Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago holds one of the great encyclopedic collections in the United States, anchored by an Impressionist and Post-Impressionist gallery that rivals the finest in Europe. Grant Wood's American Gothic and Georges Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte are here, alongside Edward Hopper's Nighthawks and a Modern Wing of contemporary art. The Thorne Miniature Rooms and the arms-and-armor collection reward unhurried visits.