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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

The Once upon a Time Visit
March, 2011

Stories of princesses usually begin with “once upon a time” and end with “happily ever after,” with a few dragons, witches, and spells in between. Get a glimpse at both the fantastically real and really fantastic world of royal heiresses on this fairy-tale trip through the collection.

The Lab Coat Visit
February, 2011

Working in close collaboration, the museum’s curators, conservators, and conservation scientists often put a scientific spin on art, combining cutting-edge technologies and art historical knowledge to uncover artworks’ secrets. Delight in some of their discoveries in this revelatory trip through the collection.

I Can't Believe It's Not…
January, 2011

Optical illusions, tricks of the eye—there’s something delightful in being fooled by what we see, especially when we discover the truth behind the misperception. Enjoy a look beyond appearances with a few works in the museum’s collection that aren’t at all what they seem.

Gifts and Giving
December, 2010

Whether they’re humbly homemade or extravagantly expensive, warmly received or grudgingly given, presents often dominate this holiday season. So stifle your inner Scrooge and get in a generous groove with works that embody the season’s magnanimous mindset.

Home for the Holidays
November, 2010

It’s the time of the year when families gather and homecomings are rejoiced the world over. This year, the Art Institute joins in the celebration with a variety of its own holiday homecomings. Combine your festivities and ours with a family visit to a few of the wonderful works of art returning to new galleries this season.

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