Museum Tour: Early Access with Art Historian Guide

Beat the crowds at the Art Institute of Chicago with an expert guide. Discover masterpieces and their stories in an exclusive, intimate tour.

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • The Art Institute of Chicago - Our expert guide will take you on a journey to explore one of the world’s premier art museums. Whether you’re an art enthusiast, a history buff, or simply seeking inspiration, our tour of the Art Institute promises an unforgettable experience. Along the way they will discuss some or all of the following art works:…
What's Included
  • Skip-the-Line Semi-Private Guided Museum Tour (Group Size of 12 or Less)
  • All Admission Fees
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Beat the crowds with an expert art historian guide on this exclusive early morning tour. Immerse yourself among the masterpieces housed within the acclaimed museum and listen as your guide brings each piece to life by sharing the story behind it. Let your guide lead you to the most important pieces of the 300,000-strong collection, taking the hard work…

Location
The Art Institute of Chicago
South Michigan Avenue
Guide will be standing near the North Lion (the one on the left as you face the main entrance to the museum).
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(174 Ratings)
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Elisabeth_s
Mar 2, 2025
Chicago - Robert is an excellent tour guide ; very friendly and knowledgeable. It was an Amazing experience!!!
Review provided by Viator
Matthewbi4532wd
Feb 23, 2025
Hidden spots and great stories of Chicago - I loved the tour of the local downtown area before going into the art museum. Our guide was very knowledgeable and enjoyable company. I would never have found the places we were guided to without him. The stories that went along with the art in the museum were insightful to understanding them and the transition through the various art galleries.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joyce_p
Feb 22, 2025
Our tour guide colleen... - Our tour guide colleen was very friendly, knowledgeable and added to our experience! We had never been to the art museum and she made it very fun
Review provided by Viator
G6168jprosst
Feb 14, 2025
Worth every penny for engaging insights into the Art Institute. - My wife and I had a wonderful first visit tour of the Chicago Art Institute. Our guide, Scout, was knowledgeable and entertaining while keeping two art novices well engaged! We will return to Chicago and repeat this amazing experience soon.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mtownbelgium
Feb 10, 2025
Amazing - Absolutely amazing tour. Bernie is super passionate. We went around multiple rooms of the museum and it was great. I recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hevedary
Feb 9, 2025
Definitely will do again - It was great! Learned a lot about history. Fantastic job on telling a story. Kept me engaged throughout the entire tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Millsmama
Feb 5, 2025
Great way to learn how to get around the museum - Bernie is an amazing guide! He told us about many different collections as well as specific pieces. The orientation of the museum really helped us when we stayed after the tour to continue looking around the museum. A great way to learn the museum!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
W7995eslg
Feb 2, 2025
10/10 can recommend - We found the Tour through the Hostel (HI Chicago) we were staying at and I'm so glad we did! The museum itself was really impressive and there was soo much to see. Thus, it was great to have someone guiding you through it, to get to know the history behind the paintings and to understand the connections the artists had to each other. Bernie was an awesome guide, he made the whole tour really interactive and fun!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ngocanht291
Feb 2, 2025
Art Institute of Chicago Review - Bernie (our tour guide) is an amazing guide. We have learnt so much from the session and really enjoyed it!! Definitely check it out when you are in Chicago
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jeffrey
Feb 1, 2025
Day at the art museum - First, Joel was great. Very knowledgeable and very entertaining with stories that supported the art and didn’t detract. Explanations were clear and there was really no sense of rushing us through. I used to speak for a living and he’s very good at this. Thanks Joel
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 12 guests
1 Adult
March 2025
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