saic tour

SAIC Tour: What I Learned

I’m a current high school senior applying for film/writing/screenwriting programs at both arts and liberal arts colleges. I applied to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s BFA Writing program which is less studio/fine art based and more geared around creative writing. Since being accepted, I decided to fly out to Chicago and tour the school because I’m highly considering attending it. As I recently just took the campus tour of SAIC, I thought I’d share my experience.

THE CAMPUS: Unlike most of the liberal arts/arts colleges I applied to, SAIC’s campus is embedded into the city of Chicago. There’s no specific gated off area with dorms and a dining hall and a block of classrooms – it’s all spread around the Loop. Every building is within close proximity to each other (and the dorms) which I personally loved because it truly felt like Chicago was your campus. The spaces that SAIC occupy are AMAZINGLY equipped with state of the art facilities and programs. I toured the visual communications center at SAIC, which is basically their graphic design department. The floor in which visual communications takes place is incredible, packed to the brim with colorful walls and spaces where you can print your work onto anything like buttons, stickers, massive posters, etc. I also was able to tour the film/animation building which, again, had insane equipment. It’s obvious that SAIC puts a ton of care into what they offer their students. They supply a lot for students in all of their classes, and all of their resources are ready and available for your art making practices. Since the art studios are open 24 hours, SAIC has a special transit service for students who stay late to work on their art and want a ride back to their dorm when it’s less safe outside. So, for instance, if you were to stay until 3am working on a piece, you could call the SAIC transit service and get a ride back to your dorm (or the nearest CTA stop if you live off campus).

THE DORMS: They’re. Huge. I was shown around a double room (a room with two people living in it) and it was extremely spacious. For a double room, there is a small kitchenette and a bathroom with a shower/tub and toilet and sink space, as well as one bed on the floor and one loft bed. Though the loft bed is there, if neither of the roommates want to sleep in it, SAIC will provide a second bed for the floor. The dorms are big and also spread out over the downtown Chicago area (the one that’s the farthest away from the class buildings is only a 10 minute walk). They’re co-ed and there are options of getting a single, double, or triple room. All depends on what you want and the availability of housing.

THE AREA: I love downtown Chicago. The Loop is very nice and feels super safe. I’d consider Chicago to be a healthy mix between NYC and San Francisco – just a little less gritty than NYC and more breathing room than SF. There’s also amazing food here and CTA (Chicago’s public transit) is always moving. There’s a ton of diversity in Chicago and the city is massive so there’s always something to do. You truly can’t be bored here.

Congratulations on your acceptance @yikesandie . My daughter was also accepted and we toured back in January. I agree with your observations. I was also very impressed with SAIC’s career and internship and speaker programs. It seems they really put great efforts into seeing students get great exposure to professionals, to internships, and help in getting the first job.

I also note that all classes are Pass/Fail. I’m sure many have divergent opinions on this, but I can see this being helpful for my daughter who does not react so well to stress or competitive nature of grading.

Congratulations on your acceptance @yikesandie . SAIC is a really nice school and has been my D’s preferred one. :-*

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See it here first! Join us for boundary-breaking exhibitions and events featuring work by School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) students completing their degrees. Free and open to the public.

Reception: Saturday, March 2

12:00–5:00 p.m..

The culminating presentation of new and ambitious work by 54 MFA candidates in SAIC’s class of 2024. Graduate Exhibition One  is the first of two graduate exhibitions this spring.

Hours Mondays–Saturdays when exhibitions are open. 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.

Reception: Saturday, March 2 12:00 p.m.–5 p.m.

This presentation features the work of students completing the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Studio.

Reception: Friday, March 22

4:00–6:00 p.m..

First year students from the Department of Contemporary Practices (CP) exhibit new interdisciplinary art and design works. Students have the opportunity to participate through site specific proposals, an open call for work, and by faculty selection.

The culminating work of more than 200 graduating seniors. This exhibition features the ambitious and innovative interdisciplinary work of our students, the next generation of artists, scholars, and citizens. It is a living example of the crossing of disciplines and challenging assumptions that SAIC encourages in each student.

Public Reception: Saturday, April 6 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.

Reception: Saturday, April 6 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Graduating Master of Arts in Visual Critical Studies students present their scholarship and work.

Saturday, April 6, 5:30–9:00 p.m. Sunday, April 7, 2:00–5:00 p.m.

Receptions: saturday, april 13 and sunday, april 14, 1:00 p.m.–5 p.m..

Geek out at Pedagogical Palooza. The Master of Arts in Arts Education 2024 Pedagogical Palooza presents the thesis projects of artists, educators, designers, curators, teachers, organizers, and activists. Students will showcase their thesis projects via presentations, exhibitions, live panel discussions, and interactive workshops exploring themes including cultivating care, counter-hegemonic teaching, and place-based education. This event celebrates the ongoing exploration of students’ research focuses and artistic practices.

Reception: TBA

The Film, Video, New Media, Animation, and Sound Festival will highlight the work of graduating students presenting moving image and sound work.

The culminating presentation of new and ambitious work by more than 82 MFA, MDes, MArch, and MArch-IA candidates in SAIC’s class of 2024. Graduate Exhibition Two  is the second of two graduate exhibitions this spring.

Public Reception: Saturday, May 11 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.

Reception: Friday, May 17

Graduating students from the Master of Fine Arts in Writing program read selections from their work, including, but not limited to, fiction, nonfiction, and text off the page. Discover what writing becomes when students adapt the practices of their studio-artist peers.

Reception: Friday, May 18 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Graduating Bachelor of Arts in Art History, Theory, and Criticism seniors present theses with panels and discussions.

Reception: Saturday, May 18

5:00p.m.—8:00 p.m., reception: saturday, july 13, fvnmas festival.

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Moscow Metro 2019

Will it be easy to find my way in the Moscow Metro? It is a question many visitors ask themselves before hitting the streets of the Russian capital. As metro is the main means of transport in Moscow – fast, reliable and safe – having some skills in using it will help make your visit more successful and smooth. On top of this, it is the most beautiful metro in the world !

. There are over 220 stations and 15 lines in the Moscow Metro. It is open from 6 am to 1 am. Trains come very frequently: during the rush hour you won't wait for more than 90 seconds! Distances between stations are quite long – 1,5 to 2 or even 3 kilometers. Metro runs inside the city borders only. To get to the airport you will need to take an onground train - Aeroexpress.

RATES AND TICKETS

Paper ticket A fee is fixed and does not depend on how far you go. There are tickets for a number of trips: 1, 2 or 60 trips; or for a number of days: 1, 3 days or a month. Your trips are recorded on a paper ticket. Ifyou buy a ticket for several trips you can share it with your traveling partner passing it from one to the other at the turnstile.

On every station there is cashier and machines (you can switch it to English). Cards and cash are accepted. 1 trip - 55 RUB 2 trips - 110 RUB

Tickets for 60 trips and day passes are available only at the cashier's.

60 rides - 1900 RUB

1 day - 230 RUB 3 days - 438 RUB 30 days - 2170 RUB.

The cheapest way to travel is buying Troyka card . It is a plastic card you can top up for any amount at the machine or at the ticket office. With it every trip costs 38 RUB in the metro and 21 RUB in a bus. You can get the card in any ticket office. Be prepared to leave a deposit of 50 RUB. You can get it back returning the card to the cashier.

SamsungPay, ApplePay and PayPass cards.

One turnstile at every station accept PayPass and payments with phones. It has a sticker with the logos and located next to the security's cabin.

GETTING ORIENTED

At the platfrom you will see one of these signs.

It indicates the line you are at now (line 6), shows the direction train run and the final stations. Numbers below there are of those lines you can change from this line.

In trains, stations are announced in Russian and English. In newer trains there are also visual indication of there you are on the line.

To change lines look for these signs. This one shows the way to line 2.

There are also signs on the platfrom. They will help you to havigate yourself. (To the lines 3 and 5 in this case). 

Moscow Metro Tour

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Description

Moscow metro private tours.

• 2-hour tour $87:  10 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with hotel pick-up and drop-off
• 3-hour tour $137:  20 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with Russian lunch in beautifully-decorated Metro Diner + hotel pick-up and drop off. 
• Metro pass is included in the price of both tours.

Highlight of Metro Tour

• Visit 10 must-see stations of Moscow metro on 2-hr tour and 20 Metro stations on 3-hr tour, including grand Komsomolskaya station with its distinctive Baroque décor, aristocratic Mayakovskaya station with Soviet mosaics, legendary Revolution Square station with 72 bronze sculptures and more!
• Explore Museum of Moscow Metro and learn a ton of technical and historical facts;
• Listen to the secrets about the Metro-2, a secret line supposedly used by the government and KGB;
• Experience a selection of most striking features of Moscow Metro hidden from most tourists and even locals;
• Discover the underground treasure of Russian Soviet past – from mosaics to bronzes, paintings, marble arches, stained glass and even paleontological elements;
• Learn fun stories and myths about Coffee Ring, Zodiac signs of Moscow Metro and more;
• Admire Soviet-era architecture of pre- and post- World War II perious;
• Enjoy panoramic views of Sparrow Hills from Luzhniki Metro Bridge – MetroMost, the only station of Moscow Metro located over water and the highest station above ground level;
• If lucky, catch a unique «Aquarelle Train» – a wheeled picture gallery, brightly painted with images of peony, chrysanthemums, daisies, sunflowers and each car unit is unique;
• Become an expert at navigating the legendary Moscow Metro system;
• Have fun time with a very friendly local;
• + Atmospheric Metro lunch in Moscow’s the only Metro Diner (included in a 3-hr tour)

Hotel Pick-up

Metro stations:.

Komsomolskaya

Novoslobodskaya

Prospekt Mira

Belorusskaya

Mayakovskaya

Novokuznetskaya

Revolution Square

Sparrow Hills

+ for 3-hour tour

Victory Park

Slavic Boulevard

Vystavochnaya

Dostoevskaya

Elektrozavodskaya

Partizanskaya

Museum of Moscow Metro

• Drop-off  at your hotel, Novodevichy Convent, Sparrow Hills or any place you wish
• + Russian lunch  in Metro Diner with artistic metro-style interior for 3-hour tour

Fun facts from our Moscow Metro Tours:

From the very first days of its existence, the Moscow Metro was the object of civil defense, used as a bomb shelter, and designed as a defense for a possible attack on the Soviet Union.

At a depth of 50 to 120 meters lies the second, the coded system of Metro-2 of Moscow subway, which is equipped with everything you need, from food storage to the nuclear button.

According to some sources, the total length of Metro-2 reaches over 150 kilometers.

The Museum was opened on Sportivnaya metro station on November 6, 1967. It features the most interesting models of trains and stations.

Coffee Ring

The first scheme of Moscow Metro looked like a bunch of separate lines. Listen to a myth about Joseph Stalin and the main brown line of Moscow Metro.

Zodiac Metro

According to some astrologers, each of the 12 stops of the Moscow Ring Line corresponds to a particular sign of the zodiac and divides the city into astrological sector.

Astrologers believe that being in a particular zadiac sector of Moscow for a long time, you attract certain energy and events into your life.

Paleontological finds 

Red marble walls of some of the Metro stations hide in themselves petrified inhabitants of ancient seas. Try and find some!

• Every day each car in  Moscow metro passes  more than 600 km, which is the distance from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
• Moscow subway system is the  5th in the intensity  of use (after the subways of Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai).
• The interval in the movement of trains in rush hour is  90 seconds .

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized Moscow tour.
• + An exciting pastime, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility during the walking tour: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + Expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time in Moscow.

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Moscow Metro Underground Small-Group Tour - With Reviews & Ratings

Moscow metro underground small-group tour.

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Tour Information

Key Details

• Mobile Voucher Accepted
• Free Cancellation
• Duration: 3 Hrs
• Language: English
• Departure Time : 10:00 AM
• Departure Details : Karl Marks Monument on Revolution Square, metro stop: Square of Revolution
• Return Details : Metro Smolenskaya
• If you cancel at least 4 day(s) in advance of the scheduled departure, there is no cancellation fee.
• If you cancel within 3 day(s) of the scheduled departure, there is a 100 percent cancellation fee.
• Tours booked using discount coupon codes will be non refundable.

Go beneath the streets on this tour of the spectacular, mind-bending Moscow Metro! Be awed by architecture and spot the Propaganda , then hear soviet stories from a local in the know. Finish it all up above ground, looking up to Stalins skyscrapers, and get the inside scoop on whats gone on behind those walls.

Know More about this tour

We begin our Moscow tour beneath the city, exploring the underground palace of the Moscow Metro. From the Square of Revolution station, famous for its huge statues of soviet people (an armed soldier, a farmer with a rooster, a warrior, and more), we’ll move onto some of the most significant stations, where impressive mosaics, columns, and chandeliers will boggle your eyes! Moreover, these stations reveal a big part of soviet reality — the walls depict plenty of Propaganda , with party leaders looking down from images on the walls. Your local guide will share personal stories of his/her family from USSR times, giving you insight into Russia’s complicated past and present. Then we’re coming back up to street level, where we’ll take a break and refuel with some Russian fast food: traditional pancakes, called bliny. And then, stomachs satiated, we are ready to move forward! We’ll take the eco-friendly electric trolleybus, with a route along the Moscow Garden Ring. Used mainly by Russian babushkas(grannies) during the day, the trolleybus hits peak hours in the mornings and evenings, when many locals use it going to and from their days. Our first stop will be the Aviator’s House, one of Stalin’s Seven Sisters, followed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs — and you’ll hear the legends of what has gone on inside the walls. Throughout your Moscow tour, you’ll learn curious facts from soviet history while seeing how Russia exists now, 25 years after the USSR.

Local English-speaking guide

Pancake snack and drink

Additional food and drinks

Tickets for public transport

Souvenirs and items of a personal nature

Tips and gratuities for the guide

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking

Dress standard: Please wear comfortable shoes for walking. For your Urban Adventure you will be in a small group of a maximum of 12 people

Traveler Reviews

This tour exceeded our expectations. Nikolai (Nick), our tour guide, was very knowledgeable, thorough, and has a great personality. He didn't take shortcuts and really covered everything that was on the agenda in great detail. We saw beautiful metro stations and learned the history behind them, including many of the murals and designs.

We did the tour with Anna her knowledge and understanding of the History surrounding the metro brought the tour alive. Well done Anna!

This tour was amazing!

Anna was a great tour guide. She gave us heaps of interesting information, was very friendly, and very kindly showed us how to get to our next tour.

Amazing beauty and history.

An excellent tour helped by an absolutely amazing guide. Anna gave a great insight into the history of the metro helped by additional material she had prepared.

great tour and guide - thanks again

great will do it again, Miriam ke was very good as a guide she has lived here all here life so knew every interesting detail.a good day

Housing & Residence Life

Tap into the energy.

Living with other artists and designers, exchanging ideas, supporting one another, and growing together—no other experience compares. Whether you live on campus in the heart of Chicago's Loop or share housing off-campus in one of the city's neighborhoods, you'll feel the energy that a creative community generates.

Living on Campus

Living on campus makes it easy to immerse yourself in the SAIC experience and feel part of the community. Residence Life staff plan activities that help you build relationships, connect with the city, and get to know what SAIC has to offer. And SAIC ensures a secure living environment through controlled access and 24-hour security staff.

Living off Campus

Chicago is a city of neighborhoods, each one different from the next. So, if you're more comfortable living off campus than in a residence hall, chances are you can find a place that feels right for you. Lakeview is known for its abundant nightlife, music venues, and LGBT history. Logan Square, Wicker Park, and the Loop—home to SAIC's campus, parks, and museums—are also popular for off-campus housing. SAIC partners with Places4Students to help connect you to apartment listings throughout the city.

Places to Eat

SAIC's three on-campus dining spots offer grab-n-go items and hot entrees, all provided by the School's locally based vendor. Minority- and woman-owned, Food for Thought emphasizes organic, fair trade ingredients, and a sustainable approach to food service. You'll have plenty of choices with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.

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