Bummed Open House Chicago is over? Getting really into birding? Fresh from a “Wicked: For Good” showing, where you belted along to the whole thing?
Boy, do we have a winter museum roundup for you. Even as the rest of Chicago shifts into hibernation mode, our city’s finest museums remain busy and open for business.
A few picks worth your time and — if applicable — dollars:
What’s on at the Chicago Architecture Center
Revisit Open House Chicago through “Framed Views,” a gallery of winners from its photography competition. For a time-bendy twist on the same idea, head around the corner for “The Disappointed Tourist,” artist Ellen Harvey’s nostalgic renderings of Chicago landmarks that no longer exist.
“Framed Views,” open through Feb. 22, and “The Disappointed Tourist,” open through April 19. Both at the Chicago Architecture Center, 111 E. Wacker Dr., open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sun.-Thurs. and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; adults $15, students $10, children under 5 are free. For more, visit architecture.org.
Ozians, assemble
As the craze for all things “Wicked” continues, dive into the original “Wizard of Oz” film with a new exhibit of memorabilia at the Driehaus Museum. Displays include costumes, production memos and a draft of the script. Baum, lest we forget, was a Chicagoan — and there’s no place like home for all things Oz.
“The Land of Oz: Beyond the Page,” open through March 15 at the Richard H. Driehaus Museum, 50 E. Erie St., open Weds.-Sun. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with additional free admission hours 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday; $20 general admission, $15 seniors, $10 students, free for active military and children 12 and under. For more information, visit driehausmuseum.org.
Pull up a chair
What might the affordable housing of tomorrow look like? From now through the spring, the National Public Housing Museum hosts one vision. Architect and University of Illinois Chicago professor Alexander Eisenschmidt designs a living room for you to nestle into, all while reading up on Department of Housing and Urban Development history.
“BREAKTHROUGH: Housing Futures,” open through April 19 at the National Public Housing Museum, 919 S. Ada St., open Weds.-Sun. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; free admission. For more information, visit nphm.org.
A snowy owl and a great horned owl on display at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, photographed in 2014. (Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune)
“Whoooo is in your backyard?”
So asks the Nature Museum in “Night Flyers,” its new exhibition on owls. The museum’s taxidermic collection shows off the diversity of this regal order of raptors.
Through June 28 at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, 2430 N. Cannon Drive, open daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; admission $15 in-state adults, $10 students and seniors, $8 children; naturemuseum.org.
America’s expats
James Baldwin. Josephine Baker. Richard Wright. These are just a few of the African American luminaries who moved to Paris at the height of their careers, seeking to escape the prejudice of their home country. The City of Lights became a refuge for Black artists and intellectuals, if not an uncomplicated one. A recently opened exhibition at the DuSable Museum explores this migration.
“Paris in Black: Internationalism and the Black Renaissance,” The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, 740 E. 56th Pl., open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Mondays (closed); general admission $12.50 for Chicago residents, $9 for students and seniors, $4 for children 6-11, free for children 6 and under. For complete pricing information, visit dusablemuseum.org.
The Adler Planetarium features the new exhibit “Stars Aligned” on the Museum Campus this winter. (Provided by Adler Planetarium)
Ancient knowledge
Like its recent “Chasing Eclipses,” the Adler Planetarium mixes history and science in “Stars Aligned,” a survey of astronomical methods over time. The new exhibition displays tracts and calendars from across cultures and ages. And yes, horoscope nerds, that means there’s some astrology in the mix, too.
“Stars Aligned: Tracing the History of Astronomy and Astrology” at Adler Planetarium, 1300 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, open Fri.-Mon. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., open until 10 p.m. Wednesdays, closed Tuesdays and Thursdays; museum entry begins at $25 for adults and $13 for children 3 to 11. For complete ticketing information, visit adlerplanetarium.org.
Where the wild things are
The Chicago Children’s Museum educates little ones about natural habitats — cities very much included — through “I AM WILD,” a new exhibition inspired by the whimsical, geometric style of artist Charley Harper. (The Cincinnati-based artist wrote a popular book series of the same name before his death in 2007.) While there, be sure to swing by Ella Jenkins’ spinning top collection, gifted to the museum after the adored singer-songwriter’s death in 2024 and recently put on display.
“I AM WILD: A Charley Harper Exhibit,” Jan. 17 to May 10 at the Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier, 700 E. Grand Ave.; open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fri.-Sun. and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., closed Tuesdays; chicagochildrensmuseum.org.
Costumes by Paul Tazewell in a scene from the 2021 movie “West Side Story.” (20th Century Studios)
When a celebrity clothier came to the science museum
Masterminding the couture in “Wicked,” “Hamilton,” Steven Spielberg’s redux of “West Side Story,” and more, Paul Tazewell is safely one of the most famous costume designers of our time. The Museum of Science and Industry displays some of his most iconic creations. The retrospective is very much in keeping with the institution’s not-at-all-sciencey-but-fun-so-who-cares curational strategy while it preps for “Powering the Future,” a major permanent exhibition opening at a date-to-be-determined later this year.
“Crafting Character: The Costumes of Paul Tazewell,” Jan. 19 to Sept. 7 at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, open daily 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; $26 general admission, $15 children ages 3 to 11; for more ticketing info, visit griffinmsi.org.
Ya’ like “Jazz”?
Visitors to the Reva and David Logan Center at the University of Chicago have already gotten a taste of Henri Matisse’s cut-paper series “Jazz,” with prints displayed in the complex’s lower level. But the Art Institute has the real thing, showing the set for the first time since its 1948 acquisition.
“Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color,” March 7 to June 1 at the Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave.; open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Tuesdays (closed) and Thursdays (open until 8 p.m.); $20 general admission for Chicago residents, $14 for seniors and students, and free for youth 17 and under. For complete admission pricing, visit artic.edu.
Extension alerts
“Paradise Lost,” Raqib Shaw’s epic, 100-foot tableau, has become an Art Institute favorite since its installation in the Alsdorf Galleries this spring. After effusive visitor feedback, Shaw has permitted the Art Institute to hang onto the work through November 15, nearly a year longer than planned. Meanwhile, West Town’s Intuit Art Museum has extended its reopening exhibition, “Catalyst: Im/migration and Self-Taught Art in Chicago,” through March 22.
Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave., open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Tuesdays (closed) and Thursdays (open until 8 p.m.); $20 general admission for Chicago residents, $14 for seniors and students, and free for youth 17 and under. For complete admission pricing, visit artic.edu.
Intuit Art Museum, 756 N. Milwaukee Ave., open Weds.-Sun. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with hours extended to 8 p.m. every third Thursday; admission $20, visitors 24 and under get in free; art.org.
Hannah Edgar is a freelance writer.