Driehaus Museum

Steps away from Chicago's Magnificent Mile, the Driehaus Museum offers visitors a fascinating view of one of the few remaining examples of the palatial homes erected by the wealthy of America's Gilded Age.

The Richard H. Driehaus Museum immerses visitors in one of the grandest residential buildings of 19th-century Chicago, the Gilded Age home of banker Samuel Mayo Nickerson. Philanthropist Richard H. Driehaus founded the museum on April 1, 2003 with a vision to influence today’s built environment by preserving and promoting architecture and design of the past. To realize his vision, Mr. Driehaus commissioned a five-year restoration effort to preserve the structure and its magnificent interiors. Today the galleries feature surviving furnishings paired with elegant, historically-appropriate pieces from the Driehaus Collection of Fine and Decorative Arts, including important works by such celebrated designers as George A. Schastey and Louis Comfort Tiffany.

The latest Tweets from Driehaus Museum (@DriehausMuseum). The official account of the Driehaus Museum, taking you behind the scenes of a Chicago Gilded Age-era mansion now a museum dedicated to decorative arts & design. Chicago, IL

Steps away from Chicago’s Michigan Avenue, the Richard H. Driehaus Museum offers visitors a fascinating view of one of the few remaining examples of the palatial homes erected by the wealthy of America’s Gilded Age. The galleries, elegantly furnished with period pieces selected from the Driehaus Collection, are presented in harmony with the interiors and surviving furnishings, immersing visitors in the original splendor of this late nineteenth-century home. The lavish interiors are complemented by stunning examples of period furniture, decorative arts, and stained glass—including a magnificent selection of works by Tiffany Studios. The installations masterfully convey a sense of the lifestyle of the Gilded Age elite while allowing the interiors of the Nickerson House to remain at the forefront of the visitor experience.

History Museum in Chicago, Illinois

Richard H. Driehaus Museum, Chicago: See 1,067 reviews, articles, and 500 photos of Richard H. Driehaus Museum, ranked No.14 on TripAdvisor among 641 attractions in Chicago.

The Richard H. Driehaus Museum is a museum located at 40 East Erie Street on the Near North Side in Chicago, Illinois, near the Magnificent Mile. The museum is housed within the historic Samuel M. Nickerson House, the 1883 residence of a wealthy Chicago banker.[2] Although the mansion has been restored, the Driehaus Museum does not re-create the Nickerson period but rather broadly interprets and displays the prevailing design, architecture, and decorating tastes of Gilded Age America and the art nouveau era in permanent and special exhibitions.[3]