Inaugural Museum Week scheduled for Oct. 1-7

Chronicle Media
The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.

The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.

Visitors invited to celebrate 12 of Chicago’s world-class museums

While Chicago is known for many things – from architecture to food – its world-class museums are among the top draws for people visiting the city. To celebrate the city’s outstanding cultural institutions, Museums In the Park, an association of museums on Chicago Park District land, will host Chicago’s inaugural Museum Week, kicking off Oct. 1.

With 12 of Chicago’s institutions participating, Museum Week will be seven days of exclusive offers, events and special programs with an opportunity to explore what makes each institution special.

“Museum Week is a chance to rediscover Chicago’s most iconic institutions that connect us with exceptional collections of art, culture, history, science, animals and nature,” said Gary T. Johnson, president, Museums In the Park. “We want people to explore places that are new to them or visit old favorites. Chicago has a wealth of cultural institutions and Museum Week provides extra incentives and opportunities to visit them.”

During Museum Week, guests can visit the No. 1 museum in the world as chosen by TripAdvisor travelers (The Art Institute), and the first museum on the planet to have two full-size planetarium dome theaters (Adler Planetarium).

Visitors can check out museums housed in repurposed buildings, including the only remaining building from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition (Museum of Science and Industry, and formerly occupied by The Field Museum), a police station (DuSable Museum of African American History) and the Humboldt Park Stables (National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture). At the National Museum of Mexican Art, guests can see the world’s largest Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, exhibit, and at the Chicago History Museum, guests can see Nathan Leopold’s glasses that implicated him and Richard Loeb in the murder of Bobby Franks in The Secret Lives of Objects exhibit.

Chicago’s museums not only offer some of the most unique collections in the world, they are education centers that draw students and teachers and inspire people of all ages to learn about and appreciate science, art, history, wildlife and nature.

Many enable personal experiences with animals, such as Shedd Aquarium, which offers a high school marine biology class, including a week aboard Shedd’s research vessel in the Bahamas.

Committing to working closely with teachers and schools, they offer special programs, such as at the Museum of Science and Industry, which targets middle-grades teachers in high-needs schools, helping them find engaging ways to teach science. And for more than 25 years, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum’s Science on the Go! professional development program has been helping K-8 teachers bring science into their classrooms through hands-on, cooperative learning.

Special offers and activities during Museum Week include discounts on general admission and memberships, extended hours, free tours, new exhibits, educational programs and giveaways. A complete schedule is available at chicagomuseumweek.com.

Chicagoans, visitors and museum buffs are encouraged to share their memories and new experiences on social media using the designated hashtag: #ChicagoMuseumWeek.

The 12 cultural institutions participating in Museum Week are: Adler Planetarium, The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago History Museum, DuSable Museum of African American History, The Field Museum, Lincoln Park Zoo, Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum of Science and Industry, National Museum of Mexican Art, National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture, The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and John G. Shedd Aquarium.

–Inaugural Museum Week scheduled for Oct. 1-7–