Chicago - Museum of Contemporary Art

Billing itself as "one of the nation's largest facilities devoted to the art of our time," the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago houses a diverse collection of post-war, provocative paintings, sculptures, photographs, videos and films. It also presents performances in its 300-seat theater.

Some of the notable pieces in the permanent collection include works by Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, Rene Magritte and Chicago and regional artists Ed Paschke and Jim Nutt. The collection is particularly strong in the surrealist movement of the 40s and 50s, 1960s minimalism, modern installation pieces and works by Chicago-based artists.

The museum was founded in 1967 in a small building on Ontario Street but moved to a more modern and spacious facility in 1996. The new building overlooks Lake Michigan and was designed by Berlin architect Josef Paul Kleihues.