Things to do in Chicago
- The Chicago River was successfully reversed in 1900 to flow away from Lake Michigan, protecting the city's primary source of drinking water from sewage contamination.
- Chicago is the birthplace of the skyscraper, with the 1885 Home Insurance Building often cited as the first to utilize a load-bearing steel frame.
- The city's 'grid system' originates from a base point located at the intersection of State and Madison Streets, which serves as the zero coordinate for all street addresses.
- Chicago maintains the largest municipal park system in the United States, including over 8,800 acres of green space.
- The city has an unofficial 'third coast' culture due to its massive lakefront, featuring 26 miles of public beaches that remain open for seasonal swimming.
About Chicago
Chicago serves as the primary economic and cultural hub of the American Midwest, situated along the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. The city defines the modern skyscraper aesthetic, highlighted by the engineering prominence of the [336] Willis Tower. Public life centers on expansive outdoor spaces such as [415] Millennium Park and the sprawling [32281] Grant Park. Visitors frequently traverse the cultural corridor of [31187] The Museum Campus, which houses major institutions like the [32818] Field Museum.
Highlights of Chicago
The places our editors single out — and why they're worth your time.
Parks
Features world-class public art installations integrated into an expansive urban landscape.
Museums
Houses an extensive collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces.
Venues
Provides an authentic experience of historic baseball culture in one of the oldest active ballparks.
Places of interest
Offers a unique mirrored surface that reflects the surrounding skyline and park environment.
Places of interest
Provides a vantage point from the highest observation deck in the United States.
Museums
Features extensive natural history exhibits, including the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton ever discovered.
Zoos
Exhibits diverse marine ecosystems within one of the largest indoor aquariums in the world.
Top things to do in Chicago
The 299 highest-rated places in Chicago, ranked by travellers.
1
Parks
Millennium Park is a 24.5-acre public space in downtown Chicago featuring iconic public art and world-class architecture...
2
Places of interest
Navy Pier is a 3,300-foot-long pier extending into Lake Michigan, serving as a primary entertainment hub in downtown Chi...
3
Museums
The Art Institute of Chicago houses one of the world's most significant collections of Impressionist and Post-Impression...
4
Places of interest
Cloud Gate, colloquially known as 'The Bean,' is a 110-ton stainless steel sculpture designed by British artist Anish Ka...
5
Venues
Wrigley Field is the second-oldest Major League Baseball stadium in the United States, opened in 1914. It is famous for...
6
Zoos
Lincoln Park Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in the United States, established in 1868. It is located within a 35-acre par...
7
Museums
The Griffin Museum of Science and Industry is housed in the Palace of Fine Arts, the only remaining building from the 18...
8
Places of interest
Skydeck Chicago is located on the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower, at 1,353 feet abov...
9
Zoos
Shedd Aquarium is a 5-million-gallon indoor public aquarium located on Chicago's Museum Campus. It houses over 32,000 an...
10
Museums
The Field Museum is a world-renowned natural history institution housing a collection of nearly 40 million specimens and...
11
Museums
The Museum Campus is a 57-acre lakefront park in Chicago that serves as the centralized site for three major cultural in...
12
Places of interest
Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower, is a 1,450-foot skyscraper in downtown Chicago that held the title of t...
13
Parks
Lincoln Park is a 1,208-acre public space stretching seven miles along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Chicago. It serves...
14
Parks
Grant Park is a 319-acre public space spanning Chicago’s lakefront, often referred to as the city's front yard. It serve...
15
Places of interest
The Clarence F. Buckingham Memorial Fountain is one of the world's largest fountains, located in the center of Chicago's...
16
Venues
Rate Field, officially Guaranteed Rate Field, is the home stadium of the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball. The...
17
Venues
Soldier Field is a historic multi-purpose stadium situated on the Museum Campus in Chicago, Illinois. It serves as the h...
18
Venues
The Chicago Theatre is a historic venue in the Loop, famously recognized by its vertical marquee sign spanning six stori...
19
Parks
Maggie Daley Park is a 20-acre public park in downtown Chicago designed by architect Michael Van Valkenburgh. It feature...
20
Museums
The Chicago Children's Museum is located at the end of Navy Pier, focusing on interactive, play-based learning for child...
21
Places of interest
Crown Fountain is a public art installation and video sculpture located in Chicago's Millennium Park. Designed by Spanis...
22
Museums
The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Chicago is one of the nation's largest institutions dedicated to art created since...
23
Venues
The CIBC Theatre is a historic 1,800-seat venue in Chicago's Loop, originally opened in 1906 as the Majestic Theatre. It...
24
Places of interest
The DuSable Bridge, formerly known as the Michigan Avenue Bridge, is a double-leaf bascule bridge crossing the Chicago R...
25
Venues
The James M. Nederlander Theatre is a historic Broadway-style venue located in Chicago's Loop district. Originally opene...
26
Parks
The Lincoln Park Conservatory is a Victorian-era glass house featuring four distinct display rooms: the Palm House, the...
27
Parks
Burnham Park is a six-mile stretch of continuous green space along Lake Michigan, extending from Grant Park to Jackson P...
28
Venues
The Cadillac Palace Theatre is a historic venue located in Chicago's Loop, functioning as a primary host for Broadway In...
29
Venues
Designed by architect Frank Gehry, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion is the centerpiece of Millennium Park in Chicago. The struc...
30
Historical places
Ping Tom Memorial Park is a 17-acre public space located along the South Branch of the Chicago River in the Chinatown ne...
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Chicago on the map
Top attractions plotted across the city.
Plan your visit to Chicago
Late spring (May-June) or early autumn (September-October) offer mild temperatures and lower humidity before the onset of extreme winter cold or peak summer heat.
4-5 days, which provides sufficient time to balance urban architecture tours with the extensive collections found in the city's lakefront museums.
The city is highly accessible via the CTA 'L' train system and extensive bus network, while the downtown loop is largely walkable.
The Loop offers central access to major landmarks and transit, while the Near North Side provides proximity to the lakefront and retail districts.
Chicago is a mid-to-high budget destination, particularly regarding downtown accommodation and premium dining options.
Frequently asked
Aventuro lists 299 curated attractions in and around Chicago, ranked by traveller ratings.
Millennium Park is the highest-rated place to visit in Chicago right now.
The largest category is parks, with 64 places to explore.
Travellers also explore Downtown Los Angeles, Bayonne, New Jersey, Washington, D.C..
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