Attractions
IconicNavy Pier
No admission feeChicago's lakefront playground: the Centennial Wheel, boat cruises, fireworks, and nonstop family fun.
Transit: reachable by public transit
City guide · Illinois, USA
Things to do in Chicago
Big shoulders, big skyline, endless lakefront fun
- Attractions
- Museums
- Sports & Outdoors
- Tours
Start here
Three to see first in Chicago
Museums
IconicThe Art Institute of Chicago
$25–$50Home of American Gothic and a world-famous Impressionist collection, guarded by two bronze lions.
Transit: reachable by public transit
Attractions
Family FavoriteShedd Aquarium
$25–$50Belugas, dolphins, and 32,000 aquatic animals on the Museum Campus lakefront.
Transit: reachable by public transit
Top picks
In Chicago
Filter by the kind of day you want. Tap a card to open the place, or a dot on the map to find it in the list.
Attractions
IconicNavy Pier
No admission feeChicago's lakefront playground: the Centennial Wheel, boat cruises, fireworks, and nonstop family fun.
Transit: reachable by public transit
Museums
IconicThe Art Institute of Chicago
$25–$50Home of American Gothic and a world-famous Impressionist collection, guarded by two bronze lions.
Transit: reachable by public transit
Attractions
Family FavoriteShedd Aquarium
$25–$50Belugas, dolphins, and 32,000 aquatic animals on the Museum Campus lakefront.
Transit: reachable by public transit
Museums
Family FavoriteField Museum
$25–$50Meet SUE the T. rex and roam ancient Egypt in one of the world's great natural history museums.
Transit: reachable by public transit
Museums
Family FavoriteGriffin Museum of Science and Industry
$25–$50Descend into a coal mine, board a captured WWII U-boat, and geek out in the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere.
Transit: reachable by public transit
Sports & Outdoors
IconicMillennium Park & Cloud Gate (The Bean)
No admission feeSnap your reflection in The Bean, splash at Crown Fountain, and catch free concerts downtown.
Transit: reachable by public transit
Tours
IconicChicago Architecture Center River Cruise
$50+Expert docents narrate the skyline's greatest hits on the beloved river cruise aboard First Lady.
Transit: reachable by public transit
Sightseeing
Date Night360 CHICAGO Observation Deck
$25–$50Lake-and-skyline views from 1,000 feet up, plus TILT, the glass ledge that leans you over Michigan Avenue.
Transit: reachable by public transit
Sports & Outdoors
Family FavoriteLincoln Park Zoo
No admission feeOne of America's last free zoos, lions, gorillas, and gardens minutes from downtown.
Transit: reachable by public transit
Sightseeing
Local GemChicago Riverwalk
No admission feeA 1.25-mile waterfront promenade of patios, wine bars, and skyline views along the Chicago River.
Transit: reachable by public transit
Theater & Events
IconicThe Chicago Theatre
$25–$50The marquee that means Chicago, catch a show or tour the gilded 1921 movie palace.
Transit: reachable by public transit
Tours
Local GemWendella Sightseeing Boats
$25–$50Family-run since 1935, classic river and lakefront cruises from the Michigan Avenue dock.
Transit: reachable by public transit
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Day trips
Day trips from Chicago
Sightseeing
Local GemAurora, Illinois
No admission feeFox River city west of Chicago with a historic Paramount Theatre, outlet shopping, and a large waterpark.
Aurora, ILTransit: reachable by public transit
Stay
IconicFour Winds New Buffalo
No admission feeFull-scale casino resort on Lake Michigan in New Buffalo, Michigan, with a hotel, dining, and an event center.
New Buffalo, MI
Sightseeing
Local GemJoliet, Illinois
No admission feeA historic Route 66 and canal town on the Des Plaines River, anchor of Illinois' Heritage Corridor.
Joliet, ILTransit: reachable by public transit
Museums
Family FavoriteNaper Settlement
Under $25A 13-acre outdoor living-history village in Naperville with restored 19th-century buildings.
Naperville, ILTransit: reachable by public transit
Sightseeing
Local GemSt. Charles, Illinois
No admission feeA historic Fox River town west of Chicago known for its walkable downtown and riverside dining.
St. Charles, IL
Museums
Family FavoriteVolo Auto Museum
Under $25A sprawling car museum and family attraction in Volo, Illinois, with classic, celebrity, and movie cars.
Volo, IL
Sightseeing
Local GemDeKalb County
No admission feeIllinois farm country home to Northern Illinois University, historic Sycamore and the Egyptian Theatre.
DeKalb, ILTransit: reachable by public transit
Sightseeing
Family FavoriteChicago Southland
No admission feeDestination marketing region covering 62 south and southwest Chicago suburbs and their attractions.
Chicago Southland, ILTransit: reachable by public transit
Attractions
Quirky FunThe Pinball Capital
Under $25One of the Midwest's largest pinball arcades, with more than 130 machines near Chicago.
Stone Park, ILTransit: reachable by public transit
Attractions
Family FavoriteSanta's Village Azoosment Park
$25–$50A combination amusement park and small zoo in East Dundee dating to 1959, with 19 rides and 200-plus animals.
East Dundee, ILTransit: reachable by public transit
Sightseeing
Local GemLake Geneva
No admission feeWisconsin lake resort town with a historic downtown, lakefront path, and summer estate architecture.
Lake Geneva, WI
Museums
History BuffYerkes Observatory
$25–$50Historic 1897 astronomical observatory offering guided tours of its restored telescopes, architecture and archives.
Williams Bay, WI
Attractions in Chicago
- Navy Pier
- Shedd Aquarium
- Color Factory Chicago
- Flyover Chicago
- Skydeck Chicago
- Brookfield Zoo Chicago, Brookfield
- Rate Field
- The Pinball Capital, Stone Park
- Santa's Village Azoosment Park, East Dundee
- Six Flags Great America, Gurnee
- LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago, Schaumburg
- Washington Park Zoo, Michigan City
Museums in Chicago
- The Art Institute of Chicago
- Field Museum
- Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
- Adler Planetarium
- Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
- Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Money Museum
- Museum of Broadcast Communications
- International Museum of Surgical Science
- Chicago History Museum
- DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center
- Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, West Asia & North Africa
- Leather Archives and Museum
- Pritzker Military Museum & Library, Kenosha
- National Hellenic Museum
- Chicago Architecture Center
- National Museum of Mexican Art
- Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
- Ukrainian National Museum
- Barack Obama Presidential Center
- Jane Addams Hull-House Museum
- Intuit Art Museum
- Polish Museum of America
- Smart Museum of Art
- Hal Tyrrell Trailside Museum of Natural History, River Forest
- Evanston History Center, Evanston
- Naper Settlement, Naperville
- Volo Auto Museum, Volo
- Yerkes Observatory, Williams Bay
- The Block Museum of Art, Evanston
- Kohl Children's Museum, Glenview
- Fox River Trolley Museum, South Elgin
- Brauer Museum of Art, Valparaiso
- Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum, North Judson
- Joliet Area Historical Museum, Joliet
- Kenilworth Historical Society, Kenilworth
- Elgin History Museum, Elgin
- Warrenville Historical Museum & Art Gallery, Warrenville
- The Children's Museum in Oak Lawn, Oak Lawn
- Garfield Farm Museum, Campton Hills
- Platen Press Museum, Zion
Sightseeing in Chicago
- 360 CHICAGO Observation Deck
- Chicago Riverwalk
- Buckingham Fountain
- Chicago
- Chicago Cultural Center
- Chicago Water Tower
- Chinatown
- Frederick C. Robie House
- Soldier Field
- United Center
- Oak Woods Cemetery
- Victory Monument
- Abraham Lincoln: The Man
- Gold Star Families Memorial and Park
- John Peter Altgeld Monument
- Chicago Portage National Historic Site, Lyons
- Elks National Veterans Memorial
- Stephen A. Douglas Tomb
- Aurora, Illinois, Aurora
- Joliet, Illinois, Joliet
- St. Charles, Illinois, St. Charles
- DeKalb County, DeKalb
- Chicago Southland, Chicago Southland
- Lake Geneva, Lake Geneva
- Lake County, Lake County
- Chicago Northwest, Schaumburg
- Baháʼí House of Worship, Wilmette
- Edith Farnsworth House, Plano
- Gemini Giant, Wilmington
- Elgin Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, Elgin
- North Shore Sanitary District Tower, Highland Park
- National Shrine and Museum of St. Thérèse, Darien
- Historic Wagner Farm, Glenview
Sports & Outdoors in Chicago
- Millennium Park & Cloud Gate (The Bean)
- Lincoln Park Zoo
- Garfield Park Conservatory
- Grant Park
- Lincoln (Abraham) Park
- Garfield (James) Park
- Garden of the Phoenix
- Maggie Daley Park
- Bloomingdale Trail Park
- Douglass Park
- Jackson Park
- Midway Plaisance
- Humboldt (Alexander Von) Park
- Washington Park
- Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool
- Emily Oaks Nature Center, Skokie
- Villa Olivia, Bartlett
- Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe
- Indiana Dunes National Park, Porter
- Morton Arboretum, Lisle
- Indiana Dunes State Park, Chesterton
- Shakespeare Garden, Evanston
- Bendix Woods County Park, New Carlisle
- Calumet Park
- Warren Woods State Park, Three Oaks
- Pottawatomie Park, St. Charles
- Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve, Naperville
- Heidecke Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, Grundy County
- Rosewood Park, Highland Park
- Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge, McHenry County area
- Marquette Park, Gary
- Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center, Oak Brook
- Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, Willow Springs
- Volo Bog State Natural Area, Ingleside
Stay in Chicago
- Congress Plaza Hotel
- Embassy Suites by Hilton Chicago Downtown Magnificent Mile
- HI Chicago, The J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Hostel
- Hyatt Regency Chicago
- La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Chicago Downtown
- Travelodge by Wyndham Downtown Chicago
- Four Winds New Buffalo, New Buffalo
- Best Western at O'Hare, Rosemont
- Crowne Plaza Chicago O'Hare Hotel & Conference Center, Rosemont
- Hilton Rosemont Chicago O'Hare, Rosemont
- Sonesta Chicago O'Hare Airport Rosemont, Rosemont
More places in Chicago
More guides in Illinois
Articles about Chicago
Nearby
More of Illinois
Maps
Visitor maps for Chicago
- Chicago Southland map
- Field Museum map
- Illinois printable map
- Chicago & Beyond, IL printable map
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin Metro Area, IL printable map
- Cook County, IL printable map
- Chicago, Cook County printable map
- Indiana printable map
- Northwest Indiana, IN printable map
- Kane County, IL printable map
- All printable maps of Illinois
Stories
Reading about Chicago
About
About Chicago
Chicago packs world-class museums, a glittering skyline, and 26 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline into one gloriously walkable city. Cruise the river beneath architectural icons, gaze down from cloud-scraping observation decks, then refuel on deep-dish pizza and food-hall finds. From free zoos and lakefront parks to legendary theaters, the Windy City delivers big on every budget.
Visitor info
Nearest help
Hospital with an emergency room · 1.2 mi from the center
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
251 E Huron St, Chicago, IL 60611
Police · 0.1 mi from the center
U.s. Marshals Service Department
219 S Dearborn St Ste 2444, Chicago, IL 60604
Fire station · 0.2 mi from the center
Chicago Fire Department Engine Company 1
419 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607
In an emergency, call 911.