Best Museums in Lake View

"One of the world’s largest contemporary art museums, the MCA is full of modern and contemporary works. This includes pieces by Arthur Jafa and Kerry James Marshall. Famous artists like Frida Kahlo and Jeff Koons held their earliest exhibitions at the museum, which regularly runs curated exhibitions throughout the year."

"$15, $8 seniors, students and teachers, free members and age 18 and under; advanced registration required. Family Days on the second Saturday of each month give parents and kids an opportunity to dive into art using different mediums. The program has continued online during the pandemic."

"Families will adore the colorful National Museum of Mexican Art located in the heart of Pilsen. With five galleries to explore, kids and parents won’t feel rushed to see everything and can view the exhibits at their own pace. Even if you don’t see everything you wanted, admission to the museum is free, so a return visit can be planned."

"National Museum of Mexican Art is a museum that is ideal for your toddlers and preteens. Located in the Pilsen neighborhood, the museum has a permanent collection of 10,000 pieces. These pieces are a vibrant curation of Mexican history and culture."

"The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum opened in 1999 in Lincoln Park with a clear mission: to educate the public, especially urban dwellers, on the importance of maintaining the quality of nature that surrounds us and steps to take that can help the environment. Your little ones will learn a little bit about nature and the environment that surrounds them, with a look at Chicago's waterways, an animal habitat play area, a year-round butterfly garden and more. The museum also hosts traveling exhibits that change every few months."

"Chicago's Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is operated by the Chicago Academy of Sciences. The museum highlights Chicago's natural history. It is best known for its live butterfly house, which is both an exhibit for visitors and a laboratory that studies how to best preserve the region's population of butterflies."

"Children under 3, active-duty military, veterans, and Illinois K-12 teachers are always free. Thursdays are suggested donation days for Illinois residents. Meet the fish at the Shedd Aquarium."

"Sandy Chen has been keeping Evanston well-sated with her Chinese cuisine for over 20 years. In addition to the expansive a la carte menu, she’s doing some specials for the Chinese New Year that are filled with auspiciously lucky foods like Spring Rolls and Dumplings (wealth), Peanuts (long life), Fish and Rice Cakes (increased prosperity), and Lychee (close family ties). You won’t want to miss those Seafood Pan-Fried Noodles (Happiness and Longevity)!"

"Restaurants French Loop. A contemporary French brasserie set within the Pendry Chicago hotel (inside the famed Carbide & Carbon building), Venteux is the latest project from former Temporis chef Donald Young, who earned his first Michelin star at the age of 28. Set in a cozy, wood-paneled space, the kitchen turns out traditional French delicacies such as steak frites and French onion soup alongside less conventional options like an omelette topped with trout roe."

"Don Young is one of the youngest chefs to preside over a Michelin-starred restaurant (Temporis), and he brings a fresh approach to French cuisine at Venteux inside the Carbide & Carbon building off Michigan Avenue. Young’s attitude is to respect the classics like coq au vin and steak tartare, but he’ll liven things up with an omelette stuffed with eggs in his “Eggs 5 Ways” and dry ages beef using koji. Diners shouldn’t assume an all-day restaurant inside a hotel will be boring, and Young is elevating the bar."

"The swanky new French brasserie inside the Pendry Chicago hotel is off to a strong start thanks to Don Young’s modern approach to classic dishes. The executive chef and partner, who previously earned a Michelin star at Temporis, has brought his creativity into the daylight with the launch of brunch service. The menu offers items such as eggs prepared five ways, banh mi hash, dry-aged duck and waffles, and ratatouille pasta."

"From challah and sweet rolls to rugelach and babka, this far North Side kosher spot has everything for the Jewish holidays or for anyone who appreciates delicious breads and pastries."

"Sweet Shot Cookies specializes in infused cookies and cookie cakes. Their homemade gooey infused cookies can be filled with anything from marshmallow fluff to dark chocolate ganache—you name it, they infuse it. They can be ordered pre-filled or if you're a DIY'er, they can be delivered with a syringe of flavor so you can inject it yourself with as much filling as you'd like."

"Restaurants Bakeries Armour Square. One of Chicago’s finest Chinese bakeries offers an impressive range of treats both savory and sweet from its Chinatown storefront. The cha siu bao—brioche-like baked buns filled with sticky barbecue pork—make a good option for an on-the-go lunch, and the oblong egg tarts have a fan following for their just-barely-set custard filling and crumbly shortbread crust."

"There are so many pastries, baked goods and desserts to love at Saint Anna – but we tell our Chinatown Adventure Food Tour guests that it’s the egg custards that you can’t miss. If an old-fashioned European pastry got married a traditional Chinese dessert, this delicious creation would be their firstborn. Insider Tip: The best time to hit Saint Anna for an egg custard or seven is the afternoon."