No trip to this great city is complete without a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago, one of the world's most renowned art museums. Located just a few blocks from Macy's on State Street at Michigan Avenue and Adams Street, the Art Institute's treasured collections spanning 5,000 years will leave you marveling at the greatness of masterpieces like Georges Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte—1884 (pictured above) and Grant Wood's American Gothic.

Whether with an engaging one-hour tour or a full day of inspiration, group visitors can find solace in the artistic wealth of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The museum's expert lecturers welcome the opportunity to customize the experience with a unique tour or slide lecture tailored to your group's special interest.

An enticing array of must-see exhibitions is always on view:

The dramatic development of Islamic ceramics between the 9th and 15th centuries has been called nothing short of an industrial revolution. Perpetual Glory (through October 28) highlights one of the world's finest private collections of its kind, with 100 examples from modern Iran, Iraq, and west-central Asia.

Jeff Wall (June 29-September 23, 2007) traces the career of this highly acclaimed and innovative contemporary artist, who uses state-of-the-art photographic and computer technology to make pictures that evoke the composition, scale, and ambition of the grandest history paintings. His often giant color transparencies are mounted on light boxes that combine the seductive glow of a cinema screen or public advertising with the physical presence of minimalist sculpture.

Lorenzo Ghiberti's "Gates of Paradise" (July 28-October 14, 2007) provides a once-in-a-lifetime chance to view sections of Ghiberti's masterpiece up close before they return to Florence, never to travel again. In 1425 Lorenzo Ghiberti was commissioned to design a pair of bronze doors for the Baptistry of Florence's cathedral. The doors were held to be so beautiful that Michelangelo deemed them "truly worthy to be the Gates of Paradise." To celebrate the stunning results of an extensive 25-year restoration, three relief panels from the left door of the Gates of Paradise, along with two sections of the door's frame, will be shown at the Art Institute before they are permanently displayed in a sealed case in Florence's Museo dell'Opera del Duomo.

Through 100 paintings, sculptures, prints, and drawings spanning more than five decades, Jasper Johns: Gray (November 3, 2007-January 6, 2008) explores the expressively rich statements made in gray by one of the most important living artists.

You'll view two essential exhibitions for the price of one with Edward Hopper and Watercolors by Winslow Homer: The Color of Light (February 16-May 11, 2008), which explore the genius of Homer, America's first modernist, and Hopper, one of the nation's most popular 20th-century artists.

Beyond their ongoing collaborations to promote Chicago's Loop as a premier tourism destination, the Art Institute and Macy's share a deeper partnership. Over the past eight years, the Art Institute has been the beneficiary of Macy's Glamorama, a high-energy fundraising event featuring couture fashion, world-class entertainment, and Chicago's best post-party, hosted at Macy's on State Street. This star-studded event has raised more than $2 million to make the museum more accessible to a broader audience. The ninth annual Glamorama will take place at the Chicago Theatre on Friday, August 24, 2007, at 8:00 p.m. Macy's also generously sponsored the Art Institute's 15th Annual Wreathing of the Lions in 2006. Each year on the day after Thanksgiving, wide-eyed Chicagoans and tourists of all ages line the museum's front steps as giant evergreen wreaths are ceremoniously placed on the Art Institute's two iconic bronze lions (given in 1893 by Mrs. Henry Field, sister-in-law of Marshall Field), which stand guard as truly proud Chicagoans.

Visit www.artic.edu/aic to learn more about the Art Institute of Chicago's extensive collections and varied special exhibitions, and the dramatic new Modern Wing opening spring 2009.

Direct group tour inquiries to or 312/443-3926.

Image detail: (pictured above) Georges Seurat, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte—1884, 1884-86. The Art Institute of Chicago: Helen Birch Bartlett Memorial Collection.