If you're planning to visit the Fine art Found of Chicago, I'll requite you fair warning that you may want to schedule a nap in your afternoon. With more than 300,000 works in its permanent collection, spanning 5,000 years of creativity, the gargantuan and seemingly e'er-expanding campus is the second-largest art museum in the country, at nearly 1 meg square feet. You'll need to wind your way through the maze-like galleries and ancient displays of pottery and other items that people tiptoe past to get to the more pop halls.

The Art Institute is an encyclopedic fine art museum, which means there's a little bit of everything, from everywhere—Indian, Southeast Asian, and Himalayan art; Chinese, Japanese, and Korean art; African art; American fine art; American decorative art; pottery; bronzes; sculpture; installations; modernistic fine art; miniatures and more. That'southward a good thing if you're a true fine art lover interested in spending an unabridged day here. It's a challenge if you merely want a quick walk through before packing other museums into a compact visit.

If you're short on time, the Art Institute's must-sees include its extensive collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist fine art, which is considered one of the finest in the world. Since 2009, the airy, light-filled Modern Wing has been showcasing the museum's extensive collection of 20th- and 21st-century art. And ii of the museum's almost dearest works are on display in the American art, pre-1950 gallery: American Gothic past Grant Woods and Nighthawks by Edward Hopper.

To help you navigate the endless halls, visit the Art Institute'southward website and download the new free app, which offers 50 different tours and makes the museum feel more than manageable than getting lost on your own. A separate app guides you through Impressionist works, enriching your visit with detailed descriptions of the fine art and the artists who created information technology.

If you've visiting with kids, cease past the Ryan Education Heart in the Modern Wing, where kids and teens can sit at a workstation and go hands-on lessons from artists. Children too love the Thorne Miniature Rooms, where dollhouse-like structures, all constructed to scale, showcase European and American homes, buildings, and interiors. The Fine art Establish offers a variety of lectures and workshops, so check their agenda to see what'southward happening during your visit.

A word of communication: The Art Institute can become incredibly crowded on weekends. If y'all can avoid visiting on a Sat or Sunday, practise so. Many people don't realize that the museum is, indeed, open on Mon, which makes it a great time to visit. Also, many visitors are unaware of the late Thursday hours, so consider visiting then, too, to avert blitz hour.

If y'all become hungry during your visit, stop by the museum's Caffe Moderno for soups, salads, and sandwiches, or visit Terzo Pianoforte for a more elegant, sit-downwards meal. And save time for the enormous souvenir shop, which sells beautiful fine art, jewelry, accessories, books, and more than. Allow at least 3 hours.