Best Arts and Culture Places in Frankfort

"Plan ahead to pack a few stops in the surrounding area of this museum. You could explore the beautiful campus setting (University of Chicago in the leafy Hyde Park neighborhood) as well as other Museum Campus South attractions — like DuSable Museum of African American History — with budget-friendly admission prices. At the Smart Museum, everything is free."

"Founded in 1974, the Smart Museum of Art is part of the University of Chicago and is home to acclaimed special exhibitions and a permanent collection that spans five thousand years of artistic creation."

"If you want to see masterpieces but don't want to spend a long day wandering around one of the major art museums, the Smart may be just…"

"The Hyde Park Art Center has been the south side heart of contemporary arts and an incubation space for artists since 1939. The venue reopens in 2021 with a trio of exhibitions featuring established and emerging Chicago-based artists. See Cuts and Beats: Cecil McDonald, Jr., photomontages of manipulated historical images of Black artists (vintage sheet music covers, theater ads, and artist publicity photographs) with contemporary photographs taken by the artist himself in dance clubs around Chicago."

"I like the Hyde Park Art Centre because it’s main goal is to make art more approachable and accessible to people in all walks of life. I love this, and I love the diverse and ever-changing selection of artists they choose to exhibit. But it’s not just exhibitions here, there is also a big focus on community programming, classes and courses too."

"Hyde Park Art Center is more than a gallery; it’s also a community center that offers a production space as well as studio art classes, exhibitions, artist talks, and residency programs. Photo Credit: Museum of Contemporary Photography"

"Located on the lakefront just south of Jackson Park, this park has 65 acres of green space and is home to the South Shore Cultural Center, originally built in 1095 as a country club. Today, the center is a historic landmark maintained by the Chicago Park District and offers a large variety of cultural programs, including classes for all ages in culinary arts, music, dance, and visual arts, as well as special events throughout the year. The parkland surrounding the center includes a golf course, acres of green grass dotted with shade trees, a beach, and the South Shore Nature Sanctuary."

"The South Shore Cultural Center is a great example of what the South Side has to offer. The sprawling landscape surrounding the center features manicured gardens, a golf course, nature paths, a butterfly garden, and picnic areas. Next to the former country club is a wild, overgrown nature preserve with a fire circle and views of Lake Michigan and the city."

"Located only a few minutes south from Hyde Park's Museum of Science & Industry, the South Shore Cultural Center has been an iconic structure in the neighborhood since 1905. Throughout the summer it focuses on rich programming that is free to all. Entertainment ranges from West African dance performances to live jazz or classical music."

"The Renaissance Society is a kunsthalle-style museum that presents about 4 exhibits a year from international artists. It focuses on contemporary art and is located at the University of Chicago."

"The Beverly Arts Center is a multifaceted space that hosts regular programs on dance, film, theater and music. There is also a gallery space here that presents a rotating and diverse program of visual arts. Past exhibits have included works by local Chicago cartoonists, printmakers, photographers and painters, as well as programs focused on the LGBTQ community."

"A focus on mid-career artists sets this gallery apart from the pack. It features contemporary American and European works that range from abstracts to landscapes. Open afternoons Wednesday through Sunday and by appointment."

"This slag-filled site at the confluence of Lake Michigan and the Calumet River was once home to the massive South Works U.S. Steel manufacturing plant that employed 20,000 workers at its peak. But the steel giant closed in the early ‘90s and the Chicago Park District acquired the vacant land. In 2014, it re-opened as Steelworkers Park—a 16.5-acre lakeside landscape dotted with pleasant walking paths, artifacts of the old U.S."

"The Chew Chew in Riverside started as a small sandwich shop in 1996. Its popularity required a move to its current two-story space, a charming venue adorned with vintage railroad d..."

"Explore all 60 acres of Chicago’s historic Sherman Park on the city’s South Side. A big, circular ring-like pond encompasses the whole park, so you will never be far from views of the water. This historic park offers multiple baseball fields, a tennis court, and a basketball court."

"At 280 acres, Big Marsh certainly lives up to its name, but this far southeast side public park—opened in 2016 in the Calumet Area Reserve—is still a relative secret to most locals. The park includes 45 acres of recreation areas designed specifically for mountain and BMX biking and casual trail riding. The rest (234 acres) is a nature preserve great for hiking and bird-watching."

"Whether you want to relax with a nature walk or go on an adventurous hike, this park is a great place to check out. Forty-five acres of the park are dedicated to more intense endeavors, such as hiking, adventure courses and off-course biking. The other 235 acres is devoted to more passive activities like bird-watching and nature walking."