Things to do in Chicago

Step onto The Ledge, a glass box 1,353 feet up, for knee-wobbling views over four states.

Chicago's lakefront playground: the Centennial Wheel, boat cruises, fireworks, and nonstop family fun.

Home of American Gothic and a world-famous Impressionist collection, guarded by two bronze lions.

Belugas, dolphins, and 32,000 aquatic animals on the Museum Campus lakefront.

Meet SUE the T. rex and roam ancient Egypt in one of the world's great natural history museums.

Descend into a coal mine, board a captured WWII U-boat, and geek out in the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere.

Snap your reflection in The Bean, splash at Crown Fountain, and catch free concerts downtown.

Expert docents narrate the skyline's greatest hits on the beloved river cruise aboard First Lady.

Lake-and-skyline views from 1,000 feet up, plus TILT, the glass ledge that leans you over Michigan Avenue.

One of America's last free zoos, lions, gorillas, and gardens minutes from downtown.

A 1.25-mile waterfront promenade of patios, wine bars, and skyline views along the Chicago River.

The marquee that means Chicago, catch a show or tour the gilded 1921 movie palace.

A Fulton Market food hall stacking the city's best chefs under one buzzing roof.

Family-run since 1935, classic river and lakefront cruises from the Michigan Avenue dock.

America's first planetarium, perched on Northerly Island with dome sky shows and the best skyline view in Chicago.

Go behind the ivy at the Cubs' 1914 ballpark, dugout, press box, bleachers, and a walk on the field itself.

The legendary Old Town comedy theater that launched Bill Murray, Tina Fey, and Stephen Colbert. Sketch and improv nightly.

Grant Park's grand 1927 fountain fires its center jet skyward every hour, with music-and-lights shows after dusk.

"Landscape art under glass", two acres of palms, ferns, and desert plants inside one of the nation's largest conservatories.

Tour the Oak Park house where Wright lived, worked, and invented the Prairie style, steps from the world's largest cluster of his buildings.

One of the world's largest contemporary art museums, steps off the Mag Mile, bold exhibitions, free for under-18s.

Chicago's iconic stretch of Michigan Avenue: 400+ stores, landmark towers, and the historic Water Tower, river to Oak Street.

The food hall and retail collection filling the reimagined base of Willis Tower, a natural stop before or after the Skydeck.

Fox River city west of Chicago with a historic Paramount Theatre, outlet shopping, and a large waterpark.

Open-top, hop-on-hop-off sightseeing bus tours looping past Chicago's downtown landmarks.

Guided bus tours through Chicago's Prohibition-era mob history and notorious crime landmarks.

Narrated bus tours covering Chicago's true crime, gangster history, and general sightseeing highlights.

Illinois' lakefront metropolis, home to world-class museums, architecture, and neighborhoods along Lake Michigan.

Interactive, colorful art experience inside Willis Tower with 14 playful installations, including a giant ball pit.

Free exhibit on money and the U.S. economy inside the Chicago Fed's Loop headquarters.

Full-scale casino resort on Lake Michigan in New Buffalo, Michigan, with a hotel, dining, and an event center.

A historic Route 66 and canal town on the Des Plaines River, anchor of Illinois' Heritage Corridor.

A Chicago museum devoted to the history of American radio and television broadcasting.

A 13-acre outdoor living-history village in Naperville with restored 19th-century buildings.

A historic Fox River town west of Chicago known for its walkable downtown and riverside dining.

A sprawling car museum and family attraction in Volo, Illinois, with classic, celebrity, and movie cars.

Illinois farm country home to Northern Illinois University, historic Sycamore and the Egyptian Theatre.

Destination marketing region covering 62 south and southwest Chicago suburbs and their attractions.

Ninety minute Chicago River cruise narrated by Chicago Architecture Center docents past the city's landmark buildings.

One of the Midwest's largest pinball arcades, with more than 130 machines near Chicago.

A combination amusement park and small zoo in East Dundee dating to 1959, with 19 rides and 200-plus animals.

Wisconsin lake resort town with a historic downtown, lakefront path, and summer estate architecture.

Historic 1897 astronomical observatory offering guided tours of its restored telescopes, architecture and archives.

A suspended flying-theater ride that soars over Chicago landmarks with wind, mist and motion effects.

South Loop seafood and steak restaurant near McCormick Place known for fresh oysters and prime steaks.

Illinois county along Lake Michigan with lakefront towns, Great America and Chicago area day trips.

Observation deck atop Willis Tower with glass Ledge boxes and panoramic views over four states.

Presenter of national Broadway touring productions across five historic theatres in Chicago's Loop.

The only North American museum devoted to the history of surgery, set in a Gold Coast mansion on Lake Shore Drive.

Family ski, tubing and golf destination in Bartlett with a quad chairlift, six rope tows and an 18-hole golf course.

Tourism marketing office for Chicago's northwest suburbs, covering Schaumburg, Arlington Heights and more.