Here's The Right Way To Visit Chicago's Museums If You Don't Want To Waste Time In Lines

Chicago might have been named the world's most beautiful city in 2025, but she's more than just a pretty face. Lively downtown neighborhoods like the Loop are packed with culture, from exciting architecture like the Willis Tower to Instagram-favorite public art installations like Anish Kapoor's mirrored "Cloud Gate" and a swathe of dazzling museums. It's no wonder the Windy City was in the Top 10 most visited US cities by overseas travelers according to the International Trade Administration. 

There are over 60 museums in Chicago, but it's the big names that get the bigget queues. Most famous is undoubtedly The Art Institute of Chicago (thanks to its appearance in "Ferris Bueller" perhaps), which houses almost 300,000 works and is known for the particularly strong collection of Impressionist and modern art. First opened in the grandiose Beaux-Arts building in 1893, the grand stairways and iconic bronze lions make an impactful first impression, as does architect Renzo Piano's 2009 Modern Wing, full of light-laden galleries that showcase its vast collection.

Yet with great popularity comes great crowds; while you can of course buy a ticket at the door of this and other top Chicago museums, making a spur of the moment decision to roll up and pay the nice people at the ticket office can result in long queues and wait times. Do yourself, your family, and your posse a favor: If you don't want to waste time in lines, decide on a time and date to visit so you can buy your ticket in advance and bypass the queue, giving yourself a better experience in these incredible museums.

Hop all and any queues at The Art Institute of Chicago by pre-purchasing a Fast Pass on its website. While it's $32 for a regular Adult ticket it's just a few dollars more for Fast Pass entry at $40, with the latter granting you expedited access to the museum's collections. The Field Museum, the city's prestigious natural history institute, also suggests you buy your ticket ahead of time so you don't waste valuable culture vulture moments queuing at their counter. The regular price for a pre-booked ticket is $30, but if you're as allergic to crowds as you are queuing, you can grab a $73 Early Access ticket to gain entry to the museum at 8 a.m., an hour prior to it opening its doors to the general public. So not only do you skip the queue but you get to the collection while the place is peaceful and empty aside from the staff. The pass includes an hour long guide tour and general admission so you can stay after your exclusive tour is done.

The Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, known to harbor more interactive, experiential exhibits than you can shake a stick at, charges $25.95 for adults over 12 for entry, which you can buy in advance online on their ticketing website. Paying for admission this way gives you an allocated time slot and avoids queuing. If you're on a roll and you've still got some leisure time after checking out Chicago's greatest hits, visit the city's most underrated museums next. The National Museum of Mexican Art and the International Museum of Surgical Science are the only ones of their kind in the country, making any visit a once-in-a-lifetime experience.