This place is a must visit for anyone that appreciates ancient history! The Lamassu and Colossal Bill Head alone are worth making a trip to see and cannot be fully appreciated through pictures. Beyond the absolutely incredible artifacts, the museum/university has done an absolutely fantastic job of documenting how each object was found and it’s history. The layout of the museum is incredibly logical and organized which really helped me understand what I was looking at. Also, did I mention it’s free!?! Definitely one of the greatest hidden gems of Chicago.

Fantastic museum! It’s a bit off the beaten path, but it’s great! Tons of artifacts or reproductions. This is a gem for those who are interested in the ancient world. It’s free but they do suggest a ticket donation. This is easily one of my favorite museums. Would love to go back some day.

This is a very informative and well designed museum, and it’s free! The building is gorgeous and they have exhibits about Mesopotamia, Egypt, Persia… If you’re in the area it’s worth the visit.

Stunning amount of quality and variety. Definitely need to come back with more time to spare.

What a great local museum without the crowds! Very authentic!

Has very interesting items, specially the Lamassu, Babylonian lions…As well as the Egyptian & Persian sections. Admission is FREE it’s recommended to donate $10 per visitor, though. The grounds are beautiful as it within the university of Chicago - Hyde Park. Some nice restaurants in the area within walking distance. Parking is free.

Entry is free, no tickets. They accept donations though. Not busy on a weekend day. I would recommend 3 hours for the whole museum if you are thorough with it. 2 hours were not enough. Has nice details and a lot to see, but definitely needs more information on specimens. There were guides who gave presentations through out so that was nice. Staff is very kind and informative. Parking is free on the street around it and it is part of the campus.

The Oriental Institute (OI), established in 1919, is the University of Chicago's interdisciplinary research center for ancient Near Eastern ("Orient") studies and archaeology museum. It was founded for the university by professor James Henry Breasted with funds donated by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. It conducts research on ancient civilizations throughout the Near East, including at its facility, Chicago House, in Luxor, Egypt. The Institute publicly exhibits an extensive collection of artifacts related to ancient civilizations at its on-campus building in the Hyde Park, Chicago community. According to anthropologist William Parkinson, the OI's highly focused "near Eastern, or southwest Asian and Egyptian" collection is one of the finest in the world. The Museum of the Oriental Institute has artifacts from digs in Egypt, Israel, Syria, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran. Notable works in the collection include the famous Megiddo Ivories; various treasures from Persepolis, the old Persian capital; a collection of Luristan Bronzes; a colossal 40-ton human-headed winged bull (or Lamassu) from Khorsabad, the capital of Sargon II; and a monumental statue of King Tutankhamun. The museum has free admission, although visitors are encouraged to donate. The Oriental Institute is a center of active research on the ancient Near East. The building's upper floors contain a library, classrooms and faculty offices, and its gift shop, the Suq, also sells textbooks for the University's classes on Near Eastern studies. In addition to carrying out many digs in the Fertile Crescent, OI scholars have made contributions to the understanding of the origins of human civilization. The term "Fertile Crescent" was coined by J. H. Breasted, the OI founder, who popularized the connection of the rise of civilization in the Near East with the development of European culture.

I'm Japanese. It's worth going if you like history. I love history, so this was very satisfying. I visited this museum while studying abroad, and it makes me want to go again.

A free museum takes donations. It is a smaller museum however they have exquisite things you won't see in too many other museums around the world. No tickets needed. A very small gift shop you can buy souvenirs from. Has a clean bathroom. And is located on a college campus. Parking can be difficult depending on what day and time you choose to go. If you're a lover of history be prepared to be there for a minimum of 2hrs.

Amazing museum that is worth a visit when in Chicago! Probably the largest collection of artifacts outside of the Middle East.

An absolutely incredible destination for anyone interested in ancient history. The museum's collection is diverse and includes some astonishing items, and it is surprisingly uncrowded.

A must visit for any ancient enthusiast. Note the new name from the old Oriental Institute. Many of the literature still refer to “OI” and I had wondered, who is OI? Persian and mesopotamian exhibits at the front end ans egyptian towards the end. Found out that aqueduct were made in Nineveh… that’s earlier than Romans 😮

This is a hidden gem at the University of Chicago. I love the old artifacts from Babylon, Egypt, and Persepolis. An absolutely incredible destination if you want to explore ancient history. I highly recommend this museum .

It was founded for the university by professor conducts research on ancient civilizations throughout the Near East, including at its facility, Chicago House, in Luxor, Egypt. The Institute publicly exhibits an extensive collection of artifacts related to ancient civilizations at its on-campus building in Hyde Park, Chicago. I think this collection is one of the finest in the world. The Museum has artifacts from digs in Egypt, Israel, Syria, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran. A collection of Luristan Bronzes; a colossal 40-ton human-headed winged bull , and a monumental statue of King Tutankhamun. The museum has free admission, although visitors are encouraged to donate.

Great place to take the family to learn some history. It's a free museum but they do take donations. Plenty of parking nearby a big plus.

Awesome museum. Shows the history of the early civilizations and has many artifacts.

Best kept secret in museum world!

Have always enjoyed this museum. They are renovating at the moment, but we saw the cool things I remember from when I visited as a child. Excellent collections, well organized.

I loved this museum so much! Everything is so incredibly interesting! I can't believe it's free! This is definitely one of my favorite museums now.

I had a phenomenal experience. The best exhibits are the ancient texts (tablets) and the Assyrian wall relief. I had two hours until they closed, and had been previously advised over the phone that this would be enough time to see everything-which is the case if you skip a lot of reading. I read the majority of the info in the first half of the museum and started to run short on time and had to rush though the Egypian exhibit and those that follow. One or two hours if you want to skim. If you want to read through all the information you will need three or four hours. I also appreciate the BC/AD chronological designations that are used in exhibits (as opposed to BCE/CE).

You wouldn’t expect a mostly free museum to host some of humankind’s greatest cultural treasures, but here it is. The museum itself is large enough to take you through a journey of different civilizations and their archaeological feats. The exhibits on Babylon and Egypt are perhaps the most stunning; some of the most iconic representations of those cultures can be seen in person. This is definitely a must visit in Chicago.

Awesome amount of interesting pieces from different ages and cultures of the world, nice gift shop, helpful friendly staff. Exceptional museum experience,an under appreciated spot among a city with a great number of better known venues.

Great exhibition of the different ancient cultures from Egypt to Mesopotamia. It shows a vast collections of different artifacts. I visited the special exhibition on the Egyptian Book of the Dead which includes several papyri, a mummy, and other artifacts included in the ceremony to prepare the dead for the afterlife. The whole museum takes about 1-2h to visit.

Amazing museum, It contains the treasures of the Middle East, especially Iraq

Oriental Institute Museum on of the best museums in Chicago, we're so happy and proud of. Everything must visit !!

Amazing experience, priceless historic pieces , very friendly staff, entrance by donations only, you will have a great experience!

I’m a huge ancient Egyptian fan and have studied it my entire life and I was amazed it had actual human mummies, canopic jars and what’s left of real human organs. Truly fascinating. I’d love to go back one day.

I recently visited the Oriental Institute Museum, and I must say it was an amazing and unique experience. The museum showcases a wide range of very old pieces from various countries such as Persia, Syria, and Egypt. What I found particularly captivating was the specific section dedicated to Persepolis in Shiraz, Iran. The artifacts there were breathtaking, providing a glimpse into the rich history of the region. One notable aspect of the museum is that it is free of charge, although donations are encouraged. Overall, the Oriental Institute Museum offers an incredible opportunity to explore and appreciate ancient cultures.

A nice place for families with kids and friends to visit, many unique things to see, you have to be prepared for this because it may takes you about 3 hours to see everything, if all sites are open for public. Try to visit during the week days in summer or so you can park easily close by.

A really quite wonderful display of artifacts from the cradle of civilization from the Neolithic through the Islamic era .

With a recommended donation of $10 (they were not strict about it) this is a brilliant exhibition that is very well put together with artifacts that will appeal to a variety of people's interests.

Love the Museum. I DO NOT like the new name change. What a word salad. “Ancient cultures” is as vague as you can get. This institute is specific to Hittite/Mesopotamia/Persia, the Levant, and greater Egyptian regions. That’s literally what Oriental means.

I visited this museum a few years back, but it's one of my favorite museums that I've visited. The collection of artifacts from the ancient near east is really impressive, and although the big sculptures are probably the big draw I'd say all of the cuneiform tablets are a really neat window into the lives of people long ago. Entrance was free when I visited, but donations were welcomed. The gift shop was small but had some pretty specialized books on sale. If you're into ancient history it would be easy to spend hours here.

Awesome museum with one of the best collections of ancient near east (Persia, Egypt, Babylon, Hittite, etc) artifacts in the western hemisphere. Plan on an hour and a half to browse it all, 2-3 hours to read most descriptions.

Great collection!

Amazing museum! A true gem of the U Chicago campus, and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting the area.

I went to grad school for ancient history, but I must admit that the Fertile Crescent and Near East are not in my wheel house. Needless to say, I learned a lot at this museum. Tons of artifacts packed into a small space. A lot of the items were from relatively rare and obscure time periods. Plus it’s FREE (but I recommend donating) For those who are pretty casual and just want to look and not read, 1-2 hours is fine. I’d say a decent walk through is 3 hours. For those like me who like to read and understand everything being presented then 4-5 hours is ideal. Only aspect that bothered me was that since it was free, some of the visitors were not as respectful noise wise. Staff didn’t make a huge effort to quiet folks down. Still a 5/5 museum.

Excellent museum covering the wonders of the east. Was there for learning about hieroglyphics interpretation. Some visitors chose to turn it into a political discussion on the museums collection. I feel very blessed for the existence of this and other museums like it to be able to see up close the great objects which serve as ambassadors of these great cultures. Thanks to everyone for working hard to give the public this production.

Wonderful gem of a museum. Not one but you hear about often when we think of Chicago museums but it’s an absolute must, especially if you love all things ancient civilization! Specifically, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Persia, it has an impressive collection of artifacts. Also, it’s free (donations recommended).