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January 2024 by Kyle Fahey
We were very excited to visit because this gallery seems to be one of the more unique in Chicago and possibly the world. Our experience quickly soured.While the staff were friendly they were almost too friendly. We saw on the gate outside that tickets were to be bought in advance. We scanned the QR code and were in the process of looking for tickets on the site when we were welcomed in. When we were welcomed in we were told to sit because, "buying tickets takes a while". When we sat down on the benches just outside the lobby we saw there was only one ticket available (there were two of us) in 30 minutes. At this point they already made my wife and I toss our $15 worth of coffee drinks that we barely got to touch. That would have been fine had there been a time-slot for us but there wasn't. We left angry to say the least. Don't invite us in and coerce us to throw away our drinks if you don't have space for us.That's said, mask mandates, only open one day a week, not handling cash / payments from forcing people to pay online in advance and limited time slots is a throwback to May 2020. While I would have appreciated biosecurity protocols circa 2020, in 2023, the death rate from COVID has gone from around 3% to 0.06% and long-COVID understood be a treatable form of MCAS. The owner really needs to get over themselves.Also reading about the guests that were told strollers weren't allowed until they were already on the second floor due to the "patina on the granite" doesn't surprise me at all with these people.
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December 2023 by Raquel Vannucci Vannucci Carneiro
Nobody asked me to check my bag. When I was on the second floor ( after half hour exploring) listening to an artist wearing headphones a guest service made me stop and asked me to check the bag. As I was finishing to listen to the artists talking (what she should/could have waited as there was no threat of harming any artwork ), I hear she telling in the radio I didn’t want to go down and check the bag.Many mistakes! First they should have asked me when checking in, second the girl should have waited for me to finish listening to what I was and she did not need to talk to everyone on the radio about me as I was doing something very wrong. Extremely disrespectful.The gallery is awesome and I enjoy the Exhibits there, but today the stuff ruined my experience today.
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November 2023 by Erik Woodworth
Dismayed to say the least! We were excited to find this beautiful gallery and looking forward to experiencing the exhibits and space. Unfortunately, they are not inclusive to families with young children. Our 2 and 4 year old are interested in art and want to engage with it as one would expect young children to do. We teach them to be respectful of the art but our 2 year old in particular is still learning not to run around and touch things. Their NO STROLLERS rule makes it especially difficult to experience the gallery as a family. The reasoning given to us by the Director of Operations was capricious. It would be very surprising that the architect would want to exclude families for fear of casting a patina of wear to the unfinished granite floors! Anyways, we made it through the 2nd Floor but left after having it confirmed that using our stroller was, in fact, disallowed and not some misunderstanding at the front desk. I’m assuming they’re ADA compliant, the elevators and wide berths supporting this assumption. I’m not sure how the feared marks left by strollers are any different than those left by wheelchairs.
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November 2023 by ebbie ferland
Do not waste your money. There are better museums in this city where the staff is actually knowledgeable and passionate about their work. Anytime I asked a question or tried to engage the work, I felt like I was bothering them just for being there. NOT worth it.
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August 2023 by Sara Murphy
Every exhibition i have seen there has been great. Innovative and fun. Highly recommended!
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January 2023 by Sparky M.
Stay away from this tourist trap. $15 for an exhibit worth about $5. Advance tickets are needed but not sure why they don't bother to check your time on them anyway. Staff is so laxed. You'd think Chicago would do something better with its money as this could be shelter for the homeless or a way to cut down on the violence in this city.
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January 2023 by Brandon B.
I have been twice now, this is both an eye-catching space which externally looks more "square" but internally is filled with a lot of angles and perspectives which change as you explore the space. The galleries are intimate and allow you to view the collections closely with a small timed-entry crowd, and the staff working the galleries actually know quite a bit about all the art, you can ask them anything and they seem to know it. There isn't too much parking since it's on a city street but I've been able to find spaces on the nearby major street paid parking and walk there. They have only had amazing exhibitions so I plan to see them all going forward!
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December 2022 by M L
The people who work there were delightful and the building was stunning. The exhibit was meh.
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December 2022 by Rick Velon
This is an extraordinary gallery! Its a beautiful masterpiece tucked away in Lakeview. The exhibits I saw were incredible and well executed. The team of staff and volunteers were friendly and knowledgeable of the structure and exhibits. I'm looking forward to attending many visits here.
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November 2022 by Benjamin Edelberg
I always feel happy while walking through the Wrightwood 659. The exhibits are well researched, the building is gorgeous and worth the price of admission, and there's the staff who are friendly, usually artists who are very informative. The exhibits strike a balance of local and international artists.
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October 2022 by Kt Ansen
FANTASTIC ! -this gallery feeds your soul ❤️❤️❤️❤️Architecturally, Artistically, and takes you on a visual journey that is sensuous and intellectually stimulating.Thank you to all the many knowledgeable curators and staff. Wow!
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October 2022 by Susan L.
Came here to view Michiko iTatani exhibit It was awesome and it was 2 floors filled with awesome art. Also the first homosexuals global depictions of a new identity was also exhibited.Wrightwood 659 is located in a residential neighborhood. Bldg is nice and very modern.
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May 2022 by Taquilla C.
In today's lesson on racial bias and inclusion. We're calling 659 out on their staff's behavior this past Saturday afternoon. My daughter was with a group and was the only black kid, she was singled out to put her bag away, which was a small back pack purse, after leaving the restroom 3x before she could even make it to the lockers. She was holding on to it due to her girls time (her period). The issue is that she was the only one told to put her bag away from her group and another group of 3 white women that were all carrying bags. In order to rid shared spaces of these inherent racial biases they need to be called out no matter how small. My child was the ONLY black person in the space at the time and instead of making her feel welcomed, 659's staff made her feel further OTHERED. The rules need to apply to EVERYONE, not just the black. CHECK YOUR BIAS!
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December 2021 by Dayna Bateman
Garrick Theater exhibit designed, in part, by Chris Ware, brought me to tears, the story of the building's creation and destruction were so well told. FLW exhibit on the Larkin Building was also insightful -- if the exhibits continue in this vein I'll be back for more.
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November 2021 by Debra LaRocco
I'm so excited that I found out about this incredible art space. I went there yesterday for the Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright exhibit. Time is limited so if you love art and architecture, don't miss it. This is a gorgeous space. The building is a work of art in itself. The staff was amazing and they truly love what they do, ready to have a discussion or answer questions. Parking was a little challenging but be patient. This warm and modern space is so worth it.
