Things to Do in Chicago

Sights Overview

Name	Category	Location

18th Street Pilsen's main commercial strip is loaded with tempting restaurants...	Neighborhoods / Streets	Pilsen

311 South Wacker The first of three towers intended for the site, this pale pink...	Architectural Sites	The Loop

33 West Kinzie Street At Dearborn and Kinzie streets is a splendid ornamental brickwork...	Architectural Sites	River North

333 West Wacker Drive This green-glazed beauty doesn't follow the rules. Its riverside...	Architectural Sites	The Loop

860-880 N. Lake Shore Drive These twin apartment towers overlooking Lake Michigan were an...	Architectural Sites	River North


Adler Planetarium Navigate your way through the solar system with interactive and...	Museums / Galleries	South Loop

Alta Vista Terrace On the 3800 block of North Alta Vista Terrace sits Grace Street...	Neighborhoods / Streets	Lakeview

Andersonville Just north of Uptown there's a neighborhood that still shows...	Neighborhoods / Streets	Far North and Far Northwest Sides

Aon With the open space of Millennium Park at its doorstep, the Aon...	Architectural Sites	The Loop

Aragon Ballroom Just outside the Lawrence train station a large sign heralds...	Arts / Performance Venues	Far North and Far Northwest Sides

Argyle Strip The Far North's Argyle Strip is also called Little Saigon (and...	Neighborhoods / Streets	Far North and Far Northwest Sides

The Art Institute of Chicago Come for the sterling collection of Impressionists (an entire...	Museums / Galleries	The Loop

Auditorium Theatre Hunkered down across from Grant Park, this 110,000-ton granite-and-limestone...	Arts / Performance Venues, Architectural Sites	The Loop

Bahá'i Temple House of Worship Your mouth is sure to drop to the floor the first time you lay...	Religious Sites	Wilmette

Bank of America Theatre On Monroe, just before State Street sits the ornate Bank of America...	Architectural Sites	The Loop

Barbara's Bookstore A small local chain popular among book lovers and independent...	Stores / Malls	University Village

Belmont Avenue This strip, from Lake Shore Drive to Sheffield, has a different...	Neighborhoods / Streets	Lakeview

Bloomingdale's Built in 1912 in an Islamic, Eastern style, the former Medinah...	Architectural Sites	River North

Boystown Just beyond Wrigleyvielle is the community of Boystown, as locals...	Neighborhoods / Streets	Lakeview

Brookfield Zoo Spend the day among nearly 3,000 animals at this gigantic zoo...	Zoos / Aquariums	Brookfield

Cadillac Palace Theatre Opened in 1926 as a vaudeville venue, the theater was designed...	Arts / Performance Venues	The Loop

Cantigny Park The 500 acres of this estate offers multiple attractions: an...	Parks	Wheaton

Carbide and Carbon Building Designed in 1929 by Daniel and Hubert Burnham, sons of the renowned...	Architectural Sites	The Loop

Charnley-Persky House Museum Foundation Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Charnley-Persky House with his...	Architectural Sites	Near North

Chase This building's graceful swoop—a novelty when it went up—continues...	Architectural Sites	The Loop

Chicago Antique Market The Chicago Antique Market, a seasonal indoor-outdoor flea market...	Markets / Bazaars	West Loop

Chicago Botanic Garden Among the 23 different gardens are a three-island Japanese garden...	Gardens / Arboretums	Glencoe

Chicago Children's Museum "Hands-on" is the operative concept for this brightly colored...	Museums / Galleries	Near North

Chicago Cultural Center Built in 1897 as the city's original public library, this huge...	Architectural Sites	The Loop

Chicago History Museum The museum went through a major rehaul in late 2006 when it changed...	Museums / Galleries	Lincoln Park

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association Orchestra Hall, home to the acclaimed Chicago Symphony Orchestra...	Architectural Sites	The Loop

Chicago Temple The Gothic-inspired headquarters of the First United Methodist...	Religious Sites	The Loop

Chinatown Gate South of the Prairie Avenue district, this Chinese microcosm...	Architectural Sites	Prairie Avenue and Chinatown

Chinatown Square Located on Princeton and Archer, this large, local enclave is...	Public Art (Mural / Sculpture / Statue), Squares	Prairie Avenue and Chinatown

Civic Opera House The handsome home of the Lyric Opera of Chicago is grand indeed...	Arts / Performance Venues	The Loop

Clarke House Museum This Greek Revival structure dates from 1836, making it Chicago's...	Museums / Galleries	Prairie Avenue and Chinatown

Cubby Bear Lounge Diagonally across the street from Wrigley Field is this Chicago...	Restaurants	Lakeview

Cuneo Museum and Gardens Samuel Insull, partner of Thomas Edison and founder of Commonwealth...	Houses / Mansions	Vernon Hills

The Dearborn Station Chicago's oldest standing passenger train station, a South Loop...	Architectural Sites	South Loop

DePaul University One of the largest Catholic universities in the country, the...	Educational Institutions	Lincoln Park

Devon Avenue Chicagoans flock here to quell cravings for Indian food, or...	Neighborhoods / Streets	Far North and Far Northwest Sides

Division Street At the southern border of Wicker Park, Division Street has become...	Neighborhoods / Streets	Wicker Park and Bucktown

Donohue Building The first major printing facility in Printers Row, this 1883...	Architectural Sites	South Loop

Double Door Near the intersection of North Avenue and Milwaukee this legendary...	Arts / Performance Venues	Wicker Park and Bucktown

The DuSable Museum of African-American History The DuSable is a colorful—and haunting—exploration...	Museums / Galleries	Hyde Park

Earwax Cafe This vegan- and vegetarian-friendly hangout is considered very...	Restaurants	Wicker Park and Bucktown

Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Part of the literary legacy of Oak Park, this three-story, turreted...	Historic Districts / Sites	Oak Park

Ernest Hemingway Museum How did the author's first 20 years in Oak Park affect his later...	Museums / Galleries	Oak Park

Facets Multimedia Film buffs shouldn't leave Lincoln Park without visiting this...	Arts / Performance Venues	Lincoln Park

Federal Center and Plaza Actually the Federal Center is three separate buildings—the...	Government Buildings	The Loop

The Field Museum More than 6 acres of exhibits fill this gigantic world-class...	Museums / Galleries	South Loop

Fine Arts Building This creaky building was constructed in 1895 to house the showrooms...	Architectural Sites	The Loop

Flatiron Arts Building Opposite the Northwest Tower across the busy North Milwaukee-Damen...	Architectural Sites	Wicker Park and Bucktown

Ford Center for the Performing Arts-Oriental Theatre The opulent interior of Buddhas and elephant-type chairs looked...	Arts / Performance Venues	The Loop

The Fourth Presbyterian Church Of Chicago A welcome visual and physical oasis amid the high-rise hubbub...	Religious Sites	Near North

Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio Wright designed and built his house when he was only 22, in 1889...	Houses / Mansions	Oak Park

Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House Long and low, the 9,000-square-foot Robie House is one of the...	Houses / Mansions	Hyde Park

The Franklin Building Built in 1888 and initially the home of the Franklin Company...	Architectural Sites	South Loop

Fulton Market The stylish Fulton Market district runs along Fulton Market and...	Markets / Bazaars	West Loop

Garfield Park Conservatory Escape winter's cold or revel in summer sunshine inside this...	Parks	West Loop

Glessner House Museum This fortresslike, Romanesque Revival 1886 residence is the only...	Houses / Mansions	Prairie Avenue and Chinatown

Graceland Cemetery On Clark Street by Irving Park Road is Graceland Cemetery, which...	Cemeteries	Lakeview

Grant Park & Buckingham Fountain Two of Chicago's greatest treasures reside in Grant Park—the...	Parks	South Loop

Greektown This small strip of the West Loop may as well be half a world...	Neighborhoods / Streets	West Loop

Green City Market On Wednesday and Saturday mornings from May to September the...	Markets / Bazaars	Lincoln Park

Halsted Street Halsted near 18th Street was once home to a cluster of art galleries...	Neighborhoods / Streets	Pilsen

Harold Washington Library Center The library, named for the first African-American mayor of Chicago...	Libraries	The Loop

Heller House When he designed this house in 1897, Frank Lloyd Wright was still...	Houses / Mansions	Hyde Park

Hilton Chicago An inn, this isn't. When it opened in 1927, the world's largest...	Hotels	South Loop

Historic Water Tower This famous Michigan Avenue structure, completed in 1867, was...	Architectural Sites	Near North

Hyatt Place At 48 stories, the headquarters of this hospitality group is...	Architectural Sites	The Loop

Hyde Park Historical Society To get a good overview of the neighborhood, stop by the Hyde...	Information Centers	Hyde Park

Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center In the 1970s, a group of neo-Nazis planned a march in the predominantly...	Educational Institutions	Skokie

Inland Steel Building A runt compared to today's tall buildings, this crisp, sparkling...	Architectural Sites	The Loop

Jackson Park This Hyde Park gem was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (who...	Parks	Hyde Park

James R. Thompson Center People either hate or love the center: former governor James...	Government Buildings	The Loop

Jane Addams Hull-House Museum The redbrick Victorian Hull House was the birthplace of social...	Museums / Galleries	University Village

John G. Shedd Aquarium Built in 1930, the Shedd is one of the most popular aquariums...	Zoos / Aquariums	South Loop

John Hancock Observatory Designed by the same team that designed the Willis (formerly...	Architectural Sites	Near North

Lakeview Homes On the side streets heading east and west of Boystown you'll...	Neighborhoods / Streets	Lakeview

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers Antiques hunters with fat wallets may want to check the schedule...	Stores / Malls	West Loop

Lincoln Park Conservatory Green grows on green in the lush tropical main room of this refreshing...	Gardens / Arboretums	Lincoln Park

Lincoln Park Zoo At this urban zoo you can face off with lions (separated by a...	Zoos / Aquariums	Lincoln Park

Lincoln Square Chamber of Commerce Lincoln Square has long been known for its Teutonic heritage...	Neighborhoods / Streets	Far North and Far Northwest Sides

Macy's On State Street—the Loop's most famous thoroughfare—is...	Stores / Malls	The Loop

Magnificent Mile Originally designed by 19th-century architect Daniel Burnham...	Neighborhoods / Streets	Near North

Marina City Likened to everything from corncobs to the towers of Antonio...	Architectural Sites	River North

Mario's Italian Lemonade If you visit Taylor Street from May to early September, be sure...	Quick Bites	Little Italy

The Marquette Building Like a slipcover over a sofa, the clean, geometric facade of...	Architectural Sites	The Loop

Mary & Leigh Block Museum of Art Among the most notable sights on the Northwestern University...	Museums / Galleries	Evanston

Maxwell Street Market The famous Sunday flea market, begun in the 1880s by Jewish immigrants...	Markets / Bazaars	University Village

The Merchandise Mart The huge Merchandise Mart, on the river between Orleans and Wells...	Stores / Malls	River North

Metro Fans, dressed in black with tattoos and body piercing, stand...	Arts / Performance Venues	Lakeview

Michigan Avenue Bridge Chicago is a city of bridges, and this is one of its most graceful...	Bridges / Tunnels	Near North

Millennium Park The Bean, the fountains, the Disney-esque music pavilion—all...	Parks	The Loop

Mitchell Museum of the American Indian Founded in 1977, the museum houses more than 10,000 Native American...	Museums / Galleries	Evanston

Monadnock Building Built in two segments a few years apart, the Monadnock captures...	Architectural Sites	The Loop

Morton Arboretum Take a quiet hike around woodlands, wetlands, and display gardens...	Gardens / Arboretums	Lisle

Museum of Contemporary Art A group of art patrons who felt the great Art Institute was unresponsive...	Museums / Galleries	Near North

Museum of Contemporary Photography "Contemporary" is defined here as anything after 1936. More than...	Museums / Galleries	South Loop

Museum of Science and Industry The beloved MSI is one of the most-visited sites in Chicago...	Museums / Galleries	Hyde Park

National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame Founded by George Randazzo in 1978, the NIASHF's mission is to...	Sports Venues	Little Italy

National Museum of Mexican Art Formerly the Mexican Fine Arts Museum Center, this is the largest...	Museums / Galleries	Pilsen

National Veterans Art Museum The chimelike sounds of more than 58,000 imprinted dog tags hanging...	Architectural Sites	Prairie Avenue and Chinatown

Navy Pier No matter the season, Navy Pier is a fun place to spend a few...	Pedestrian Malls	Near North

NBC Tower This 1989 limestone-and-granite edifice by Skidmore, Owings &...	Architectural Sites	Near North

Nine Dragon Wall One of three replicas outside China, the wall is modeled after...	Architectural Sites	Prairie Avenue and Chinatown

North Avenue Baths Building The beautiful facade is a clue to the building's past life, when...	Architectural Sites	Wicker Park and Bucktown

North Avenue Beach The beautiful people strut their stuff along the lake at this...	Beaches	Lincoln Park

Northwest Tower Building This striking triangular Art Deco building is the anchor of the...	Architectural Sites	Wicker Park and Bucktown

Northwestern University The private university founded here in 1851 by town namesake...	Educational Institutions	Evanston

Old Town You can hear the laughs emanating from Wells Street in Old Town...	Neighborhoods / Streets	Lincoln Park

Oriental Institute This gem began with artifacts collected by University of Chicago...	Museums / Galleries	Hyde Park

Oz Park Film fans—and younger visitors—will relish a chance...	Public Art (Mural / Sculpture / Statue)	Lincoln Park

Park Hyatt Chicago A relative newcomer to the neighborhood (2000), this high-end...	Architectural Sites	Near North

Patterson-McCormick Mansion On the northwest corner of Astor and Burton streets in the swanky...	Houses / Mansions	Near North

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Walk among hundreds of Midwest species of butterflies and learn...	Museums / Galleries	Lincoln Park

Pilsen Murals The murals of Pilsen give this neighborhood its distinctive flair...	Public Art (Mural / Sculpture / Statue)	Pilsen

Ping Tom Memorial Park Four pillars carved with dragon designs grace the entrance of...	Parks	Prairie Avenue and Chinatown

The Polish Museum of America Chicago has the largest Polish population of any city outside...	Museums / Galleries	Wicker Park and Bucktown

Pontiac Building An early Chicago School skyscraper—note its classic rectangular...	Architectural Sites	South Loop

Printers Row The Printers Row district is bounded by Congress Parkway on the...	Neighborhoods / Streets	South Loop

Promontory Point Part of Burnham Park, this man-made peninsula, which projects...	Parks	Hyde Park

The Promontory The tan brick building, designed by Mies van der Rohe in 1949...	Architectural Sites	Hyde Park

Prudential Plaza There are two architecturally notable buildings at the plaza...	Architectural Sites	The Loop

Quinn Chapel This church is one of Chicago's African-American cornerstones...	Religious Sites	Prairie Avenue and Chinatown

Ravinia Park If you enjoy music under the stars, the outdoor concerts at Ravinia...	Parks	Highland Park

Reliance Building The clearly expressed, gleaming verticality that characterizes...	Hotels	The Loop

Richard J. Daley Center Named for the late mayor Richard J. Daley, this boldly plain...	Architectural Sites	The Loop

River North Gallery District Dozens of art galleries show every kind of work imaginable in...	Neighborhoods / Streets	River North

Riviera Theatre South of the Aragon is the marquee of the Riviera Theatre, a...	Arts / Performance Venues	Far North and Far Northwest Sides

The Rookery This 11-story structure, with its eclectically ornamented facade...	Architectural Sites	The Loop

Saint Gabriel Catholic Church A tower, arched doorways, and a large round window form bold...	Religious Sites	Hyde Park

Santa Fe Building Also known as the Railway Exchange Building, this structure was...	Architectural Sites	The Loop

Second Presbyterian Church Two blocks west of the Wheeler Mansion on Michigan Avenue is...	Religious Sites	Prairie Avenue and Chinatown

Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii Completed in 1923 and built to accommodate the area's growing...	Religious Sites	University Village

Smart Museum of Art If you want to see art masterpieces but don't want to spend a...	Museums / Galleries	Hyde Park

Smurfit-Stone Building Some wags have said this building, with its diamond-shape top...	Architectural Sites	The Loop

Soldier Field Opened in 1924 as the Municipal Grant Park Stadium, the facility...	Sports Venues	South Loop

South Shore Cultural Center Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this opulent...	Architectural Sites	Hyde Park

Southport Neighbors Association There's not a Gap or Pottery Barn in sight; rather, the streets...	Neighborhoods / Streets	Lakeview

Spertus Museum This museum addresses an intellectual puzzle: What does it mean...	Museums / Galleries	South Loop

St. Basil Greek Orthodox Church Located on Polk Street, this gorgeous Greek Revival building...	Religious Sites	Little Italy

St. Valentine's Day Massacre site On Clark Street near Dickens, there's a rather inconspicuous...	Historic Districts / Sites	Lincoln Park

Steppenwolf Theatre Company You might sight a celebrity or two on Halsted Street if you time...	Arts / Performance Venues	Lincoln Park

Subterranean Across the street from the North Avenue Baths Building is a bar...	Historic Districts / Sites	Wicker Park and Bucktown

Sullivan Center Built in 1899, the old-fashioned department store's flagship...	Stores / Malls	The Loop

Swedish American Museum Center Though this tiny and welcoming museum does have changing exhibits...	Museums / Galleries	Far North and Far Northwest Sides

Taylor Street Archives In the mid-19th century, when Italians started to migrate to...	Neighborhoods / Streets	Little Italy

Tree Studios Built in 1894 with a courtyard and annexes constructed in 1911...	Stores / Malls	River North

Tribune Tower In 1922, after rejecting a slew of functional modern designs...	Architectural Sites	Near North

Trump International Hotel & Tower The Chicago Sun-Times Building was torn down to make way for...	Architectural Sites	Near North

Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art Modern and contemporary art fans head out to this small museum...	Museums / Galleries	Wicker Park and Bucktown

Ukrainian Village Landmark District For a glimpse of how the working class lived at the turn of the...	Historic Districts / Sites	Wicker Park and Bucktown

University of Chicago Higher education dominates the physical and cultural landscape...	Educational Institutions	Hyde Park

Water Tower Park This Chicago icon is west of the Mag Mile, at Pearson Street...	Architectural Sites	Near North

Water Works Pumping Station Water is still pumped to some of the city residents at a rate...	Architectural Sites	Near North

Wheeler Mansion At the intersection of Calumet and Cullerton avenues is the Wheeler...	Houses / Mansions	Prairie Avenue and Chinatown

Wicker Park South of the North Damen-Milwaukee intersection is this triangular...	Neighborhoods / Streets, Parks	Wicker Park and Bucktown

Willie Dixon's Blues Heaven Foundation This is the former Chess Records building where a cadre of music...	Tours	Prairie Avenue and Chinatown

Willis Tower In Chicago, size matters. This soaring 110-story skyscraper...	Architectural Sites	The Loop

Wrigley Building The gleaming white Wrigley Building sports a clock tower inspired...	Architectural Sites	Near North

Wrigley Field The venerable, ivy-covered home of the Chicago Cubs is the nation's...	Sports Venues	Lakeview
Sights Overview »

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Things to Do in Chicago

Things to Do in Chicago

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