Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
Dedicated to showcasing art that pushes boundaries and elicits strong reactions, the Museum of Contemporary Art occupies an angular structure crafted by German architect Josef Paul Kleihues. While the exterior may not steal the show, the interior offers a plethora of reasons to visit. The four-story atrium, enveloped in glass walls, treats visitors to spectacular vistas. Ascending to the top floor, you'll discover barrel-vaulted galleries bathed in soft, indirect natural light, while tucked against the northern wall, a graceful staircase winds around an almond-shaped reflecting pool.
Museum facilities span all four levels. The ground floor hosts the lower level of the gift shop and an auditorium. Ascending to the second floor, you'll find the upper level of the gift shop, a spacious area for temporary exhibitions, and the sleek Puck鈥檚 at the MCA caf茅 鈥� a spot best savored during the summer when the terrace is open. The third and fourth floors play host to rotating displays from the museum's permanent collection. On the third floor, you'll likely encounter Modernist mobiles by the likes of Alexander Calder, with a local art enthusiast generously lending the museum fifteen of Calder's abstract sculptures on an indefinite basis. Among them, the monochromatic 'Black 17 Dots and The Ghost' stands out, a testament to Calder's penchant for employing vibrant colors.
Venturing to the fourth floor, you can expect to encounter works by modern art stalwarts such as Jasper Johns, Sol LeWitt, and Ren茅 Magritte, alongside more contemporary creations. It's highly probable that you'll encounter pieces by Bruce Nauman, given that the MCA boasts one of the most extensive collections of his work. Nauman is renowned for his attention-grabbing neon slogans, such as 'Life Death Love Hate Pleasure Pain', but he also explored the realms of video and audio environments, photography, sculpture, and drawing.
Museum facilities span all four levels. The ground floor hosts the lower level of the gift shop and an auditorium. Ascending to the second floor, you'll find the upper level of the gift shop, a spacious area for temporary exhibitions, and the sleek Puck鈥檚 at the MCA caf茅 鈥� a spot best savored during the summer when the terrace is open. The third and fourth floors play host to rotating displays from the museum's permanent collection. On the third floor, you'll likely encounter Modernist mobiles by the likes of Alexander Calder, with a local art enthusiast generously lending the museum fifteen of Calder's abstract sculptures on an indefinite basis. Among them, the monochromatic 'Black 17 Dots and The Ghost' stands out, a testament to Calder's penchant for employing vibrant colors.
Venturing to the fourth floor, you can expect to encounter works by modern art stalwarts such as Jasper Johns, Sol LeWitt, and Ren茅 Magritte, alongside more contemporary creations. It's highly probable that you'll encounter pieces by Bruce Nauman, given that the MCA boasts one of the most extensive collections of his work. Nauman is renowned for his attention-grabbing neon slogans, such as 'Life Death Love Hate Pleasure Pain', but he also explored the realms of video and audio environments, photography, sculpture, and drawing.
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Museum of Contemporary Art on Map
Sight Name: Museum of Contemporary Art
Sight Location: Chicago, USA (See walking tours in Chicago)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Chicago, USA (See walking tours in Chicago)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Chicago, Illinois
Create Your Own Walk in Chicago
Creating your own self-guided walk in Chicago is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Chicago Old Town Walking Tour
Settled in 1850 by German immigrants, Chicago鈥檚 Old Town neighborhood is a popular destination for locals and visitors who cater to the entertainment venues, restaurants, pubs, coffee shops and boutiques 鈥� all of which have turned an area once referred to as the 鈥淐abbage Patch鈥� into an attraction that rivals Navy Pier, Wrigley Field and the Magnificent Mile.
Start your Old Town walking... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles
Start your Old Town walking... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles
University of Chicago Walking Tour
Founded in 1890, the University of Chicago is among the world鈥檚 most prestigious educational institutions. As of 2020, the University鈥檚 students, faculty and staff have included 100 Nobel laureates, giving it the fourth-most affiliated Nobel laureates of any university.
Set in the heart of Chicago鈥檚 famous eclectic neighborhood, Hyde Park, the campus is worth a visit as it offers a... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
Set in the heart of Chicago鈥檚 famous eclectic neighborhood, Hyde Park, the campus is worth a visit as it offers a... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
Loop District Architecture Walking Tour
The Chicago Loop District鈥攅ssentially the city鈥檚 historic downtown鈥攈as long been a stage for architectural innovation and an open-air museum of American architecture.
The construction boom started after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which destroyed much of the central business district, gave architects a blank canvas to rebuild the city from the ground up. What followed was a surge of... view more
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.7 Km or 2.9 Miles
The construction boom started after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which destroyed much of the central business district, gave architects a blank canvas to rebuild the city from the ground up. What followed was a surge of... view more
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.7 Km or 2.9 Miles
Millennium and Grant Parks Walking Tour
If Chicago had a living room, it would be Grant Park 鈥� and if it had a shiny new media room, that would definitely be Millennium Park. These two sprawling green spaces hug the lakeshore like the city鈥檚 favorite blanket, offering locals and tourists alike a perfect blend of nature, art, and architecture with a side of skyline.
Let鈥檚 start with the elder of the two 鈥� Grant Park,... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles
Let鈥檚 start with the elder of the two 鈥� Grant Park,... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles
Chicago Introduction Walking Tour
Chicago, perched on the shores of Lake Michigan in Illinois, is a city steeped in history and urban vibrancy. Known by numerous nicknames such as the Windy City and the City of Big Shoulders, it boasts a skyline marked by towering structures. The area of today's Chicago, initially inhabited by Native American tribes, saw its first European-settled reference as "Chicagou" in 1679, a... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles
Chicago Chinatown Walking Tour
Tucked away just south of the Loop, the Chinatown of Chicago was established in 1912 and is considered one of the best examples of American Chinatown. While it may be one of Chicago鈥檚 smallest neighborhoods geographically, it is big on character, colors, sights, sounds, and flavors. Here, you鈥檒l find a wide range of unique boutiques, specialty shops, religious sights, authentic Chinese... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.7 Km or 1.1 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.7 Km or 1.1 Miles
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