Having time traveled forward from the Middle Ages, I was naturally curious to see how the modern world remembers the many ingenious ways my ancestors attempted to ruin one another's afternoons. I expected a small collection of rusty devices and perhaps a badly painted mannequin. Instead, I found the Medieval Torture Museum in Chicago to be surprisingly expansive, covering thousands of square feet with more than 100 devices, scenes, and exhibits. The museum contains an impressive number of props, torture instruments, wax figures, and dummies arranged into realistic scenes. Some displays are interactive, allowing visitors to examine or carefully operate certain devices, and there are plenty of photo opportunities throughout. The exhibits can be graphic, but I wouldn't describe them as excessively over the top. They are gruesome enough to make you appreciate modern dentistry, hospitals, and the general invention of human rights. We found the subject matter fascinating, so we spent about two hours exploring the museum. We read all of the informational plaques, examined the displays, and took plenty of pictures. The audio guide adds additional historical context, and the museum also offers a ghost-hunting app, which is a wonderfully strange feature to use while standing beside an iron maiden. As a man who personally witnessed several of these devices in their original working condition, I can confirm that the museum's recreations are quite accurate. I even recognized one exhibit as the exact machine used to settle a dispute between two knights over a moderately attractive turnip. The museum is dark, educational, interactive, and thoroughly fascinating. It is not for everyone, especially those who are sensitive to graphic depictions of violence, but anyone interested in medieval history, true crime, horror, or the darker side of human behavior should find plenty to enjoy. I arrived from the Middle Ages expecting to feel nostalgic. Instead, I left deeply grateful for modern plumbing, courtroom procedures, and the fact that disagreements are no longer settled by placing someone inside a metal chair covered in spikes. read more

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This was a lot more fun (and horrifying) than we expected. Out of town guests (of course!) wanted to go. We had been curious in the past but thought it a bit pricey ($45 pre taxes) even with internet discount of $31.99 which goes to +$40 after taxes (no timed entry but buy online ahead, preferably with a Groupon for extra value, $36) so just never went. But we did on a recent Monday afternoon in the Summer. It's open 7 days a week starting at 10am. There were a few others when we arrived and more when we left. It is well laid out, candlelit, creepy and informative, with plaque summaries and recreations of the devices being used on victims throughout. It's graphic in a cheap horror movie way but it packs a punch. You can zip through by just looking and reading the summaries, or listen to the audio tour which actually embellishes and adds context to the exhibit. And for an extra dose of primitive augmented reality, the ghost hunting feature which is fun if not distracting. And you can interact with the devices and there are photo ops. And restrooms midway. Some of the warning signs seem unnecessary but then again, human beings... If you're not counting pennies, it's worth it for 75-90 minutes. Staff are friendly and helpful and there's merch. Easy to get to via CTA. Absolutely no reason to even think about driving. read more

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Who knew there were so many ways to be tortured throughout history? That was my takeaway from visiting the Medieval Torture Museum in the heart of the Loop. Looking on their website, there are other torture museum outposts in Florida, California, Branson (MO), and Berlin, Germany in addition to Chicago. The Chicago location is on the compact side, but packs over 100 medieval artifacts into dimly-lighted, macabre space occupying two levels. My timing for visiting was right around Halloween. I purchased tickets online (can get a very slight discount buying online) for a friend's belated birthday. He had always wanted to see this space, and we had scheduled an outing here, followed by happy hour libations. My interactions with the front-desk/check-in personnel (a younger gentleman and a woman getting off of her shift) were pleasant and professional. The young man mentioned that he was studying art. I'm sure this museum gave him plenty of inspiration. To the side of the check-in/welcome area there is a souvenir shop. I didn't really see anything that grabbed me, but there were a couple of promotions taking place and the displays/signage were memorable and lighthearted, considering the grim subject matter. Before making our way to the exhibit, we cued up the audio guide on our phones. The guide is easily accessible through Apple and Android, although I wish I had brought headphones, as I quailed at blasting the sound through speakers with other patrons around. Fortunately, this is more of a selfie and photography-geared space, so there were no dirty looks as I would have expected in a traditional museum or gallery. This museum has something for everyone, whether one is an avid reader of all of the informational material around the exhibits (raises hand) or prefers a more interactive, hands-on experience and photo-ops to capture the thrills and chills. Among the most arresting items are a torture rack from 15th-century Spain and a life-size replica of Joan of Arc being burned at the stake. Over the sound system, occasionally dramatized screams and creaking chains play to heighten the creepy ambiance. All told, it took around an hour to peruse the space, sharing impressions and taking photos. read more

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What a cool little place to come visit, I learned quite a bit of what went down in the old days. It's wild. I really really enjoyed how interactive it was!! While it's graphic, there's no jump scares to worry about. Get the audio guide. It's great to listen to while perusing around! read more

Medieval Torture Museum - Museums Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Thought this museum was really cool, there's an app that you can download to get a more interactive style self guided tour, and even a few of the exhibitions you can physically interact with. Super cool, you can get a lot out of this museum, and for a reasonably fair price, and even better you book online! read more

Medieval Torture Museum - Museums Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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First off, I'm not sure how this place can be called a museum. There are zero artifacts or relics from the medieval times. It's completely comprised of models and recreations. Had it been called the Medieval Torture learning center at an entrance fee of $10 then I would possibly recommend. Don't get me wrong, we did learn a few interesting things. The "museum" itself is VERY misleading. read more

Medieval Torture Museum - Museums Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It's very fun but it's not cheap. It's $31.99 a person PLUS tax. Just for context the Milwaukee Art Museum is $27 per person and I feel like that's pushing it for that museum. Price aside, it's worth a visit. The exhibits are all interactive and they cram a lot into the space. There's even a little ghost hunt app you can download. I do think the ticket price is a little high. What they should do is lower it slightly, and then sell prints of some of those posters they got up around the exhibits. They could recoup a lot of money that way. read more

Fun, but short experience to try once. Pretty small space that we ended up walking through a few times to kill time. I'm aware the ticket price includes the audio guide and ghost hunting experience, but still too expensive for what it is. Not super interactive and pretty repetitive overall. More of a photo op than a museum. Wouldn't say it was horribly gruesome, but I'm also not squeamish in the slightest. Unless there was an expansion of some sort I couldn't imagine it being worth a second visit. Gift shop was very generic - seems like a missed opportunity to incorporate local chicago artists. read more

Medieval Torture Museum - Museums Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Very amazing tour! Shows the punishments of the medieval times and the pain and suffering inflicted read more

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Very interactive ! The walk through video was nice to hear more info ! Not as big as I thought it would be but still so much info

Granted, the focus of this museum is macabre, and you need to be prepared to confront the darker side of humanity when visiting, but it's very well done. The museum is clean and, surprisingly, smells pleasant, considering the nature of the exhibits. Each room features replicas of torture devices, accompanied by detailed historical write-ups that add context and depth. It's hard not to feel grateful to be living in the 21st century, though it's unsettling to learn that a few of these devices have been used within the last 20 years. That was truly unfathomable to me. While the content is intense and certainly not for the faint of heart, it's presented in a respectful and educational manner. Nothing is designed to jump out or scare you, this isn't a haunted house. I took my 12-year-old son, and he was fascinated. He read more that day than he has since school let out, and the museum sparked some great conversations between us. read more

Great time and worth the visit to fill in 60-90 minutes of time. Looking for something entertaining and different to fill in a few hours, the medieval torture museum delivered what I wanted. The graphic displays of medieval torture were both entertaining and terrifying at the same time, and that is basically what you expect and receive. My only blemish's was the price point, other than that I enjoyed the experience. read more

Medieval Torture Museum - Museums Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cool, but definitely overpriced for what it is. For two people, we paid $71 for entrance. The museum itself is just about 3-4 of rooms on a single floor; the price of admission comes with an audio guide. We walked through the entire thing in about 30 mins, which is the perfect amount of time for what this is, but admission shouldn't have cost more than $20 pp. read more

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was giving a selfie museum but with mannequins. disappointed and wouldn't go again. Overall felt like a tourist trap and was gimmicky.

Very cool I had a lot of fun. Lots of weird stuff to look at. For the price it isn't bad plus you can touch anything you want also read more

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If you're looking for something fun to do, look no further! I went and absolutely loved it! I felt like I learned so much...and it's the largest torture museum ever! Lots of fun places to take pics, too! Highly recommend! read more

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The atmosphere & detail of the props & information on the plaques was worth every penny. Highly recommend to learn more about this dark side of human history. Plus the bathrooms were super clean! read more

Medieval Torture Museum - interactive - Museums Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Morbidly informative and frightening Enjoyed the education component Focus is on devices themselves and to whom they were applied read more

The demonstrations are very graphic and the audio guide is very detailed and helpful. Staff is also very nice! read more

Medieval Torture Museum - Museums Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Nice staff, a terrible "museum." This place is a bunch of props set up to provide visceral examples of torture devices and share some of the history of torture. It is meant to shock, and it does not do a very good job at this. It is an awkward space for an exhibition, but they made the most of it. Some hint about what order to go would have been nice. It is campy, and the vibe is a cross between Spirit Halloween and a cheesy temporary exhibit at a natural history museum. The biggest miss IMHO is the gift shop, which felt like had a lot of unrealized potential. Its claim to be the "largest interactive historical museum in the U.S." at 6,000 square feet is a total lie. 6,000 square feet is the size of a single gallery at a major history museum in Denver, Chicago, St. Paul, New York, Indianapolis...there are dozens of "interactive historical museums" larger than this in the U.S. Am I sad I went? Kinda. There are many other better things to do in Chicago. read more

A random whim of a friend that was visiting lead us here. It was a cool experience. If you're a fan of horror movies this is right up your alley. You'll see some things that inspired the Saw series and ultimately realize how messed up our human history is. There are multiple small rooms depicting a wide variety of torture through the ages. The entire tour will take you about an hour and a half. Some elements of the museum are interactive, and there's an audio tour you can access on your phone that explains each torture method. Not sure it's worth a return visit, but it was interesting. At $30 it's a bit of a steep price tag, in my opinion. But if you're interested in human history or as I mentioned, horror movies, this will be a good activity. read more

Really awesome fun and interactive museum! Definitely worth the trip if you are in Chicago read more

Medieval Torture Museum - Museums Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Coming here I did not know wha to expect. I was very happy we came by. They have an app that you download on your phone that is an audio tour and an interactive ghost hunt. I recommend this place. read more

Repetitive and really not very informative. Displays could have included some chronological information or even some history about things like the inquisition. They couldn't even stick to the theme "medieval" as they include things like an early electric chair. The museum is way overpriced, over $60 for two people. It took well less than an hour to see the entire place. read more

I'll give these guys a 4. It's not like I've been to a lot of museums like this so there's really not much to go off of. Judging based off of what they had to display it was pretty good though. They had a lot of display items and it was nice that they had interactive items as well. They offered an audio service and also a ghost hunting game app for the visit. I'm also thankful they had their AC blasting because it was kind of hot the day we visited in Chicago read more

Waste of money. Not a museum at all. Historically inaccurate and also not informative for what they're trying to do. Super disappointing with terrible wax figures and replicas of torture tools. You just walk around and can touch a few things that barely move. Total scam of a "museum" read more

Amazing! It was very interesting seeing how much torture was done back then. People suffer the most insane deaths. This Museum is a must to visit! He had an audio guide in got all the information. Definitely worth it! read more

Medieval Torture Museum - This was great! It was very interesting knowing what happened to people, highly recommend visiting! - Museums Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I was within a close radius searching on my Yelp app for "Things to Do" and the Medieval Torture Museum appears. They are also highly recommended on Travelers' Choice and Trip Advisor. This Chicago location is the largest interactive Medieval Torture Museum in the US with 56 cruel tortures exhibited. There was a 25% off deal on the day of my visit and it was only $29.99/person. This includes access to the museum, option to download their app for audio guide and ghost hunting experience. Staff was super friendly and informative. So the cashier and gift shop is on first floor. The museum itself was on second floor. The minute I got onto second floor I was reevaluating my life's decisions. I was so fixated on exploring I forgot about the "torture" thing and it didn't hit me until I saw it. Completely my fault. To the museum's credit they did a great job with the reenactments of these horrific cruel inhumane tortures. In addition to the reenactments there were supporting details like paintings or parts of the actual tools/devices. The audio guide enhanced the horror with chilling voice recordings of extreme horrific detail. It is probably more frightening listening to the recording than just walking through on its' own. There were 56 recordings that were around 1-2 minutes per torture stations and it took about an hour and a half to just walk through with the audio records. I did not partake in any of the interaction since I was too scared and I did not go back to do any of the ghost hunting experience. I felt enough trauma from the displays and the audio recordings. I am saying that as a compliment to the museum and their staff for a realistic set up. I hope we can all remember that this cruelty did occur in history to real people. Awful torture methods occurred to get false confessions or simply because they offended the wrong person in society. It really pains me to see it knowing this happened to people. It is so inhumane and I hope we can all strive for a better world today. I'm sure some dark corners of the world still has some of these cruel practices but we can choose to be kind, fair and compassionate to those around us. I don't recommend this place for the faint of heart or children, but the museum and their staff did a great job with the reenactments. I think those who enjoy the medieval times and history can really enjoy it. I would not come back because I'm traumatized enough but I can separate my feelings and respect them for their technical execution and artistic touch. read more

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Had a great time. Very interactive and spooky. They have an audio tour app you can download to follow along. Tip: park at the 20 and Randolph parking garage and they will validate 6 hours of parking for $8. read more

After discovering the Medieval Torture Museum on Expedia, it was a must visit for me. I made it a priority to visit on my birthday being that my interest in it was so high, tehehe. I did myself a favor by not viewing pictures and promotions shared via social media in order to make what I encountered a surprise. A cool fact about the Medieval Torture Museum is that it is the largest interactive Medieval Torture Museum in the United States. It is so cool to have it in the city of Chicago Illinois where I reside. When mentioning the museum to my coworkers, I got mixed reactions which I loved seeing because it made me chuckle. I imagine deep down they thought I was a total nutcase but trust me I am far from that. I do adore movies House of 1000 Corpses, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but trust me I cringe while watching the movie Saw, and even The Collector! I purchased my ticket for the museum the night prior to visiting, once I confirmed that it was open on my birthday which fell on Presidents' Day! The museum has a mobile application for you to download with an audio guide that talks about each display. There is also the option to partake in the ghost hunting experience as well. I recommend not using the audio guide during your entire tour, unless you want to drain your cell phone battery early into your tour. I personally recommend reading about the tortures on the card, then listening to the audio guide later once you have finished touring, or if you are just eager to hear about the display. I found myself toggling with my cell phone between the audio guide application, and taking pictures which kept me at displays longer than I wanted to be. Onsite, there are fifty-six displays of different tortures like suspicions of witchcraft, enemies of state, traitors, rioting, gossiping, heretics, theft, adultery, murdering, robbing, rape, slandering statesmen, and others that will make you appreciative of the times we are living in. I anticipated what awaited in the museum once I had encountered displays, the Gridiron, and Witch bathing. Gridiron displayed a man with bruises and welts on his body, shackled to a grill with fire underneath. Victims of this torture received burns from the hot metal and open flame. Oh, so brutal! And Witch bathing displayed a woman tied-up, hanging upside down who is suspected of witchcraft. I learned that she is then dunked into the water, and if he/she drowned then they were posthumously declared innocent. Crazy, huh? Many of the different tortures made me cringe, but one in particular that I just cannot get out of my head is titled 'Spanish Horse'. Spanish Horse featured a woman sitting on a wooden horse with cinder blocks on her feet holding her down. The Spanish Horse was used during the 14th-18th centuries in Europe and Japan. It was used to torture women who were accused of heresy and witchcraft, but when it proved its effectiveness, it was applied to men. Eek! The Sicilian Bull (Phalaris Bull) was another torture that I cannot forget. It featured a display of fire underneath a bronze bull, with a person inside of it roasting! Learning about it, I found that a curved tube was placed inside of the bull, leading to the mouth that was made to imitate the sound of an actual bull as the person screamed! This form of death penalty gained popularity in ancient Rome and eastern Europe. Visiting the Medieval Torture Museum was indeed memorable for me. And with it being my birthday, it makes it more special. I most definitely recommend visiting Medieval Torture Museum if you plan to visit downtown Chicago and it is your type of thing, tehehe. ~Blessings~ Thomas G read more

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Very interesting and quite brutal. I'm amazed by what humans are willing to do to one another. read more

Medieval Torture Museum - Museums Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Its well thought out with the layout. Super gruesome but it helps make the point and drive it home. Very interesting and a great learning experience. The one thing I have to say is that the audio is great and free with admission but if you dont want to listen and just read the signs, it gets super annoying with everyone else using the audio. Suggestion, headphones. read more

Very interesting place. It's big on the inside with a lot of things to see. You come in, maybe tickets, and then go upstairs. The prices are reasonable. They did a great job with the lighting, candles, and fake fires. What's cool is that several exhibits are interactive that you can touch. read more

Prior to my Chicago visit, I had this on my list of places to visit. The museum isn't far from Chicago Riverwalk, near the corner of E Lake Street and N State Street. As you walk inside you will see a gift shop to your immediate left and the ticket booth straight ahead. I do not recall if they offer discounts for military veterans. If you check their website, they will sometimes offer discounts. I walked in off the street and purchased the ticket. Overall, I felt that price of admission was reasonable. Especially for Halloween weekend. I recall that the young lady staff member who rung up my ticket purchase was informative and friendly. I liked how she highlighted the witches on-site during my visit. There were various staff or volunteers who were dressed up as witches. It made this visit better! As I walked the museum it made the experience more intense as I saw these witches roaming around. They didn't try to scare patrons nor did they touch anyone. They also didn't attempt to strike top conversation. I admired the professionalism. It was amusing to watch one of the patrons try to ask one of the witches a question. He tried to get her attention by saying, "Witch. Witch. Witch. Excuse me, witch." I'm not sure if she heard him or was just ignoring him. It was nice to experience this for lightening up the mood a bit. It was funny! After all, I was viewing various displays of medieval torture methods. I was actually quite taken aback by all the torture methods used back in the Medieval era. We were quite barbaric back then. The music played over the sounds system added another spooky element to the experience. I enjoyed ascending the stairs to access the museum. The museum itself with all the displays are on the second floor. There are so many displays to view and interact with. I enjoyed my visit to the museum and would consider returning here. I recommend checking their website out before deciding if you want to visit. Not everyone has the stomach for this type of venue. I do agree that they do not recommend anyone under 18 unless accompanied by an adult. Also, they don't prohibit picture taking. So, have your iPhone, droid or camera ready if you're interested in taking pictures. I hope that you have an informative and entertaining experience at the museum. Kudos to management for hiring and training quality staff. read more

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Extremely well done museum but not for the faint of heart. Very graphic and horrifying wax models of gruesome torture. Some basic information about the implements and devices and also a fun ghost hunting feature in the app. Some historical learning. Friendly staff, maybe a but ironic for a torture museum but welcome nonetheless! Definitely worth a look if you are interested in this sort of thing but could very easily be upsetting if you are bothered by depictions of suffering read more

I wasnt good or bad. I honestly thought it would be bigger from how it was advertised. The staff was friendly and helpful. Except for 1. She might be being held hostage. She was dazing pretty hard and lost in the exit door. The deal for marking was amazing!! A huge thank you for that! read more

Medieval Torture Museum - We all have that 1 coworker - Museums Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This little museum has a surprising number of displays for the size and flowed really well. The audio guide was well done. It was overall a very entertaining experience, but I have to knock a star off for the potential misinformation factor. Because the audio guide was so compelling I didn't really read this displays, so maybe I missed where they said it, but a lot of the stories in the museum are just that: stories. Myths, tall tales, fiction. Their website does admit this - if you dig enough - but judging by some other reviews it's not clear enough. read more

Very extensive and detailed . We had a great time . The audio tour was very informative .

This is an awesome museum to check out while in Chicago. Cool and realistic exhibits. read more

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Huge collection of devices I never knew existed. Audio portion was nice to have on phone as well. Worth it!