Art Institute of Chicago

Founded in 1879 as both a museum and school, the Art Institute of Chicago first stood on the southwest corner of State and Monroe Streets. It opened on its present site at Michigan Avenue and Adams Street in 1893. Built on rubble from the 1871 Chicago fire, the museum houses a collection that has steadily grown to encompass more than 5,000 years of human expression from cultures around the world. The school’s graduate program is continually ranked as one of the best in the country.