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    Driehaus Museum

    4.6 (157 reviews)
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    Ornate heavy stuff
    Dave C.

    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.

    The Oz exhibit
    Rpisces G.

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

    Bob R.

    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.

    Wizard of Oz exhibit
    Lauren K.

    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.

    Back balcony off auditorium
    Danny K.

    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.

    Patrick D.

    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

    Christina D.

    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.

    Peter E.

    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.

    Parlor
    Melissa S.

    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.

    Andra T.

    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.

    Exterior
    Kitty L.

    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!

    Debra V.

    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.

    Hunter S.

    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.

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

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

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    Review Highlights - Driehaus Museum

    The Driehaus Museum is a beautiful Art Nouveau historic home that reflects the Gilded Age of America.

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    I loved my experience! I really appreciate the free Tuesday nights for Illinois residents. That's…read moresuch a treat! Beautiful museum with multiple floors, excellent customer service, plenty of comfortable seating, cool gift shop, and a cafe and restaurant too. It has everything I need! The vibes are good here. I enjoyed all the floors and saw an impressive variety of art. I also wanted to see the Yoko Ono exhibit and I really enjoyed it. I appreciated how interactive it was. There were a few writing stations with activities, such as writing about your mom and taping it to the wall, and writing a wish on a tag and tying it to the wish tree. One room was blue and there were blue markers available and people were encouraged to add to it. Fabulous venue!

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    Driehaus Museum - museums - Updated May 2026

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