Top 5: Hidden Museums In Chicago

Don’t just stick to the same museums every tourist visits on your next trip to Chicago. Try out these hidden jewels just waiting to become your new favorite!

© Gozamos | Flickr

Intuit: The Center For Intuitive and Outsider Art

Since 1991, Intuit has displayed work from artists that are, as they describe it, demonstrating “little influence from the mainstream art world and who instead are motivated by their unique personal visions.” The Henry Darger Room displays one of the most popular collections in this little museum — hundreds of paintings and drawings from Henry Darger, a little-known Chicago artist who worked mostly in isolation through the mid-20th century.

Pritzker Military Museum & Library

A non-partisan organization collection of books and materials on America’s Citizen Soldiers, the Pritzker Military Museum & Library is frequently host to speakers and scholars, and gives out its own awards for military writing. In addition to fascinating exhibits on rotation at the museum, the library holds more than 3,000 rare books. One of the most prized artifacts is a 1777 militia pocket journal featuring entries from an American Revolutionary War soldier.

© Oakbrook Terrace Hotels | Flickr

Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art

Lapidary art is formed from the cutting and polishing of stones and precious gems. A successful carving collector created the museum in 1962. Today, the museum not only has a wide array of lapidary art and pieces of the original collection on display, but they also hold events and workshops for both children and adults on everything from stone setting to mineral identification to local geology.

American Toby Jug Museum

A Toby Jug is a ceramic vessel that represents the face of a historical, popular, fictional or real character of any kind. First created in the 1700s, they continued in their popularity for another 200 years, being produced primarily in Europe, but also in the United States and Australia. The museum is home to more than 8,000 jugs of all sizes, shapes and ages.

Busy Beaver Button Museum

Two siblings who own a button-making company for promotional pin-back buttons created Busy Beaver Button Museum. Their love for the buttons grew so much they turned their collection into a museum at their factory, where guests can view a variety of buttons featuring long-gone presidential candidates, historical celebrities and well-known brands, among other subjects. Much of the collection can be viewed online, and other collectors are encouraged to post images of their own favorites as well.