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Museums are popular tourist attractions because they provide fun ways to learn about history, science, and culture. As stewards of our civilization, they collect and exhibit items of significant importance, typically based around a theme, topic, or place. Many cover areas like art, natural history, or science, but some museums dedicate themselves to highly specific topics like mustard, play, hot air balloons, and even funeral history. Ultimately, museums present a window into different eras of society so people can learn about the past.

Collecting, preserving, and displaying items is not a new idea. The dates to about 530 B.C., a project of Princess Ennigaldi-Nanna, a Babylonian who had a collection of Mesopotamian artifacts. The oldest public museums still in existence are the Capitoline Museums in Rome, a collection of art and archeology museums . America's oldest museum predates our country's founding. The Charleston Museum, a preservation of South Carolinian Lowcountry history,.

Museums are important not just because they preserve important elements of our history and culture but also because they can improve our well-being. Naturally, museums promote education and learning and can also bring joy. Researchers studying art museums found that they can. Quiet museum environments allow people to slow down and relax, and looking at exhibits. Museums also foster community by hosting events, activities, and tours that encourage social interaction.

No wonder they attract nearly.

With over in the country to choose from, there's something for everyone. compiled a list of the highest-rated museums in Illinois on Tripadvisor as of Aug. 11, 2025. Tripadvisor rankings factor in the average rating and number of reviews. Keep reading to see what museums are in your own home state.

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#30. Wrigley Field Tours

- Rating: 4.3/5 (99 reviews)
- City: Chicago
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#29. The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

- Rating: 4.4/5 (210 reviews)
- City: Chicago
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#28. Galena and U.S. Grant History Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (365 reviews)
- City: Galena
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#27. Museum of Contemporary Art

- Rating: 3.8/5 (921 reviews)
- City: Chicago
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#26. Color Factory Chicago

- Rating: 4.6/5 (39 reviews)
- City: Chicago
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#25. Frank Lloyd Wright's Laurent House

- Rating: 4.8/5 (83 reviews)
- City: Rockford
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#24. Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center

- Rating: 4.8/5 (276 reviews)
- City: Skokie
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#23. Discovery Center Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (344 reviews)
- City: Rockford
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#22. National Museum of Mexican Art

- Rating: 4.6/5 (255 reviews)
- City: Chicago
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#21. Illinois Railway Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (309 reviews)
- City: Union
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#20. Caterpillar Visitors Center

- Rating: 4.4/5 (460 reviews)
- City: Peoria
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#19. Museum Of Illusions Chicago

- Rating: 4.4/5 (130 reviews)
- City: Chicago
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#18. Cantigny

- Rating: 4.8/5 (590 reviews)
- City: Wheaton DuPage County
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#17. Chicago Children's Museum

- Rating: 4.4/5 (575 reviews)
- City: Chicago
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#16. American Writers Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (452 reviews)
- City: Chicago
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#15. Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures Museum (ISAC)

- Rating: 4.7/5 (570 reviews)
- City: Chicago
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#14. Historic Attractions

- Rating: 4.9/5 (553 reviews)
- City: Roscoe
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#13. Volo Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (459 reviews)
- City: Volo Lake County
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#12. Adler Planetarium

- Rating: 3.9/5 (2,214 reviews)
- City: Chicago
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#11. Chicago Fed's Money Museum

- Rating: 4.6/5 (536 reviews)
- City: Chicago
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#10. Chicago History Museum

- Rating: 4.4/5 (1,224 reviews)
- City: Chicago
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#9. Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio

- Rating: 4.7/5 (1,402 reviews)
- City: Oak Park
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#8. Lincoln Home National Historic Site

- Rating: 4.7/5 (2,918 reviews)
- City: Springfield
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#7. Richard H. Driehaus Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (1,497 reviews)
- City: Chicago
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#6. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (4,651 reviews)
- City: Springfield
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#5. Medieval Torture Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (1,060 reviews)
- City: Chicago
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#4. Field Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (9,054 reviews)
- City: Chicago
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#3. Chicago Architecture Center

- Rating: 4.8/5 (4,055 reviews)
- City: Chicago
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#2. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry

- Rating: 4.6/5 (11,300 reviews)
- City: Chicago
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30 / 30

#1. The Art Institute of Chicago

- Rating: 4.8/5 (24,710 reviews)
- City: Chicago
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This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.

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