You are here

Visit > Maps, Guides, and Apps > Mini-Tours

Mini-Tours

Looking for a fun introduction to the Art Institute or a new way to explore the collection?

Download our FREE Art Institute Tours app, available for Apple and Android devices, and enjoy 50 personalized tours of the collection that make use of the museum's free Wi-Fi and indoor positioning system to provide step-by-step directions from one artwork to the next.

Or, find 80 different themed mini-tours, available as PDFs, below.

Please note: Works featured in past mini-tours may be off view due to gallery renovations or regular rotations of the museum's collection. Works in the most recent mini-tour are currently on view. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Mini-Tour PDFs

Museum Macabre
October, 2007

As autumn’s blustery winds bring a chill to the air and Halloween looms at the end of the month, an unusually eerie atmosphere brews all October long. Get into the macabre mood as this tour highlights some otherworldly objects, creepy characters, and spooky specters.

American Perspectives
September, 2007

Celebrate American Perspectives—the Art Institute's yearlong collaboration with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Poetry Foundation—and explore the richly diverse views, voices, and visions of artists who have enriched the American experience.

All That Glitters
August, 2007

Despite the old adage, much of what glitters within the Art Institute’s collection is, in fact, gold. Let this month’s guide take you on a treasure hunt and discover fantastically lustrous and shimmering wonders.

Photographic Vision
July, 2007

Artists have always pondered the nature of vision, but the camera introduced a new dimension to this exploration—initiating new ways of seeing and presenting subject matter for photographers and painters alike. Inspired by the special exhibition Jeff Wall, on view June 29–September 23, this tour directs your eye to the photographic vision.

The Art of Play
June, 2007

If you grew up in the 1970s, it's likely that your first introduction to the Art Institute was the board game Masterpiece. Doesn't ring a bell? Meet the game's characters and the works they vied for on this tour of museum favorites. Make sure to stop by the Kraft Education Center to play the game!

Pages

`