Chicago Like a Local blog

Unique perspectives on the city from the people who live here.

Free & cheap, Museums & art

Free museum days in Chicago

Experience Chicago’s award-winning museums without spending a dime. Check out our ever-growing list of Chicago free museum days in 2025, plus a few museums that…

Architecture & history, Arts, culture & entertainment

Things to do, see, and eat in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood

History lines the streets in Chicago’s landmark Bronzeville neighborhood. Dubbed the city’s “Black Metropolis,” this south side community served as the headquarters for African American…

Published on March 27, 2024 by Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

Museums & art

8 intimate Chicago art museums and galleries

For a truly immersive arts experience, head to Chicago’s trove of diminutive museums, exhibiting specialist fine arts, literary and decorative arts collections.

Museums & art

Public art in the Chicago Loop

Chicago is something of a public art mecca. Picasso, Chagall, Miro, Calder, Dubuffet — legendary artists ornament the Loop, making the city streets an urban…

Festivals & special events, Museums & art

Chicago museums open late for after-hours events

Chicago’s museums are packed with fascinating, immersive exhibits on every topic you can imagine — and the fun doesn’t have to stop when the sun…

Architecture & history, Festivals & special events, Museums & art

Must-see art and architecture events in Chicago

Chicago has a long legacy of influential architecture and artworks, from the birth of the skyscraper to iconic public art to Frank Lloyd Wright’s greatest…