National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture

They had some parts under renovation when we came to visit. However, we were the only ones in the museum at the time. So, we enjoyed wandering the museum with peace learning about different things. It was a wonderful trip. Staff was very helpful and willing to assist when needed.

This once old stable has been converted into the Puerto Rican art museum. It is simply stunning and the artwork depicting Puerto Rican history and creativity is simply delightful. The structure itself is a work of art that you just must see. The staff is knowledgeable and welcoming. If you've not been, please go. It is one of the best cultural museums I've seen in Chicago.

This place was and is fantastic! It gives you a different glimpse into Puerto Rican culture and really allows you to immerse yourself in the essence that is Puerto Rico. I loved being greeted and the enthusiasm displayed by the amazing people there. I love the sounds of the coqui when you walk outside. Reminds me of home. Fantastic place to come with the family and show support.

If you're of Puerto Rican descent, a fellow Puerto Rock, Taino, Boriquen, then you owe it to yourself to check this place out. Even if you're not Puerto Rican, I implore you to check this place out. There's so much great Puerto Rican history, art and information to see, take in and explore. There's also a section of the museum that gives a history on the founder of the Humboldt Park area which I thought was very nice and considerate. The museum is a perfect size, its not too big at all but also not so small. Just a good enough size to get in, check things out, then either hang about or be out. The staff were very friendly and very helpful. Again, anyone should check this out Puerto Rican or not but especially if you're Puerto Rican either born and raised in the mainland or from the island, there's not any other place quite like this museum that focuses uniquely on the PR culture. PROS: -LOTS of great art, history and information -Friendly staff that have lots of information -Great art CONS: -A little far from the L but plenty of buses and of course a bike or car ride would help

Excellent museum 👌🏻 Very nice stuff!!! Must see!!!! 🤩 I love it!!

This IS THE USA’s National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture. Attended with a group, had a history & artistic tour of the facilities. I had no idea there had been a key Puerto Rican artist leading the Impressionist Movement in Paris. Nor, that the Humboldt Park area had the influence of the Swede settlers, nor the impact Jens Jensen had on our Park system. Thought provoking and beauty in the eye of the beholder experience.

We went here on a Sunday for the Barrio Arts Fest. They are normally closed on Sundays so this was a treat, as every time we go past this location, it seems like they are closed because I never see any cars in the parking lot or any activity of any kind. Their hours are Tuesday through Friday 10 to 5 and Saturdays from 10 to 2. And they do have a free parking lot in the back. The sign outside says this is the national museum of Puerto Rican arts and culture. The building itself is fantastic, in fact that's the best part of the museum. This building has undergone a major renovation and it was well worth it. However the art inside the building is sparse and very little to speak of. On the first floor they had an exhibit by Oscar Lopez Rivera and not much else. Large rooms with hardly anything in them, I don't think that this building is being used to a it's full potential. On the second floor they had an exhibit of poetic science which is an artistic scientific approximation about El Yunque however it was closed on the day that we visited because of the Art Festival. The supervisor told us that they did not have enough employees working that day to open the second floor. Now that I know that they actually are open and the hours that they are open, I will return on another day to check out the second floor.

I visited this museum today. Learned so much . The staff was so friendly and knowlegeble. Also bought some sofrito in gift shop. Cant wait to try it.

Great stuff is in here, if not a lot of it to look at. It's certainly worth going to, because the admission is always free. The National Museum Of Puerto Rican Art And Culture is a mouthful to say, but it takes about as long to say as it takes to visit. Of course you shouldn't expect much for free, but even so it has some pretty good art at least. You can find mostly paintings, as well as photography and sculptures. A very appropriate location for a Puerto Rican museum in the heart of the community. It's located in Humboldt Park. There's a large population around it, so it certainly makes sense. Admission is free. This is good because the museum is pretty small. It doesn't have a whole lot inside. The first floor has more. Find some big murals as well as paintings and other art. Some masks and a few sculptures. Most of the art is pretty recent. The second floor is even smaller. Has a rotating exhibit of an artist. This seems more like an attic than a floor of a museum. For sure it has a collection of great art. It just may not have enough of it. This isn't that much of a problem because it's free, so it's not that bad considering it's no charge to get in here, so that makes it better or whatever.

The Taíno exhibit is excellently curated. I appreciate how they are able to connect common phrases with the culture of the indigenous people. I never fully appreciated the impact that the indigenous people had to Puerto Rico until I saw this exhibit. Furthermore, I love the installations outside, and Boricua who has been to the island will immediately recognize the CouQui sounds playing from the speakers.

Came here with my husband who is from the island and the first thing we noticed was the coqui soundtrack they were playing outside, so fun! The building itself is beautiful and it was neat they had a section about the history of the area. The gallery was full of stunning pieces and the displays on the other side were so fascinating; we spent a lot of time looking at the details. The kite display was visually stunning. It was quiet and we were the only patrons at the time, but thoroughly enjoyed our visit. Definitely planning on coming back in the springtime to enjoy the gardens!

This place is pretty cool. They have some very interesting exhibits that provide critical cultural education like "The Immortal Plena" and "De: Lata" which is an analysis and critique of certain marketing strategies aimed at the Latino Culture. These guys are also very committed to elevating the optics of the professionalism that is abundant in the Puerto Rican culture. For example, they just hosted (and made history doing so) The Puerto Rican Symphony Orchestra, which was absolutely amazing!

We went here on a Sunday for the Barrio Arts Fest. They are normally closed on Sundays so this was a treat, as every time we go past this location, it seems like they are closed because I never see any cars in the parking lot or any activity of any kind. Their hours are Tuesday through Friday 10 to 5 and Saturdays from 10 to 2. And they do have a free parking lot in the back. The sign outside says this is the national museum of Puerto Rican arts and culture. The building itself is fantastic, in fact that's the best part of the museum. This building has undergone a major renovation and it was well worth it. However the art inside the building is sparse and very little to speak of. On the first floor they had an exhibit by Oscar Lopez Rivera and not much else. Large rooms with hardly anything in them, I don't think that this building is being used to a it's full potential. On the second floor they had an exhibit of poetic science which is an artistic scientific approximation about El Yunque however it was closed on the day that we visited because of the Art Festival. The supervisor told us that they did not have enough employees working that day to open the second floor. Now that I know that they actually are open and the hours that they are open, I will return on another day to check out the second floor.

I have visited this place before and thought a year later they would have more in there but they don't. I am not impressed with the exhibits there. One of them on the main floor has the strangest art which to me doesn't represent anything Puerto Rican. I wish they had a section on the popular Puerto Rican's and their contributions to the world. You leave wanting more...a lot more!!!! It's a beautiful place, spacious, lots of empty space and empty sections in desperate need of exhibits. The people that run this need to visit the Mexican Museum in Pilsen for color and exhibit suggestions. This place has so much potential. I personally have more Puerto Rican artwork than them. Hopefully they read these reviews to make the museum better. Nice guy and lady there, clean. I wish they had some music playing there.

The Institute of Puerto Rican Art & Culture (IPRAC) is housed in an old horse stable right in Humboldt Park. Parking in their lot is free, and IPRAC is also easily accesible from the #70 Division bus. As I wandered in off the street I was kindly greeted by Elijah and I asked about their art exhibit and if I could go on in. Not only did he show me where the art was, he gave me a detailed tour of their inaugural exhibit "Lo Que Trajo el Barco", explaining each and every piece of art to me, including answering my questions about Puerto Rican culture and what certain Puerto Rican symbolism meant. Incredible service! IPRAC's mission is to build awareness and showcase Puerto Rican art, and to make it accessible to all visitors. Mission accomplished. The art exhibit was well worth a visit, but small, so I was also shown other public spaces that will be available for rent or for community classes. The building used to be a horse's stable back in the day that German immigrants prevailed in the area and the hayloft and basement are still unfinished in that style (although I wish I could have seen those, but did not). As dignitaries (hopefully the deep pocket kind) were being given a tour prior to an opening Gala for "A year of Antonio Martorell in Chicago 2011 - 12", I was also shown indoor and outdoor space available for rental. Check out IPRAC's website for event space rental options. IPRAC is a great example of how vacant space can be used to improve the lives of the local community at large. I wish I knew how to say "I wish you many fruitful years" in Puerto Rican slang, but a hearty "Viva!" will have to do.

I came here while visiting Chicago. Look like they changed their name. Now their name is The National Museum of Puerto Rican Art and Culture and it was beautiful. They had many sculptures and paintings. The building was beautiful and the staff was nice. They also rent the venue for weddings and birthdays! They also had a good gift shops with figurines from Puerto Rico. They also sell coffees from PR. Loved this place and they also had a garden outsides with horses.

This museum stands in a architectural rich building with a great historical history. I love the information and inspiration that they potray through other artists.

Stopped by on a quiet weekday, and was amazing at the space. It's clear the the pieces were made and selected by somebody with a great appreciation for and knowledge of Puerto Rican culture. The missing star is because I wish it was bigger! If you're in the area, be sure to stop by -- if only to marvel at the building that houses the museum. Admission is free; there's no excuses.

Really cool museum that tells you some history of Puerto Rico, its music, and culture. It also lets you know more about the neighborhood. The staff here were very friendly too!

Upon arrival, we were greeted by a very pleasant young man who was working there who had gotten up from where he was with the rest of the staff. He came in and gave a brief explanation of all of the exhibits, and told us where he could be located if we had more questions. This took about 5 minutes. This museum has great potential. It's unfortunate that it has not been realized yet. The building in and of itself is beautiful. Walking from the different exhibits, it seemed dis-jointed, not flowing from one to the other, and not as engaging as they could have been in my opinion. An entire staff that is preoccupied with eating lunch at the same time cannot connect with their patrons. The building starts with the "gift" shop. If we wanted to purchase something, we would have had to go outside to the tented area where they all were eating and get one of them.

This recent addition to the museums in Chicago is a great example of landmark-quality buildings that sat too-long neglected and are now being revived through strong community dedication. Built at the turn of the last century, when German families were the majority inhabitants of Humboldt Park (and only 30 years after the area received that name), it served then a useful purpose: caring for the carriages and horses of the visitors to the grand park land. After the waning of the age of horse-drawn transportation, the stables building fell into disuse and neglect. Almost a hundred years later, the community and the city's Park District were moved to restore the building. But in 1992, a serious fire destroyed much of the roof and some of the ground floor. Rebuilding that took 6 years. More renovations are ongoing. Today, the building looks brand new, but historically accurate, due to the efforts to make it into the IPRAC. The institute was one of the participating sites in the second *Open House Chicago weekend event (Oct. 13 &14, 2012)*, opening its doors to the general public free of admission charge for guided tours of the facilities. The Institute can host your special event, wedding, or corporate meeting with many amenities you will not find elsewhere. It is well worth your visit as a Chicagoan or an appreciator of architecture. Underway is the restoration of the corner office of Danish immigrant and master landscape architect Jens Jensen, who in the 1890's was Superintendent of Humboldt Park and, later, of Chicago's West Park System. *For more about Open House Chicago (an event of the Chicago Architecture Foundation), see: http://tinyurl.com/948btuq .

We had our wedding here this past summer and everyone was extremely helpful in assisting us with executing our wedding vision. Communication was decent and I would do our wedding here all over again, if I could re-live it. There were some hiccups along the way, but for the most part it was handled or sorted. We were suppose to have access to the front yard for the duration of our wedding, but were locked out of it on the actual wedding evening, which was disappointing and still left unclear/unanswered as to why. Other than that, beautiful venue, great space, and friendly employees.

I recently held my wedding there and I must admit, it was beautiful. I loved the way it looked and I especially loved the help and service. This was a beautiful venue. I recommend it for anyone and any event. The staff went above and beyond to ensure my night was perfect...and it was!

I recently attended a party at the IPRAC and it is a beautiful space. This party used the outdoor courtyard as well as some of the indoor space. The courtyard was set up with a tent to shield from the sun and potential rain. I was able to look at some of the artwork which was quite interesting. It definitely left me with the desire to go back and enjoy the rest of the museum on a regular day. Hoping to make it back this summer.