Let this tour help guide you and your family to a few of the areas that you all can explore and enjoy together, from paintings and sculptures to armor and miniatures. Think of it as a family road trip. It’s not about how many artworks you see—it’s about the journey itself.
If you entered at Michigan Avenue, start at the top with the Thorne Miniature Rooms. If you entered through the Modern Wing, start at the bottom with the Ryan Learning Center.
The Thorne Miniature Rooms
Gallery 11
You know the expression that good things come in small packages? The shoe box–sized rooms created by Narcissa Niblack Thorne are full of good things, all waiting to spark your imagination: find mini suits of armor in the English Great Hall, a solid gold toy train in the “Middletown” Parlor, a serving tray made from a penny in the Cape Cod Living Room, and a host of miniature modern masterpieces in the California Hallway. First created to raise funds for charities that helped nurses and children, each eye-level room represents an idealized historic interior, and the stunningly convincing lighting invites an immersive experience.
Angry Young Machine by H. C. Westermann
Gallery 227
H. C. Westermann, who lived and worked in Chicago between 1947 and 1961, was a skilled woodworker known for sculptures that masquerade as playful versions of everyday objects. Using commercial materials and found objects, the artist’s technically sophisticated, influential sculptures address themes such as war, technology, and science fiction. His iconic work Angry Young Machine consists of galvanized plumbing pipes and fixtures, a small skyscraper, a tiny toy soldier guarding an ornamental bridge, and a pair of bright red lips that refer to the local rug company Magikist.
Angry Young Machine can be seen along with more of the artist’s work in the exhibition H. C. Westermann: Anchor Clanker
A Sunday on La Grande Jatte—1884 by Georges Seurat
Gallery 240
For his largest and best-known painting, Georges Seurat depicted his fellow citizens of Paris enjoying all sorts of leisurely activities—strolling, lounging, sailing, and fishing—in a park called La Grande Jatte in the River Seine. He used an innovative painting technique called Pointillism, which was inspired by scientific ways of looking at vision and color. By applying tiny dots and dabs of different colored paint next to each other, Seurat believed that the eye of the viewer would blend them together, creating hues that were richer and more vibrant. (See for yourself.)
European Arms and Armor
Gallery 239
Looking for a knight in shining armor? Well, you’ll find a couple here—along with dozens of full suits of armor, swords, cannons, guns, and just about anything else you might need for a medieval battle, tournament, or a parade. Yes, a parade! While today we often think of armor being used as protection in all sorts of feuding and fighting, it was also used for special occasions and ceremonies to signal status and even follow the fashion trends. Look out for the feathers and other fanciful decorations.
Please note that Gallery 239 is temporarily closed due to construction in adjacent galleries. It will open again October 25, 2025.
Sky above Clouds IV by Georgia O’Keeffe
Gallery 249
In the 1960s artist Georgia O’Keeffe made a series of paintings inspired by what she saw out the window while riding in airplanes. She started making her cloud-filled paintings at moderate sizes (3 x 4 feet) but used bigger and bigger canvases with each painting she made. This work was the last in the series and is the biggest. In 1970 it was supposed to travel to a museum in San Francisco for an exhibition, but they realized it was too large to get in through any of that museum’s doors. It has hung in the Art Institute ever since.
Arts of Ancient Egypt
Gallery 50
Though this North African civilization first thrived along the banks of the Nile River over 5,000 years ago, it still fascinates the world today. The practices that many people associate with ancient Egypt, such as the construction of pyramids and mummification, reflect a profound belief in the afterlife, and many of the objects on display—beautifully crafted jewelry, figurines, and makeup containers—were intended to accompany the deceased from this life to the next.
Buddha Shakyamuni Seated in Meditation (Dhyanamudra)
Gallery 140
Seated in a posture called the lotus, the Buddha rests his hands and feet atop one another as he gazes downward, his eyelids lowered, with the touch of a smile that makes the figure seem serene. What’s remarkable about this monumental sculpture is that it is carved out of granite, which is very hard. And yet, all of the distinguishing emblems that you expect to see—the symbols—are expertly cut into the granite, such as his hair in its delicate snail-shell curls. There’s the urna, an auspicious mark in the middle of his forehead, the sign of a great being. He also has the ushnisha, a protuberance on the top of his head, only this one is covered in the front by a flame of wisdom.
Double Feature with Short Subject by Margaret Honda
Margaret Honda
Griffin Court
When you walk into the Modern Wing, be sure to look up. Extending the length of the Griffin Court skylight—nearly 300 feet from the front door to the newly reopened Modern Café—is Double Feature with Short Subject, an installation that features differently colored film gels, one for each of the skylight’s 126 glass panes. Identical in size, the gels function as film frames, and each side of the skylight forms a reel of film. Instead of a projector, the sun provides light while museum visitors lend motion to the work, frame by frame, as they pass through the space.
RYAN LEARNING CENTER
Multisensory Gallery: You can look— but please, do touch!
The Ryan Learning Center is not just a stop—it’s a destination. It’s the perfect place for families to get creative together or to get refreshed between visits to the galleries. Drop by to take part in a studio project or to design your own one-of-a-kind museum adventure using our interactive JourneyMaker. (You can also make it home as a way to prepare for your visit.) And be sure to drop by the Multisensory Gallery, where the urge to touch is not only satisfied but encouraged, opening up a vivid way for children, and all visitors, to appreciate the materials used to create art. And yes, there are family restrooms.
Topics
- Contemporary Art
- Arts of Asia
- Arts of Africa
- European Painting and Sculpture
- Arms and Armor
- Thorne Miniature Rooms
