Stunning restored and/or maintained home with interesting exhibits. Great staff-very helpful, and friendly. Free Wednesdays from 4-7, but easily worth the price of admission. read more

Driehaus Museum - Museums Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a relatively small museum in Near North Side. A small auditorium will greet you upon entering. The first floor showcases beautiful rooms including the receiving and dining area and more. Fine furniture, statues, and other fixtures have interesting stories. They have a grand staircase that leads to the second floor which houses mainly the Tiffany lamps in different rooms. The third floor has a small Wizard of Oz exhibit with a part where you can take your pictures with some wearable items like a headband with lion's fur and ears, an axe, wands, etc. The small gift shop is also on this floor. You can finish the entire museum in 45 minutes. If you only have limited time in Chicago, you may want to skip this. read more

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Neighborhood gem - I learned so much about the history of the Nickerson Mansion The Tiffany Lamp exhibit was also stunning! read more

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The main attraction of the museum is in an extremely well-built house from the "Gilded Age" that was built over a 4-year period from 1879-1883 with no cost spared for top quality. It has been restored to its original grandeur. The first floor looks like something right out of an affluent place in 1890. There are 3 floors. The guided tour takes an hour and you get good stories. You can tour on your own as well as your own pace. They have an app you can download for details. The tour is $5 more and enables your questions to get answered. read more

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Neighborhood gem. Very close to public transport, shops, and restaurants. Museum is large, has many levels. read more

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What a gem, and who knew such a great historical home/museum in Chicago. I was amazed at the original or period furniture, paintings, wall coverings, lamps, woodwork, stone work, stained glass, ceilings, etc. It was a lot to take in. The first floor is where they have the rooms layed out as they were when the home was occupied. The furnishings were lovely to see. One can only imagine the opulence at the time it was occupied. The second floor housed the bedrooms. For some time, this was used by the American College of Surgeons, who emptied the furniture from the 2nd floor. So, the bedrooms were empty of furniture, but the walls were covered by the artwork from a special exhibit. The same was true with the 3rd floor. The rooms were being used to display the art exhibit. The 3rd floor also has the museum gift shop. This was really a treat to see. read more

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Wizard of Oz & Tiffany lamps exhibit extended thank goodness! Extremely courteous staff who take the time out of their day to answer any questions about the house's history! $15 tickets for students with ids, admission ends an hour before close. Kiddy corner to McCormick house as well. read more

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An excellent display of a mansion built with craftsmanship and marble, granite, different woods from around the world throughout the mansion from floor to ceiling. If you go, take the tour. Then explore on your own. For a limited time there is also a wizard of Oz display room. Call ahead. Possibly Wednesdays are free admission. read more

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Stopped in for their new exhibit on Rory McEwan and ended up staying far longer than planned. This is my favorite museum but I'll admit I've been less than excited by some of their visiting exhibits. This one was a joy. Great art intermixed with historic examples. Nicely curated. And my first chance to explore the new auditorium. A great add on to a visit to the city. Just a couple blocks off Michigan avenue shopping read more

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Go on Wednesday between 4-6 and you can see it for free! They had a great Tiffany glass exhibit that is on until march. Tomorrow they are opening up a wizard of oz exhibit. The staff were very helpful. The house itself is a true masterpiece I would pay attention to the details of the room not just what is adorning it. Nice little afternoon. I don't think you would spend more than an hour here but there was only one exhibit open when I was here. read more

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What a great place! Being a native of the Chicago area when I was much younger, this is a "new" museum for me. It was close to our hotel so we decided to check it out. Worth every penny, and my 10 and 13 year old even enjoyed it. If you like design, each room has something to geek out on, for me it was multiple things, but just seeing the tile in some of these rooms brought me joy. read more

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The Museum is located just steps from the Magnificent Mile. When you need a break from shopping come and visit this museum. Philanthropist Richard H. Driehaus, sponsored its restoration from 2003-2008 and was named after him. His collection of antiques from the Gilded Age, is housed in the museum. I loved the silk wall coverings, it looks like wallpaper, but it's all silk. Some of the walls were covered in tiles. It was beautiful. The rooms are corded off to keep visitors away from furniture and antiques. On the 3rd floor they have a piece of the silk wall covering and tiles you can touch. This was a worthwhile stop during our short trip in Chicago. It was perfect for a rainy day. read more

Driehaus Museum - Parlor - Museums Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It's a while that I wanted to visit this museum since it's in River North and finally yesterday I made it. Honestly,it's one of the most beautiful museum in Chicago! The art and architecture it's from 19th-century which in my opinion it's very unique and gorgeous makes you feel in another universe. I totally recommended to visit this museum especially if you're an art lover. read more

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A very charming little museum that I really enjoyed. It's certainly a smaller, more niche museum experience, but it did not disappoint at all. I'm really glad we added this to out itinerary on our last trip to Chicago. read more

A few nights ago was the first time that I went to The Richard H. Driehaus Museum, which is housed within the historic Samuel M. Nickerson House, the 1883 residence of a wealthy Chicago banker, its design, architecture, and decorating tastes capture the essence of Gilded Age America.  Our daughter was invited to the museum's seasonal open house and opening celebration of "Glass to Garden: Tiffany Inspired Floral Designs", Hubby and I were happy to be Daughter's guests.  We spent a lovely evening exploring the stunning mansion museum!   We have been to many historic houses, but this is one of the most beautiful ones.  There are three levels with many rooms to explore, the library, smoking room, reception room, dining room, ballroom...you name it!  There are marble, inlaid woodwork, stained glass, mosaic art, Tiffany lamps, and chandeliers in so many areas... I seldom took so many pictures in a single tour of a house!  If you like historic houses, this is the one that you should not miss!  The special exhibit of "Glass to Garden: Tiffany Inspired Floral Designs" provides plenty of stunning photo opps of bursting floral creations against the backdrop of treasures from the Gilded Age, and is open through January 7, 2024.   If you park in the ROW Self Park garage that is only 2 blocks away, don't forget to have your ticket validated by the museum.  Our 2-hour $57 parking fee was discounted by $40, we only needed to pay $17! read more

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This place is honestly pretty amazing. It's a Gilded Age home that also has additional art inside. I had never even heard of this place prior to someone upon it, but it was well worth a visit. read more

What a treat to find this gilded mansion built in 1883, in the heart of downtown, restored by Richard Driehaus, a collector of mansions. You can walk in. Tickets were $20, and $5 for the guided tour. I used my reciprocal membership from an out of town museum, and paid the $5 for the tour, which is a must. This house was built by the Nickerson family to show off, as was common then, being a prominent figure in the banking industry. From the hard parquet "carpet" floors, to the glass tiles, artwork, and fireplaces, the staircase is a show stopper. The library with a glass dome is stunning. The history is incredible. Lots of stairs to every floor. Credit card only. Not handicapped accessible throughout. Call to inquire about using the elevator. Check the website for information. Not recommended for young children. read more

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Get the tour!! We planned to explore this ourselves but decided to pay the extra $5 for the tour. It was well worth it. The tour was small and the tour guide was so informative and we loved hearing the history of this house. The house is absolutely gorgeous and it is wonderful to see it resorted to its prime. read more

I was floored by this museum (and I see a lot of museums and historical homes). This is probably one of the best, if not the best, historical homes I've seen. I spent over two hours here and took the tour, and still saw something new in each room every time I passed through. This home is an ornate example of the height of the gilded age. When I checked in, the docent asked me not to "pet" the walls. I thought that was an interesting word to use. After touring each room multiple times, it makes sense. Each room's walls are adorned in various textures and textiles. They juxtapose--cloth, tiles, ornate carved wood, and more. It's an intricate, sensuous, decadent salmagundi! Multiple fireplaces, a skylight, sculptures, carvings cherubs, sculptures, vases, a smorgasbord of rare Tiffany glass, lamps, and chandeliers. The first floor is mainly set up as the original home. The second and third floor also have elements of the original home, though they are mostly focused on special exhibits and the gift shop. When I visited, the focus was on art nouveau architect, Hector Guimard. I learned a lot, found it interesting, and found his work beautiful and intriguing. You can choose to peruse the museum on your own, for 20 dollars, but the tour is worthwhile at 25 dollars. I arrived early and spent over an hour wandering independently, then took the tour--and as I mentioned, I was still seeing new things every pass through a room. It was also helpful that I had taken the majority of my photos before the tour, so I could really focus. I'm against hoarding wealth, but I did thoroughly enjoy this trek through the gilded age. read more

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Did a private tour just for the two of us. This is a gorgeous house, really beautiful. Owners had a lot of money and spent it in good taste. Very cool to walk through. Well worth the time for a visit. read more

Basically it's an old house made into a museum, so if you like looking around in old houses, this is certainly a thing to look at. It's the Nickerson Mansion, once home to one of Chicago's wealthiest families. The Driehaus Museum is full of their art collection, and the house itself is a piece of art as well. Good museum for those not wanting to walk around acres of sprawling exhibits. Lots of interesting artifacts and also has some exhibits that rotate at times. About the worst thing about it is the price of admission. It's $20 for adults, which is kind of high, especially for such a small museum but it's certainly worth going in and taking a look. There's enough to keep you occupied maybe a couple hours if you're into old art and houses such as this. Has a couple ways to explore. You can either look on your own or have a guided tour. Guided tours cost a little extra. The current exhibit is about preservationist Richard Nickel. Lots of interesting artifacts and information about saving things from old buildings. The museum also has a gift shop with things such as books about the house and other stuff. Has a lot to check out inside. It's not that big of a house ironically now what people are used to, but it was pretty impressive back then. This is a good thing if looking for a museum that doesn't have that much walking around and whatever. read more

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A museum located in a Glided-age era mansion/house. There was a decent amount of artwork in that building and the late 19th century architecture comes to play in the inside too due to the presence of wallpaper and dark wood. However, I wish the museum included more furniture to display such as a bed, dressers/vanities, coffee tables, and etc. read more

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It was supposed to be a marketplace, but it was only about five vendors. I was extremely disappointed.

I can't believe it's taken me this long to pen a review of the Driehaus Museum. My most recent visit here was to renew my membership. I decided to go in person, as I didn't want to chance sending a check or credit card info through the mail, and I had a couple of questions about my membership level and benefits. I arrived on a Wednesday before official opening hours and was surprised, albeit pleased to see a small line of visitors was already forming outside of the building. The process of getting my membership renewed was seamless and I am good to go for another year! Since I had time, I decided to take in the Hector Guimard: Art Nouveau to Modernism exhibition currently on view. I did not know about the life and work of this architect/designer prior to the exhibit. It was illuminating to see his work and the Art Nouveau style placed in direct dialogue with the opulent, Gilded Age aesthetic of the Nickerson Mansion where the Driehaus museum is housed. With a new executive director now at the helm, I am excited to see what the future holds for this cultural institution as it finds new ways to preserve its legacy while making space for new avenues for engagement. read more

Have intended to visit this gem for quite some time now and just never did. When What Richard Nickel saw showed up a buddy called and said let's go. What a exceptionally cool treasure in the area. Restored to Guilded Era splendor it is a masterpiece. Good gravy they do not make houses like this anymore. Seeing photos and pieces Nickel preserved was cool, the story of how one man pretty much created the preservation society in Chicago and his work inspired the Driehaus family to preserve this building, and many more. read more

Driehaus Museum - Museums Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Think of all all the elegance and opulence of the Vanderbilt Mansion in North Carolina, just on a smaller urban scale, and you have the Driehaus Museum. The "marble mansion" is full of rich and inlaid woods, custom designed tile walls and mosaics, Tiffany glass, onyx, over-the-top chandeliers, fabric wall coverings and more. It's well worth spending the extra $5 to take the guided tour and hear all the stories about the families who lived there. Don't neglect to take in the expanded campus which includes an adjacent art deco auditorium with columns, stained glass, and royal seating. read more

it was cool. I went during the Frank Lloyd Wright exhibit and that was nice . Security was a little annoying, i touched the wall and was promptly reminded "no touching" but overall it was a cool little experience . It's free wednesday 5p-7p.. so go them .. read more

Beautiful house with interesting story behind it. Went to see the Richard nickel exhibit which was excellent. Lots of physical artifacts, personal story and informative photos read more

Beautiful space to spend an hour or two on a chilly Saturday in Chicago! It's not a museum in the typical sense, but I definitely learned a lot and enjoyed the experience of touring this posh mansion. We didn't take the guided tour, but there were docents on each floor who were so knowledgeable and answered every question we had. There are 3 floors, with 4-6 large open rooms on each floor, plus small side rooms, a foyer, grand staircase, and the large ballroom space. The gift store was closed for inventory today, but that looked interesting. It's up in the third floor. There is a small room with a tv screen that plays a movie about the history of the home, so that was nice to sit for a spell and watch the movie. $20 entry fee. Photos permitted, no flash. Street parking was $9.50. read more

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Incredible example of our "Gilded Age" opulence. Beautiful elegant home to show off immense turn of the century wealth. Heartily recommend a 2 hour stay. 1 hour tour. read more

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What I love about 19th century rich people's houses is that they're so weird and ornate. Inevitably the owners are super into something Japanese or Asian so there's a bonus Easter egg hunt for me, but it's also an enviable glimpse into what it's like to craft your life around near total leisure in your ascent (descent?) to become Quirky Sophisticated Flaneur. I also love learning about some of the historical context like the reason smoking rooms fell out of favor is because women started smoking and men no longer had separate spaces to escape to, and instead of musing on social change I walk through each room dreaming about having my own postprandial spaces, sitting in a reading room and a separate library (in the SAME house!), gazing up at a stained glass ceiling (in my actual house!), eating at an ebonized cherry wood table, drinking from a medieval goblet. Just kidding. But I mean this is why we pay the admission price. A little history and fantasy in the middle of the city. You really should make time to visit. read more

I was visiting a friend in Chicago and was asked the usual, "What do you want to do?" As a bit of a punt, I said, "Walk around a gorgeous old mansion for hours" - thinking we'd probably just end up at a record store as usual since places like that don't exist much anymore. My friend said, "Perfect, I've always wanted to check out the Driehaus Museum." A quick bus trip later and we were teleported back to the Gilded Age of Chicago! First - make sure you take the tour. It's worth the very little extra they charge for it. There is so much to look at that it's great to have someone direct your eye (and answer your questions). Second - take time to just stand there and take it all in before the details overwhelm you! Every spot on the first floor is worth close inspection. The variety of design styles and intricacies of the floors, walls and ceiling is intense! And if you like Tiffany fixtures, you're in for a treat! The upper floors are less furnished since they had been gutted for use as offices, but you can still imagine life in this house. The staff were all well informed, and if we asked a question they couldn't answer, they'd look it up. So if you're in Chicago, and like architecture, design, interior furnishings or just old stuff, get to the Driehaus! read more

The Driehaus Museum is a beautiful Art Nouveau historic home that reflects the Gilded Age of America. Entering you feel like you have been transported back in time. Originally built for Samuel Nickerson at a cost of $450,000 for construction and decoration, the "Marble Palace" was the most expensive private home in Chicago at the time it was built. It took four years to build and was completed in 1883. It was fireproofed with brick masonry to meet the city ordinances that were in place after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The Nickerson's sold it to George Fisher for the bargain price of $7,500 in 1900. Upon Fisher's death, a cohort of concerned citizens, including William Wrigley Jr. and Julius Rosenwald, bought and preserved the home and donated it to The American College of Surgeons. After they outgrew this space, Richard Driehaus bought the home, restored it and converted it into this museum. It is amazing to walk through the opulent rooms and imagine the history contained within the walls. Talk to a docent or take a tour to get insight into the main halls, reception rooms, parlors and galleries. Interesting to hear about use and preservation of the building. There is also an amazing collection of Tiffany glass on display throughout the museum. Love how the museum is currently showcasing contemporary art. Yinka Shonibare is a British-Nigerian artist who creates sculptures, film, installation art and photographs to reflect on history, politics, colonialism, and fashion and contrast inequities within past and present society. His exhibit, "A Tale of Today," opens the dialog to the different perspectives. His sculptures and installation art, in this exhibit, are clothed in colorful Dutch wax fabric and are headless. The Dutch wax fabric was invented to compete with more expensive Indonesian batik textiles, but did not succeed in Europe or Indonesia. However, the Dutch brought the materials to West Africa where it became a method of communication and self expression. The headless figures are subject to many symbolic themes. It is interesting to realize the personal challenges that Shonibare's faces everyday. He contracted transverse myelitis at the eighteen years of life which left him with a hemiparesis/partial paralysis. This requires him to have assistants help to create his artwork. The exhibit will be on display until September 29, 2019. Thanks also to NARM for reciprocal member admissions. Used our Burke Museum pass for admission. They also have free admission days throughout the year like today. . read more

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The Nickerson Mansion is a gorgeous Gilded Age masterpiece, and well worth the entrance fee. I recommend the guided tour, as there's just so much to see in this sumptuously designed and decorated home. The docent who led our tour was excellent; knowledgeable and personable, and I learned a lot about the family who commissioned this house to be built, as well as some history of mid 19th century Chicago. The tour also includes the current exhibit on display, for more local history and color. read more

Amazing. So beautiful. Love learning the history about the home and loved the Frank Lloyd Wright exhibit.

Was looking around for things to do near my hotel in Chicago and came across the Driehaus Museum which is a gilded age mansion that was then used for various different things until Mr. Driehaus preserved the house as a museum today. Admission is sort of pricey $20 + $5 for a guided tour (which I thought was worth it) for a 2 story building but it was interesting to see the detailed interior and to hear some of the stories SS about Chicago's quest to preserve some of their more historical buildings. Doesn't take more than 1-2 hours to visit but worth a stop if you are in the area and have never been. read more

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Very nice house museum in excellent condition with a very knowledgeable and helpful staff. Admission is a bit high for the size of the home and it doesn't include any extras, if you want a guided or self guided tour you'll spend more than the standard $30 fee. They had an excellent Tiffany exhibit when we attended so it was worth the price. There were many masterworks by the studio located throughout the residence including the entire third floor having spectacular ecclesiastical displays. The main floor is perfectly maintained and shows what a Gilded Age home would have looked like in its prime. I particularly liked the dining room with its massive silver service display. The various staff answered all of our questions with detail and really added to the experience. read more

Exceptionally beautiful and extremely detailed Gilded Age mansion. I have only seen Low Art tiles at antique stores, so to see it in an actual home is special. Our tour guide Abby* was knowledgeable and sweet. The tour lasted about an hour and you were free to ask her more questions after the tour. If you decide not to go with a tour guide, you can opt for an audio guide. There are information stands throughout the home, however, I recommend using some tour aid to further your knowledge of the home's history. The pictures do not due it justice! I highly recommend you visit. read more

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The Driehaus Museum is a wonder of architectural beauty! After our visit to the Field Museum, we wanted to find something a little more low key and less crowded. When you enter the Driehaus Museum, you will drop your jaw in awe. The marble entrance hall is impressive with a large staircase positioned in the middle. The house has such a rich history of being owned by a famous banker in the Gilded era. He built the house for $450K which would be equivalent to $180M today! They have a great bag check and coat check and all the staff are extremely nice. Admission is $20/adult. Pay the extra $5 for the guided tour, you will not regret it! Our guide took our small group to the reception room where there are beautiful tiles up to the ceiling and a magnificent fireplace. The architecture and designs became more impressive as you visit the studies where Tiffany stained glass and lamps are the norm. Some of the art in the museum is extremely classical with cherub faced women and pretty men in fantastic paintings. It's interesting to learn the history behind the 2 families who owned the house and how much love Driehaus put into restoring it. The bedrooms and ballrooms were tastefully done and blend art from different cultures. They have a rotating art collection and we had a history of seating (different chairs) when we were there. If you are in the Chicago area, don't miss this worthwhile mansion-museum for all you art and architecture lovers. read more

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This museum isn't for everyone, but if you like old houses rich with history like me, Richard Driehaus Museum is for you! Unlike Hearst Castle, they don't charge an arm and a leg for admission. They offer discounted admission to students and seniors so pricing isn't too bad (audio tour is extra though). The guides, located on each floor, are friendly but unobtrusive. They even offered to help me take a solo pic on the glamorous staircase. Pro tip: You can ask the guides about the dumbwaiter and old servants' quarters and they might be able to take you to peek into the now admin offices. I like that they have rotating exhibitions so it's extra bang for your buck. I was there when they were showcasing the French posters, and it was a neat treat learning more about this art form from the Belle Époque period. 4.5 read more

Driehaus Museum - Grand staircase - Museums Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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