Art is Alive in Chicago

Art is alive in Chicago.  But it generally comes with a high price tag for tickets and parking.  I wanted to take the girls to the Art Institute of Chicago, but to be honest I didn't feel like fighting traffic and the crowds.  I knew there are very famous art pieces there, but again didn't feel like fighting traffic, parking and the price of tickets.

So I discovered a cluster of art museums on the campus of the University of Chicago.  They were free-will donation to visit.  They were fairly close to where we were staying, so the girls and I decided to give it a try.

We actually visited the Smart Art Museum on the campus.

 We were not disappointed.  There were no long lines.  There was a coffee shop for a snack and lots of both modern and older art to enjoy.

 This tour was the perfect length of time we needed for attention spans.  It was a nice girls morning for us.

It was a free will donation, so you give what you would like.  The only other cost was parking, which might I add was much cheaper than trying to park in downtown Chicago.  I think it was around $8.00 for the couple hours we were there.  So actually reasonable.

The University of Chicago is a hidden gem of small art museums like this one.
There is the Oriental Institute.  There is also the Center for the Art of East Asia.  If you are looking for something to do that is "off the tourist tract", then take an afternoon or morning to explore what the University of Chicago has to offer.