Museum Campus

Why go

Museum Campus makes three major institutions feel like parts of one landscape. Even without entering all of them, the walk between neoclassical buildings, lake edge and Northerly Island clarifies Chicago's civic relationship with Lake Michigan. The open grounds also create a restorative pause between dense museum interiors.

What to look for

• Walk toward Adler Planetarium for a classic view back to the downtown skyline.
• Notice how the Field Museum's formal axis gives way to Shedd's waterfront terraces and open lake views.

Useful to know

• Choose one main museum and at most one shorter second visit; all three cannot be seen properly in a day.
• The campus is exposed to wind and weather, and walking distances are longer than they first appear.