The Richard H. Driehaus Museum

Address:	40 E Erie St, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
Phone:	+1 312-482-8933
Site:	driehausmuseum.org
Rating:	4.5
Working:	Closed 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 17

Kenneth Harden

Absolutely beautiful. The level of detail in the rooms is far beyond what is seen outside anything but the most elaborate estates. The entire property is tasteful and amazingly detailed. If you like what you see in pictures of this house online, you will love your visit. While this is called a museum (there is artwork, and they do special exhibitions), you are mostly seeing the house. It is of course large (25,000 sq. ft., or about 10x the size of a normal house), but it is still on a human scale (unlike the grand residential palaces of the world). As such, you only need 45-90 minutes to see it, depending on your pace. Few other notes: staff was extraordinary friendly, they have recently expanded their hours (used to be by appointment or more limited hours), there is an audio tour (do it, there are not a lot of signs/details in the rooms), the high price of admission is worth it, the location is great (if you are a tourist downtown, you will be very close).

Pat Riffe

I was so fortunate to view the Downton Abbey exhibit on its very last day, Sunday May 29. The mansion is so beautifully restored and all of the costumes were lovely. The "tour" was well done and very easy to follow. I read all of the information about the mansion and the costumes. The only reason I did not give 5 stars is because of the security fellow at the entrance. A less welcoming representative would be hard to find. I am all about following the rules, of course, but his attitude verges on rude. He seemed to find great satisfaction in putting the guests in their place. The museum would be smart to find a better person for their "front door".

Samantha Sigelakis-Minski

I had around an hour to kill and this museum was right around the corner. I am so happy I went! While at first I thought the price was a little high for such a tiny location ($10 for a student), the quality of the exhibit was wonderful. The building is well intact and each room contains almost all original furnishings with a lot of historical information about the times. The art exhibit going on when I went was the art nouveau French posters like chat Noir, and that was also incredible. The staff is overwhelmingly helpful, there is a free coat check, and the gift shop has all sorts of cool souvenirs. Would recommend to my chicago local friends.

Eric Olson

Would love to give it 5 stars because it is drop dead gorgeous. The rooms are stunning, and currently there are a lot of Tiffany pieces spread throughout the museum. My only problem is it takes probably 45 minutes to go through completely, and at $20 a head its a little spendy for the size and time. We did not opt for the tour unfortunately because we did see a tour group go through and it seemed very in depth, so I would recommend signing up for the tour. Worth doing if youve done the other Chicago museums and looking for something a little different.

John Wilkie

This was an awesome architectural museum experience. A little pricey (tickets are $15 I believe with extra for audio tour if you like), but a great location to see one of the best preserved Gilded Age Mansions and artifacts Ive ever seen, and especially on the North side of Chicago. There is a large collection of Tiffany Glassware and artwork for viewing since the houses study had a gorgeous Tiffany Glass dome. Id highly recommend it for anyone in their area who is into late 1800s architecture and history (around the Columbian Exposition in Chicago)

Veronica Montuenga

Un museo muy interesante que explica el estilo artístico posterior a la Guerra Civil Americana. Vale la pena tomar la visita guiada, para comprender mejor el valor de la casa. Las exposiciones temporales de las últimas dos plantas también valen mucho la pena.

Mike McNally

Almost overwhelming in its ornateness and opulence, the house is a monument to excess. Yet the qualities of all the decorative arts on display transcend that. Its worth seeing as a subject for contemplating social justice (however you feel about it) and also if you have interest, as a collector (or wannabe collector) or historian of beaux arts gilded age design and craft. Extremely knowledgeable tour guide, in our case at least.

Susanna Heinonen

If you enjoy taking a trip back in time and discovering beautiful design and details then I can highly recommend the museum! The staff are very helpful and friendly, although we never took a tour they were still willing to answer questions and show us around some secret places wed never have discovered alone! Everywhere you look there is a feast of details to be discovered! Reserve a few hours to amble slowly and enjoy the journey.

Brian Genchur

Very good place to see how the uber rich spent money on their homes around the turn of the 20th century. Fascinating decor, a great tour guide who looked like Teddy Roosevelt, and a rich history made this place a great stop on our tour of Chicago. I havent seen so much marble outside of Rome... and that blew my mind. The tour guide made good use of context and history to bring the house alive. Definitely would recommend you visit.

Dunrie Greiling

A hidden gem of a museum, and a nice size to spend an hour or two. The guided tour is worthwhile, and the narration helps bring the house and family to life beyond the list of possessions. The Tiffany glass exhibit (through June 29, 2014) was lovely, and I appreciated the objects differently in the context of a fine home. My Detroit Institute of Arts membership got us a discounted entry.

Adrian van Breda

Absolutely wonderful museum, with an absolute feast for the eyes! The tour is well worth doing, and then spend another hour or so walking through the house and see everything. The Tiffany glass is particularly wonderful. When I was there they had a poster exhibition, which was out of this world. I took more pictures here than anywhere else in Chicago. What a great treasure!

lauren schultz

One of my favorite things to do in Chicago. This museum is gorgeous - a fully furnished house from the Folded Age, with rotating exhibits on the top floor. Ive visited twice already, for an exhibit on jewelry and the Downton Abbey costume exhibit. Everything is so beautiful, especially the stained glass dome in the library!

Alan

Luxurious home, well restored and refurnished. Informative audioguide will benefit from more "side paths" to provide in depth detail for those interested in restoration techniques, furniture history, or how the house was built. Thanks are due Mr. Driehaus for opening the house to public view.

Mohannad Safadi

A jewel hidden in the middle of Chicago. It is a nice pause form the busy city life as you get to explore the history of Chicago. The mansion is very well kept, and is beautiful. The staff are super nice and are more than happy to answer your questions. So make sure to ask away!

Steve Alcorn

Ive toured many old mansions, but this one is remarkable for its condition. It seems like it is as immaculate as the day the original owners moved in. Often there are interesting exhibits in addition to the house tour. We enjoyed the retrospective of comics from Punch magazine.

EM Becker

Beautiful museum - house is a marvel, very well curated and the crafted jewellery exhibition was brilliant. I do think its a little over priced - but not a waste of money - I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and wouldnt hesitate to recommend it!

Mark Porter

My wife and I were looking for something different to do while in Chicago, and found this wonderful gem. We had a great time imagining what it must have been like to live in such a grand home. Well worth the time.