For Chicagoans who dread the frenzy of holiday shopping, there’s a calmer alternative. Instead of heading to mall, you can head to a museum.

The city’s cultural institutions offer festive shopping options that you may find inspiring, and you likely won’t find in big-box aisles. Museum gift shops brim with festive cards, clever stocking stuffers and unique items that carry real stories.

Plus, it’s a chance to support the organizations that make Chicago a cultural hub.

Admission is not required to visit these museum shops, but you may also enjoy browsing the galleries for things that aren’t for sale.

Art Institute of Chicago

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Plush green lions ($25) at the Art Institute of Chicago Museum Shop, Nov. 20, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)

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The AIC’s two museum shops are filled with art‑inspired gifts that incorporate masterpieces into everyday life.

For kids, show a little love for sweet home Chicago with a Chicago flag plush ($28) or the colorful “Chicago ABCs” board book ($14.99). The plush green lions ($25), modeled after the museum’s Michigan Avenue guardians, can even be adorned with removable holiday wreaths.

For fashion and accessories, the Tiffany Hartwell Memorial Window silk scarf ($45) and Tiffany stained-glass earrings ($40) transform Art Institute icons into wearable works.

Desk décor lovers can protect their workspace with a bronze lion paperweight ($75).

Art fans can keep their feet cozy with playful socks featuring masterpieces such as Edward Hopper “Nighthawks” ($16), or hold their eyeglasses safe with the Claude Monet “Water Lilies” eyeglass case and cloth ($24).

Gift shops are located at the Michigan Avenue entrance and the Modern Wing entrance.

111 S. Michigan Ave.; shop.artic.edu

Museum of Contemporary Art

For the basketball fan who also loves art, the MCA X Bulls crew sweatshirt ($110) could be a slam dunk. Designed by Chicago artist Cody Hudson, this piece unites two city brands — the Bulls and the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Pop art lovers may gravitate toward the Haring Radiant Baby & Barking Dog hoodie ($120). Inspired by Keith Haring’s original Pop Shop designs, this heavyweight cotton blend hoodie features his playful artwork on both front and back, and has a kangaroo pouch.

For a unique accessory, try the Isabelle Gougenheim X MCA Good Vibes silk scarf ($240).

Design enthusiasts might appreciate the Lớp lamp ($195), created by French designer Thomas Vincent. Its layered acrylic planes and hovering sphere create an illusion of motion when lit.

And for the collector who values both art and activism, Yoko Ono’s limited‑edition “Add Color Where the World Needs Peace” print ($515) offers a chance to own a numbered work authenticated by the artist herself.

220 E. Chicago Ave.; mcachicagostore.org

Shedd Aquarium

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Cuddly plush moray eels ($23 each) decorate a Christmas tree at the Shedd Aquarium gift shop in Chicago, Nov. 18, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

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Comfort seekers can cozy up this winter with beluga whale pajama pants ($45) or sea otter plush slippers ($37). Seal the deal with a cuddly plush moray eel ($23).

Great Lakes coasters ($10) celebrate regional ecosystems with artwork by Chicago’s own Bagman Studios.

And if you have a marine creature lover in your life, a Shedd Aquarium animal encounter offers a chance to go behind the scenes and get up close with animals such as penguins, belugas, sea lions and sea otters. Experiences start at $99.95 per person, depending on the animal.

1200 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive; sheddaquarium.org

Glessner House

When you visit the Glessner House Museum in winter, the venue in the Near South Side’s Prairie District is dressed up in its Gilded Age holiday best. The in-museum shop has gifts that celebrate Chicago’s architectural heritage and design traditions.

Choose from coaster sets featuring tiles from the house’s fireplaces ($14.50) or inspired by carved wood furniture details ($14.50), both adding a touch of history to your coffee table.

A set of William Morris notecards ($18.95) emblazoned with eight of the designer’s iconic patterns used throughout the house are new for 2025.

Bookworms and Chicago history buffs may appreciate the book “Clarke House: Chicago’s Oldest Building” ($14.95), chronicling Chicago’s oldest surviving home as it approaches its 190th anniversary in 2026. And for architecture enthusiasts, the museum’s own publication “Louis Sullivan: An American Architect” ($39.95) offers fresh insight into the legendary designer’s work and legacy.

1800 S. Prairie Ave.; glessnerhouse.org

National Museum of Mexican Art

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Wooden alebrijes (Mexican folk art creatures) for sale at Tienda Tzintzuntzan (“place of the hummingbirds”) gift shop in the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago’s Lower West Side neighborhood, Nov. 19, 2025. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune)

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At Tienda Tzintzuntzan, or “place of the hummingbird”, the National Museum of Mexican Art’s gift shop retail manager, Raquel Juarez, curates treasures directly from artisans across Mexico.

Highlights include a paper‑mâché doll by Brittani Walker Morales of Guanajuato ($200) and a Capulineado vase from Michoacán ($100), decorated with intricate dotted patterns.

From Chiapas, handwoven Huichol dresses showcase traditional craftsmanship. The green dress ($65) and white huipil dress ($140) are both wearable works of art.

Everyday items get a cultural twist with a ceramic mug from The Found ($18.50) and leather bolsas, or bags, from Guerrero ($72).

Collectors may be drawn to the wooden alebrijes from Oaxaca — fantastical creatures carved and painted in vibrant colors, including owls ($420-$450), a coyote ($320) and a jaguar ($400).

1852 W. 19th St.; nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org

Griffin Museum of Science and Industry

Spark curiosity and wonder with science‑themed gifts, including a detailed U‑505 Submarine build-it-yourself model ($123), celebrating one of the museum’s most iconic exhibits, a type IXC submarine launched by the German Kriegsmarine on May 24, 1941.

Night Sky Playing Cards ($5.95) teach constellations while you play, and the Pocketscope ($35) is made for magnifying on the go.

The desktop Foucault Pendulum ($45) is a reminder that the Earth is indeed still spinning.

5700 S. Lake Shore Drive; griffinmsi.org

Chicago Architecture Center Design Store
The Chicago Architecture Center's multicolored Kinetics Necklace ($168.95) has handmade paper designs by Takara Beatheagudell. (Emmelly Aldave, Chicago Architecture Center)The Chicago Architecture Center’s multicolored Kinetics Necklace ($168.95) has handmade paper designs by Takara Beatheagudell. (Emmelly Aldave, Chicago Architecture Center)

Design meets “The Bear” with the Franklin Barstool ($675), a custom piece from Navillus Woodworks’ Franklin Dining series, the same woodworkers that outfit the fictional Chicago restaurant aspiring for a Michelin star in the hit television series.

Chicago skyscraper playing cards ($24.95) showcase 56 buildings that illustrate our city’s architectural evolution from the 19th century to today.

When you buy the multicolored Kinetics Necklace ($168.95), with handmade paper designs by Takara Beatheagudell, you’ll also help support area women reentering the workforce.

Art created by locals is another option. The “JazOnVinyl” print ($275) by artist Jaz captures Chicago, movies, music and pop culture in a nostalgic 24-inch-by-36-inch illustration. And Nick Ulivieri’s “Surge” print ($400) of the same size, available exclusively at the CAC Design Store, offers a glimpse of the city through his lens.

111 E. Wacker Drive; architecture.org

Chicago skyscraper playing cards ($24.95) showcase 56 buildings. (Chicago Architecture Center)Chicago skyscraper playing cards ($24.95) showcase 56 buildings. (Chicago Architecture Center)
American Writers Museum

For the bookworm in your life, the gift shop at the American Writers Museum offers literary‑inspired ideas.

Carry your passion for writing everywhere with a typewriter bag ($45), a nod to the bygone tool of authors past.

The “A book a day keeps reality away” mini cross stitch kit ($18.95) could serve as a stocking stuffer for crafty readers.

And for those who love quirky accessories, the Tiniest Book Club Earrings ($22.95) featuring the covers of iconic American novels are a way to wear your love of literature.

180 N. Michigan Ave.; americanwritersmuseum.org

Amy Bizzarri is a freelance writer.