The Art Institute of Chicago is truly one of the world's best collections of art.

Spanning ancient through modern art, the massive location on Michigan Avenue is too big to explore thoroughly in a single day. Instead, focus on hitting the masterpieces - what the museum is known for.

Surprisingly, the AIC has one of the world's most complete selections of impressionist works. Some highlights are many Monets and Caillebot's "Paris Street, Rainy Day". Don't miss the spectacular post-impressionist works either.

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An enormous art gallery, with sections covering most ages of interest to the casual art gallery visitor. I was especially cought by the large section devoted to modern art and to product design. Nicely laid out for a huge gallery, none of the multitude of side rooms that get you lost in other large galleries.

If you like art, this is the place for you. I personally went for the first time many, many years ago because of that movie "Ferris Bueller." I wanted to see in person "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat. It then became one of my favorite pieces.

The only thing better than shopping all that weekend and Moonstruck's peanut butter shakes was the show that happen to be going on at the Art Institute that showed the making of Georges masterpiece. Beyond what I ever thought and could imagine, it made me fall in love with it all over again. Of course, it pleased me to death that my husband enjoyed the show and now has a newfound respect for the copy in our living room.

The Art Institute of Chicago is a must for art enthusiasts and mere spectators alike. It has one of the best collections of European Art, outside of the Louvre of course. There is something for everyone here from Architecture to armor worn by medieval knights.

I would suggest that you start on a floor and work floor by floor. The European Art is a great place to start. You can even go century by century. I would suggest seeing some of the middle-ages works and then progressing onward. It is easier to track how art forms have changed over the centuries and it makes the appreciation of the artwork more this way. Don’t miss the pictures by the French impressionists: Monet, Degas, Renoir, the lists goes on. There is nothing quite like seeing a picture that is in every history and art book up close.

I always found that the Ancient collection very interesting as well. It is great for people that may appreciate history more than art. Here there is a great combination of both. There are coins, vases, glass, jewelry, and more to look at. It describes the lives of the Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, and many more. It is also a welcome change for those that may not enjoy looking at paintings for hours on end.

The section of American artwork is highly impressive. With everyone from Georgia O’Keefe to Winslow Homer being honored in this section of the Art institute. Also, make sure to take a look at American Gothic, for those that don’t remember your art history it is the picture of farmer (with his pitchfork) and his wife done by Grant Wood.

The museum has an extensive contemporary art collection in as well. Here you will see everything from one red line painted across a white canvas, to photographs that have been adjusted by the artists. It is a good place to see the range that isn’t often discussed in Contemporary art. Lichtenstein, Hockney, and Warhol are just a few of the names that are hanging somewhere on the walls.

Yet, my favorite part of the Art Institute hands down is the Thorne Rooms. They are the miniature replications of a European and American rooms spanning from sixteenth century to the 1940s. There are 68 rooms in all and they are highly detailed with everything from place settings in the dining rooms to fountains in the courtyard. Personally, I could spend hours here and I suggest that it is worth a view for everyone.

In addition the museum shop is very well stocked, and there are prices and gifts for all walks of paper. There is more here than just reprints of famous paintings. There are unique gifts for everyone, I even know people that do all there Christmas shopping in this gift shop.

The Art Institute of Chicago is a fabulous art museum. It has a picture, sculpture, photograph, or suit of armor for everyone. I would strongly suggest you going to Art Institute.

The Art Institute of Chicago is home to one of the finest collections of art in the Western Hemisphere, including the largest collection of Impressionist works outside the Louvre.

The Art Institute welcomes a new director this year (James Cuno) and also has changed a long-standing Chicago favorite: the Tuesday free admission day will no longer be the night they are open late. Instead, extended hours will be on Thursdays. The museum is open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas, from 10:30am to 4:30pm weekdays and 10:30am to 5pm on weekends. The Art Institute has a "suggested admission" policy, which means "Pay what you wish but you must pay something." Adults suggested admission has been raised to $12.

The Art Institute is located on the west side of Grant Park in the heart of Downtown. From the main entrance on Michigan Avenue, you are presented with several choices of directions. The museum is basically shaped like a giant "E". To your right, as you enter, is the Museum Shop, an extensive and high quality gift shop (for which you can also shop via Internet). However, all exhibits are beyond the entry desk, either up the Grand Staircase or beyond it.

Downstairs, there is the Garden Restaurant, which is good although a little pricey (as most museum cafés tend to be), the Textiles hall, an extensive paperweight collection (I love this gallery - I find glass working fascinating), European Decorative Arts, Architecture, Photography, and various classroom/workshop spaces. I have not been through these rooms as much, but there are some very nice pieces here. (You’d think that somebody who loves photography as much as I do would have, at least, seen the Photography gallery!)

On the entry level, close to the entrance, you will find the African and Ancient American galleries, Contemporary Art, and the Oriental galleries (Chinese, Japanese and Korean). To reach the Sculpture Court, American, Indian/Southeast Asian, and Ancient (Egyptian/Greek/Etruscan/Roman) galleries, you walk through the Arms and Armor exhibit. I love the AI's Arms & Armor exhibit - it's probably my favorite part of the museum. There is a fairly sizeable collection, with one of their most noteworthy pieces being a set of ornate Italian inlaid armor.

Upstairs, you can find their extensive European, Impressionism/post-Impressionism, and Modern galleries, as well as their Special Exhibitions hall, which plays hosts to several major exhibitions per year. In fact, the AI is often the solitary American stop on some major art tours. Some past exhibits the Art Institute has hosted have included Monet and the Sea, a Rembrandt perspective, Van Gogh and Gauguin, and Chinese arts.

The best times to go for a visit are weekdays afternoons, when the school tours have gone for the day and you'll find the museum is a bit quieter. Allow a minimum of 2 hours for your visit - there is lots of wonderful art to be explored!