The Museum of Contemporary Photography

The Museum of Contemporary Photography doesn't make most first-timers' Chicago lists, and that's fine. If you care about photography, or you're on your second or third trip and have already done the Art Institute, it's worth an hour. It's free, and it's on Michigan Avenue a short walk from the Loop.

The MoCP belongs to Columbia College Chicago and sits inside the college's building at 600 S. Michigan Ave., at the corner of Harrison Street in the South Loop. Columbia founded it in 1976 to take over from the Chicago Center for Contemporary Photography. It started collecting in 1979 and now holds nearly 18,000 works by about 2,000 artists. It's also accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

What you'll see

The shows rotate. One might focus on a single photographer, another on a place or a theme, or on work from one part of the world. Check the exhibitions and events page before you go, since the museum also runs talks and programs alongside its shows and lists them there.

The museum is small. The galleries are on the ground floor and the second floor, and even if you read every label you'll be done in under an hour. That's part of the appeal. You can fit it between the Art Institute and dinner without wrecking your afternoon.

The part most visitors don't know about is the print study room on the second floor. You can ask to see works from the permanent collection there, and the museum also books docent-led tours of its exhibitions. Both are requested through a form on the visit page, so plan ahead. If you want to browse first, the whole permanent collection is searchable online.

Hours and admission

Admission is free for everyone, every day it's open. Hours are Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm, with Thursdays running late until 8pm. It's closed on Sundays, which is a change from years past, and on major holidays. Confirm on the museum's visit page before you go.

The museum is on the ground level, with street-level entrances on both Michigan Avenue and Harrison Street. Elevators across from the main entrance go up to the second-floor galleries and the print study room, and the second-floor restrooms are wheelchair accessible.

Getting there

Harrison on the Red Line is the closest L stop. LaSalle on the Blue Line and Harold Washington Library on the Loop elevated (Brown, Green, Orange, Pink and Purple) are also walkable. If you're driving, there's pay parking on Harrison Street by the north entrance and along Wabash Avenue.

It's half a mile south of the Art Institute on Michigan Avenue, with Grant Park across the street the whole way. Both stay open until 8pm on Thursdays, so that's the evening to do the pair. For more free options, see free and cheap things to do in Chicago, and for the big museums, our museums guide.

Photo by twinleaves