Driehaus Museum

A gem of the museum located in the heart of River River North, the former Nickerson home is a don’t miss for fans of architecture or the Gilded Age. Can’t believe this exists a few steps from my own home. Going around the holidays is a special treat as the mansion is decorated for Christmas. Definitely join a guided tour so that you can learn more about what you are seeing. Adds a richness to the tour that a self-​guided tour cannot match.

My visit to the Driehaus Museum will always be one of my favorite memories of my first visit to Chicago. I’m not typically a museum type, (too boring for me zzz zzz zzz) but I love architecture and this was an affordable way to take a peek into old Chicago that will not allow you to nod off or require a full day commitment.
The guides and museum staff were quick to answer questions and were available throughout all 3 floors.
There were so many beautiful and breathtaking things to look at… The furniture, the art, the architecture itself was all simply amazing. I particularly enjoyed all of the jewelry exhibits and descriptions in an easy-​to-​follow handbook. We were in and out in about an hour and walked away with some memorable photography!

I loved this. What a lovely a beautifully preserved space. Allow for a good chunk of time, and then just relax, bask, and enjoy. I did the headphones tour (since I had just missed the actual-​person-​tour) and it was great! It’s simply a sumptuous and elegant place to be, with incredible attention to detail, both then and now. Wow.

Really ornate, elaborate, beautiful house. I was impressed by all the fine detailing in the craftsmanship of the ceiling lamps, chandeliers, furniture, walls, ceilings, and floors.
The first floor was the most interesting.

This is a wonderful place to visit.
Make sure you go for the guided tour. It’s worth it. Hopefully, you’ll get Amy. She’s the best.
You get such an insight into how the «other half lived.»
Each room is an adventure.

Art nouveau everywhere! This museum is just gorgeous. I’ve seen two exhibits here, a stained glass exhibit and a jewelry exhibit. Both were spectacular. The staff is warm, welcoming, and knowledgeable. Wonderful!

Get here now! This museum is SO amazing. The home itself is absolutely exquisite, and the exhibits are not to be missed. Currently, there is a Maker and Muse exhibit, showcasing arts and crafts era jewelry from around the world (think 1890−1930s). The displays are breathtaking! I would definitely recommend purchasing an audio guide, although the staff is really helpful and ready to tell you anything you might want to know. There is a good amount of Tiffany, magnificent carvings, intricate detail, and memorable styling in this place. I’ve never seen anything like it!
The admission price is a little steep at $ 20, but totally worth it. Maker and Muse is here for about a year– I can’t wait to see what they’ll put in next!
If you are googling this place, photos simply don’t do it justice. Come here. Now. You will love it!

My wife and I were looking for something different to do while visiting downtown Chicago and discovered this place doing a Unilocal search.
What a gem this museum is. This is a fully restored home from the Gilded Age that houses a private Tiffany glass collection. We splurged and purchased the guided tour and it was worth it. The tour guide was very informative and friendly.
The day we visited, the tour also included a jewelry collection from the same era, and it was interesting, but the highlight for me was the home. I love old houses and marvel at the architecture and craftsmanship that goes into building these places.
They do allow photos, but no flash photography and NO touching anything. I was scolded for touching the marble wall in the entryway.
If you haven’t visited yet, and like historical homes, I highly recommend visiting.

My family and I thoroughly enjoyed the guided museum tour. We were greeted warmly at the entrance and lead to the admissions area. There’s a room to hang your coats as well as check your large bags and purses. General adult admission is $ 20 and the guided tour is an additional $ 5. We took the 1:30pm Tiffany and Museum Highlights tour, which took 60 minutes. It was a popular time, so they divided the group to two groups of 10, which is a good size in terms of being able to walk around and hear the tour guide.
Our guide was very knowledgeable about the history and contents of the home. She tried to customize the tour based on the group’s interests as well as encouraged questions. Photography is allowed, so definitely take advantage of that especially the beautiful Tiffany glass lamps, murals, and the beautiful glass dome in the Gallery Room (my favorite). The tour covers many of the rooms on all three levels, but definitely take the time to explore the house yourself before or after the tour to fully take in the ornate richness frozen in time.

An amazing and unique place! Step back in time and enjoy the silence and beautiful sights. Well worth the admission!

Amazing! Beautiful! It’s a museum, set inside a historic home = heaven for me. I will admit I’m a bit more interested in historic homes, so I went more for that aspect. I didn’t give it a 5, because you don’t really learn much about the families’ lives or stories– not as much as you would in an historic home typically. I also wanted to know how all the pieces original to the home returned or were acquired. Were they found, donated, purchased? How much?
Otherwise the staff members were exceptionally professional. The audio guide (just $ 5 more) was extremely well done with images on the screen.
The Louis Comfort Tiffany exhibit upstairs was beautiful, but we were more interested in the architecture & rooms, so we went through that more quickly. It did inspire us to find his other works inside the cultural center & Marshall Fields & Co the next day.
When you’re done, walk down 2 blocks & eat at Eataly!

Ducked in here to hide from the rain and I’m glad I did. This is a beautifully restored gilded age house and well worth the price of admission. Even better, there’s an exhibit of Tiffany glass right now that is great and goes well with the house. I’m so glad I spent my time here rather than trekking over to one of the more mainstream touristy museums.

Such a pretty home to tour and the stories that came along with the tour were so entertaining.
The Tiffany pieces were so pretty. All of the pieces in the home were interesting. The details in the wood were amazing.
It was just nice to see how people lived all of those years ago. Defintiely something different to do on a free afternoon downtown.

This is such a hidden gem of a mansion in Chicago. The decorative arts at their best.

This is a hidden gem just a few blocks from the magnificent mile. See an astonishing residence of the 1890s. Well worth it!

I don’t give out many five star reviews, but this is honestly one of the best museums I’ve been to in a while.
It’s a small, fully restored gilded era home — right off the magnificent mile, in what was once a snooty residential neighborhood. Thanks to a combination of good luck and preservation minded forethought, it’s still more or less in it’s original condition, complete with over the top wall hangings, carved and inlaid wood everywhere, beautiful tile work, and some of the original furniture. I’m not a big expert on interior design… or history… but I was floored. It’s like an american, urban version of Downton Abbey (same time period).
The other cool part if the collection of Tiffany glass. I’m not a huge Tiffany fan (I find it a little overdone), but if you are, the collection they have is amazing. Plenty of obligatory lamps, but also several (at least 5?) full windows, various vases and desktop accessories, and several important pieces from the Chicago World’s Fair.
My favorite part was the downstairs bathroom (right by where you buy your tickets). I know this sounds crazy, but it’s a fully restored period bathroom, featuring a Crapper toilet! When I went in, I wasn’t sure if it was really a working bathroom — I had to ask, and I’m sure I looked pretty silly. And I’m sure I sound pretty ridiculous now. But, it’s pretty awesome: old fashioned authentic crapper toilet with an overhead tank and the chain pull flush mechanism. I thought it was pretty neat. I’m just weird like that.
I went on a guided tour, which was definitely worth the extra $ 5. Admission isn’t cheap, but it’s worth it. The house has been beautifully preserved and is worth a visit.
Tip: they offer parking validation for the ROW self park a few blocks away at 50 E Ohio. You can park there for up to 18 hours for $ 14 with validation (that’s $ 25 off the standard rate). When you purchase your admission tickets, just show them the parking receipt and they will give you a sticker so you can get the discounted rate. My husband and I drove to Chicago for the day and left our car in the self park the whole time — we visited the museum and then went out to dinner and wandered around, and the validation covered the whole time :)

The house & artwork are nice and I enjoyed my time there, but it is way too small and quick to justify $ 20 /​person for admission.

Suprising, stunning little jewel right off Michigan Avenue. Fabulous display of Tiffany glass. The building itself is a testament to the Gilded Age. Just fantastic!

This house is amazing! I can’t believe I have lived in this city for 10 years and just recently learned about this place. I was told it was spectacular and I was just blown away once I walked in the door. I want to visit this museum everyday because I love it so much. If you love Chicago’s large, opulent old homes and buildings, then this is a must see because it’s Chicago’s crown jewel! It’s 24,000 square feet of hand crafted beauty. The marble, the wood inlaid floors, the wainscoting, the marble carvings, the fire places, the ceiling height, the stair case, the ballroom, the doors — yes that’s right even THE DOORS in this place are amazing! Everything is on a scale unlike anything I’ve ever seen or imagined a house could be. DEFINITELY GO next time you’re downtown.
I did the Tiffany tour which was interesting but if you’re not into antique Tiffany lamps and glass, then skip it and focus on the house. It takes a while to appreciate the beauty of each room. I need to go back because I know there are many details that I missed. Well worth the $ 20 entry fee. Don’t listen to those who say it’s overpriced or the staff is uptight. The staff was friendly and would answer questions if you ask them.

Opulent old home that was once the most expensive home built in Chicago. It then passed to another private family, and then to a physician organization. Back to a private owner, who has converted it to a wonderful museum with a fantastic display of Tiffany glass, and ornamentation. It has a small museum store if you want some momentos. Loved it.