07 November 2011

Elmhurst Art Museum


Where: Chicagoland, Elmhurst
150 Cottage Hill Ave., directions on website
Cost: $4 for adults, $3 for seniors, $2 for students with ID, free for children under 12 and everyone on Tuesday
Hours: Closed Monday; opens at 10AM Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and 1PM Wednesday, Friday, Sunday; closes at 4PM Tuesday-Sunday, except Wednesday when it is open until 8PM
How to get there: Car, commuter rail possible, bus if no other option
When visited: Winter 2009

If you're in the Chicago area and have done all the major tourist stops, or the kids are architecture buffs, or the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art didn't take as much time as you had thought, stop on in. Otherwise wait for one of those things to become true.

The museum's big claim to fame is the McCormick House, which is an integral part of the museum and one of three Mies van der Rohe designed residences in the United States. So, as I said, if the kids are big architecture buffs, this is a great place to go. The pitfall here is that the house isn't really well interpreted. In fact, half of it is offices. It was almost the antithesis of Frank Lloyd Wright house tours, which come with knowledgeable guides. So read up on van der Rohe to get what you can out of this exhibit.

The remainder of the museum is pleasant and focuses primarily on Chicago-area artist from the mid-20th Century onward. Many special exhibits come through, which allows for the local community to have a variety of art on display throughout the year. The Elmhurst Artists Guild has a gallery where they display art, some of which is for sale. The bathrooms were suitable for all, including large benches in the place of baby changing tables.

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