memorable Journey Through Art - The tour of the Art Institute of Chicago was a truly enriching experience. The tour guide’s deep knowledge and passion brought both iconic masterpieces and hidden gems to life. The stories and context shared made the art feel more accessible and meaningful. It was a great way to experience the museum—engaging, insightful, and something I’d highly recommend to anyone visiting.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joelle
May 11, 2025
Bringing History to Life — A Top-Notch Tour - ⸻
This museum walking tour was outstanding.
The guide was professional, knowledgeable, and engaging, sharing clear explanations and fascinating stories that brought the exhibits to life. The tour was well-organised, with a thoughtfully planned route covering key highlights at a comfortable pace. There was ample time to explore, ask questions, and enjoy each display.
Bernie tailored the commentary to our interests, making the experience personal and insightful. The small group size encouraged interaction and created a relaxed, immersive atmosphere.
Overall, it was a smooth, informative, and enjoyable tour. I highly recommend it for anyone visiting the museum.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
T5299arstevenc
May 10, 2025
I'll Never Go Without Being On A Tour Again!!! - My wife and I decided last minute to take this tour. Was a really good decision to have made. Robert was incredible. He was engaging, professional and very knowledgable. I can't imagine going to the Art Institute without being on a tour like this. We learned so much more and even got in to see a few exhibits before the doors opened to the public!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Franl966
May 5, 2025
Worth the time and money - Excellent communication before our scheduled time from Marlin, our guide, who kept us in the loop the day before where exactly to meet him and then what he was wearing so we could identify him. The 3 hours went by quickly. He had some interesting back stories to tell about several of the most famous paintings. When the tour was over we were given return passes, which we took advantages of.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
William_s
May 4, 2025
Outstanding Tour - Marlin was awesome! - Excellent way to experience the Art Institute. Marlin was waiting for us and expertly and efficiently guided us through the key exhibits - fully taking advantage of the early 10:30 entry to avoid crowds and bottlenecks. He shared wonderful stories about the art and artists and kept all of us engaged with his enthusiasm and sense of humor. Highly recommend - worth the added expense over general admission and self-tour. He also shared a link to relevant sites and expanded background for many of the works that he discussed. Thoroughly educational and enjoyable!
Review provided by Viator
