Art Institute of Chicago Private Expert Guided Tour

This was an amazing tour that I would highly recommend to everyone who visits the institute !! Bernie is a highly knowledgeable tour guide who carved us an exciting path through the otherwise overwhelming space of the art institute. He knew so many hidden details on pieces we would have just walked right by if we were alone. He tailored the experience for us so he took us to cool things that we would like ( I am a Medieval History student so we checked out some of these pieces). Sometimes in museum tours I will get bored when a guide takes too long on uninteresting pieces, but Bernie kept a good pace and took us to such fascinating pieces that 2 hours flew by in what seemed like 2 minutes. I also liked how Bernie didn’t just talk about the pieces themselves and their artists ( although this was fantastic) , but he also talked about how different pieces were curated to “talk to each other” by being placed in the same room or across from each other. This made the tour so much more than just an art tour. We really took in the details of the museum itself and how this added to the pieces we were seeing. At the beginning of the tour, he also made sure we were comfortable by taking us to the coat check (we didn’t know the museum had one! ) and getting to know us a bit. These extra details make a difference and made us immediately relaxed and engaged with the tour. At the end , we told him we wanted to go to the cafe and he even walked us over there so we knew where it was ( it’s a big museum so easy to get lost!) I would recommend this tour as essential to anyone who goes to the art institute. It was the perfect beginning to the day so we could explore some of the wings in more detail afterwards now that we knew what to look for. Bernie really went above and beyond for us and is extremely skilled at what he does. I really couldn’t recommend this tour enough.

Bernie was incredibly knowledgeable and engaging! We got some amazing insight into things that we wouldn't otherwise had learned of, like the history of different art movements, the artists, stories behind the artworks, and even on the thoughts behind how the art was placed in the museum. He was also super helpful with things like coat check and finding our way to the cafe after the tour. Would highly recommend!

We had a fantastic time! Bernie was really knowledgeable about the Art Institute history, its pieces (visiting and permanent) and their curation, the building itself, the artists, & benefactors of the Art Institute. He was thoughtful it learn about what types of art and history piqued our interest and answered so many questions for us. I would highly recommend this tour to any of my friends from out of state or out of the country looking for a true Chicago experience. Definitely book a tour with Bernie! So worth it!