This was my first Immersive Experience and I really enjoyed it. It was awesome being able to…read moreexperience these paintings across different perspectives. There are 5 rooms for your viewing pleasure. While I saw people sitting and enjoying the show, I think this is really an event to move around and catch different perspectives of the same painting. For example when standing slightly off center in room 3 resulted in viewing a life sized panoramic image shifting across 3 rooms. Some rooms only give a small piece of the puzzle, so it's up to you to walk around and explore. I went in to the 730 showing and I think I've would've had a better time if I planned it for earlier. I think it's worth seeing the show play out twice in different rooms, especially the upstairs. The upstairs had it own panoramic situation as well. I spent majority of my time upstairs to be able to capture all that I can. I would've loved for the ticket taker to explain more of the process. They made it seem that you had to flow from room to room in order, when actually you should be moving freely about to capture the full perspective. For example, the raining scenes/paintings should be experienced in multiple rooms. As the painting is across more than one room. It gives more perspective. The bar was also closed for the 730 show. But it would've been nice to have been able to enjoy the wine/cocktails while taking in these scenes. They did have a cafe that served small snacks, water, soda, coffee, etc. At the end, the gift shop was running a sale and I picked up some great finds leftover from the Van Gogh experience. I would recommend others to go but would opt for a time when you can see the show run through twice. Make sure to stop by the gift shop!

Anticipation is a cruel thing when you're expecting to be seduced by art and worse when your…read moreexpectations are not met. Despite this opening statement - yes, I would still recommend this exhibition. You see, I'm comparing this to Nirvana - which was immersive VanGogh. By itself, this show is worth exploring. Arrangement is everything when you're presenting art previously viewed by everyone before. In this case, the images move too fast to immerse me into their world. I've always felt as a spectator and was never taken by it all. The sound track sounded tinny and unfamiliar. There are moments in the show that do deserve mention such as the Bolero routine and the opening sequence. As I said, this is still good art that's avant-garde in its exposition and a show not to be missed. We went on Monday night and paid $30. Beware of surge pricing.

Yes. Very good. I do like this. It is small and far from the maddening crowd. I would recommend…read morethis.

My friend and I traveled up to Chicago from Indianapolis for the sole purpose of seeing "Van Gogh's…read moreBedrooms", an exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago that explores a set of paintings with significance to the artist. The collection brings together all three versions of "The Bedroom" for the first time in North America. The first version was painted in 1888 just after moving into his "Yellow House" in Arles, France, but when its integrity was threatened due to water damage, he made a second version while at an asylum in Saint-Remy in 1889. He painted the third, a smaller version, just a couple weeks later for his mother and sister. Although the paintings appear at first glance to be identical, there are subtle differences in each, which the exhibit details at length with a video illustration, a video explaining the science behind figuring out the order the versions were painted, and a living model of the bedroom that inspired Van Gogh. Perhaps it's the fact I live in a small city that isn't able to bring exhibits of this quality, but I was blown away by the sheer volume of Van Gogh works on display - 36 total - and it presented much more than just the bedrooms. It includes earlier works of cottages, bird nests, books, boots, and items depicting the theme of a sense of home throughout the artist's life. It also includes his earliest surviving self-portrait and depictions of the asylum he was at. We paid $7 for the audio tour, which is a great supplement to the exhibit and good for works throughout the entire museum. You are allowed to take photographs, but no flash. Pro-tip: purchase admission tickets ($25 for out-of-towners) and tickets for the exhibit (an extra $5) online in advance. I'd estimate there were 400 people waiting in the cold just to buy tickets. We were high-fiving each other for our well-planned ways (my friends don't call me The Event Planner for nothing!) - dipping right around the line - then we got to the line for the exhibit. The posted signs based on our position indicated we started around a 75 minute wait, but it actually only took about 30 minutes to get in, which is still pretty packed so introverts, claustrophobes, and those who generally hate people should prepare for that. We went on a Saturday morning during peak time so you might consider going during the week if that's an option for you. We also took a bit of time afterward to explore the rest of the museum, which has a number of well-known works and artists on display - American Gothic, Nighthawks, several by Andy Warhol, several by Picasso, Dali, an entire room of Monet, Seurat's Sunday Afternoon on La Grande Jatte, several by Jackson Pollack, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's At the Moulin Rouge, which has particular significance for us. Three months earlier, we went to an exhibit at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris called the "Splendors and Misery of Prostitution", which had this painting on display and was also presented on all of the marketing materials for the exhibit. We weren't allowed at that exhibit to photograph any of the paintings so we felt like we had a small victory in being able to photograph it here.

We are very fortunate to have stumbled into the Chicago Cultural Center last week. My daughter and…read moreI needed a small reprieve before going across the street and the heat and we nearly spent two hours here exploring. We loved the art pieces we saw, but mostly the architecture is what we loved. My daughter loved the staircases and amazing dome. The free to the public restrooms also came in handy for us. They were clean and well stocked. The location is perfect for anyone coming or going from Millenium Park or the nearby areas. Lastly, the gift shop had tons of cool art. This place is worth a visit.

Stepping into the Chicago Cultural Center felt like walking through a masterpiece of history and…read morearchitecture. Originally built as Chicago's main public library in 1897, this stunning landmark served the city until 1991. Every corner is filled with incredible craftsmanship--from the grand Neo-Classical and Italian Renaissance architecture to the massive arches, elegant Carrara marble, colorful glass, and intricate mosaic walls. The highlight? Standing beneath the world's largest Tiffany stained glass dome. It is absolutely breathtaking and even more spectacular in person. If you're visiting Chicago, don't miss this hidden gem. Best of all, admission is free, making it one of the city's most beautiful places to explore.

Chicago is so rich in history... Had no idea…read more.. Learned so much... Fell in love with Chicago even more... Exhibits were fantastic Staff was wonderful The hot dog stole the show with the kids Highly recommend

I wish I had the time to actually stop and fully experience each of the exhibits more clearly. I'll…read morehave to take another trip. The kiddos enjoyed the sensing Chicago exhibit. I enjoyed learning more about the Chicago fire, the world fair & about the history of Uptown Theater. There is a cafe with coffee and other Chicago staples. I didn't eat there but I love the attention to detail on their menu offering. The kiddos said they love seeing the old trains & thought they looked better than the current or new ones.

Beautiful displays of art from artists local and beyond. I wish there was more merch on sale to…read morehelp support the center - I did buy what was available, a tiny pin representing the art center. I enjoyed my afternoon here and hope I am in town for one of their events next time!

The trolley dropped us here with so much great information. Apparently First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt…read morecame to the opening! the tour guide was lively and informative. (Happy Belated Birthday). The art, bites, and Chicago made (also only African American made) Bleu vodka samples were awesome. There were small and big pieces, and 3 levels. We missed some live music but that's ok. I hope there is an elevator. I'm fine to go up stairs but some may find it challenging. The building is one of the few in a brownstone, in a residential area. It does not 'look' like a center but rather like a cozy, inviting house. They are very receptive of young/new artists too. My sister bought a piece here from a young artist (Raylinda?)some years back that she still admires.

We felt bilked out of 20 dollars to see one room of pretty amateurish local work - a piece that…read moreconsisted of plants under grow lights placed on a wooden bench, for example - and room number two: 30ish small woodcut prints by Hnizdosky. Some of the gallery tags were printer paper held on (or not) by scotchtape. You'd be better off going to MCA, Art Institute, Arts Club of Chicago, Renaissance Society, etc.

Museum is small and the shows usually are small too. Exhibit that I recently saw had multiple…read moreartists but, the pieces did not list the artist on each piece. They fell a little short in the descriptions of the pieces.

Now that I'm a college grad, there's just less to do on a Friday night. No more house parties, less…read moreof my friends are around, and it's also just less socially acceptable to go wild now that I'm supposed to be an adult. Cue going out with my roommates to classy events like After Dark, where everyone's a little older than I'm used to and where I don't really feel like I fit in just yet, but it's still nice to finally be a part of the grown ups. I would say the average person was in their late 20s, and the crowd was quite dressed up (at least in comparison to my cotton black summer dress and flip flops). We had a great time. Food wise, they had some complimentary snacks consisting of crackers/dip, popcorn, and rice crispy treats, although I wish they had something more substantial to feed us. They also have a drinks line (need to first purchase tickets to buy drinks!) where you can get beer, wine, or cocktails. Entertainment wise, there was a fantastic DJ, a photo booth with a mime, and an arts and crafts stand where you can get stickers to plaster all over you friends. After getting drinks and snacks, we sat around for a bit on the (beautiful) outdoor patio, and afterwards proceeded to walk through the Modern Wing, which was open exclusively for the event. The Roy Lichtenstein exhibit was up, and it took quite awhile to peruse since it was absolutely huge. The artwork was amazing, and I'm really glad I got a chance to see this exhibit that I probably wouldn't have seen otherwise. The price of the event was so worth it since it covers both the art and the h'orderves. Overall, I had a fantastic time and am excited to attend other events similar to this (First Friday's at the MCA, anyone?). Only qualm is still that I wish they had more substantial snacks, since I was starving afterwards.

Eclectic mix of people, something for everybody here…read more Plenty of single people and couples too. It was great to walk around and view the art, which gave the event an added touch. One thing that was annoying was having to pay for drink tickets, it would be much more convenient if they just took cash. Not a black tie event as some people made it out to be. All in, its good for what you make of it, either enjoying your own company or going to meet others. Good vibes!

Just to clear up what may be a misconception...this isn't some stuffy, overpriced shop in a great…read moremuseum. It IS a fun and accessible, even affordable shop in a great museum! (One of two such shops, in fact; check out the Museum Shop at the Michigan Ave entrance.) Not only are there art books, prints and related items featuring great works....there is also available a wide assortment of random items such as local-interest restaurant books, funky kitchen accessories as well as scarves and jewelry. The list doesn't end there though - and you don't have to pay to enter the shop - just hit the "Monroe entrance" of the Art Institute and you can check it out for yourself. I'd been admiring a large glass bowl, handmade in Turkey, and was delighted to discover that it was priced at $50.00. Since I'm a museum member, I'd always receive the 10% off, but this past week was double discount so it was a 20% discount. Awesome! The staff has always been considerate and helpful. My only gripe? I'd requested a bag and I was not given one. (This was on a day when I wasn't making a purchase, but I needed a bag...can't recall what was the situation.) I found the refusall a bit surprising as well as unaccommodating, so there I dock the fifth star!

I stopped in here. I thought about getting a ticket into the Art Institute, but nixed it since it…read morewas $25 and I had only 1.5 hours before closing. The last time I went there the main exhibit was so dark and morbid that I wondered if the artist was hugged as a child. I bought a pair of amber earrings for the sister and a metal soap that would remove smells from hands, such as garlic and fish. Would definitely come and buy from again.