Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures

The Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, known for most of its history as the Oriental Institute, is a University of Chicago research center and museum at 1155 E 58th Street in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1919 by the Egyptologist James Henry Breasted with support from John D. Rockefeller Jr., and its current building opened in 1931. The institute sent expeditions to Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, Anatolia and the Levant through the twentieth century, and the museum displays objects from those digs, many of them excavated in partnership with the host countries. The collections span the ancient Near East from the earliest settlements to the Persian and later periods. Highlights include a monumental human-headed winged bull from the Assyrian palace at Khorsabad in present-day Iraq, a colossal statue of the Egyptian king Tutankhamun, reliefs and artifacts from Persepolis, and material from Megiddo and other sites in the Levant. The museum is arranged in thematic and regional galleries, such as Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, Anatolia and the Levant, with objects set within a chronological and archaeological narrative and supported by labels and multimedia. The building is a collegiate-style structure from the early 1930s, with an Art Deco influence in its decorative details, and its galleries have been refurbished over time while retaining their original layout. The museum also conserves its collections, and its research program supports ongoing study. Admission is free, with donations suggested, and the galleries are typically open Tuesday to Sunday, with hours that vary, so confirm them on isac.uchicago.edu. A visit usually takes about one and a half to two hours, and a full tour of the major galleries can take longer. The museum's location makes it a natural pairing with the Robie House and the Chicago Pile-1 site, both within walking distance on the University of Chicago campus.