Oriental Institute Museum

The Oriental Institute has a world-class collection of artifacts that document the history, languages, and cultures of the entire ancient Middle East. The Institute was founded in 1919 by James Henry Breasted, the first American Egyptologist.

Exhibitions

The newly redesigned museum presents a 40-ton sculpture from Assyria, a 17-foot tall statue of King Tut and much more. See more than 4500 artifacts in the galleries. The temporary exhibit gallery offers two special exhibits annually.

Self-guided Audio Tours

Learn more about the Oriental Institute's exhibitions and collections with a series of self-guided audio tours, available here.  Download and experience these image-enhanced audio tours at home, or listen to the tours on Apple iPods that are available in Oriental Institute museum store (FREE for members, $5 for non-members).  Audio tours include: Highlights of the Collection, The Ancient Middle East in the Time of Tutankhamun, and A Kid's Tour of Ancient Egypt, with others under development and available soon.

Education

The Institute also offers a full range of activities for families and adults, from lectures to family-friendly tours, and a free film on the ancient Middle East every Sunday at 2pm. The Suq, Arabic for "market," stocks a fabulous array of books, jewelry and gifts from and about the Middle East.

The Oriental Institute is a research division of the University of Chicago devoted to the study of the cultures, languages, and history of the ancient Middle East including Egypt, Sudan, Jordan, Israel/Palestine, Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran.