I am going to CHicago for the first time ever and need some suggestions on fun things to do with a little bit of money. Also, I am staying at the Marriott in Schaumburg, IL and need to know how far away from downtown Chicago it is and if the hotel is nice. Any information would be welcome.

Thanks!!!

Chicago has alot of great places to go and see. You didn't mention anything specific so I will shoot from the hip. If you are a museum person, there is the Museum of Science and Industry, Field Museum, Chicago Art Institute, Adler Planetarium and the Shedd Aquarium. For more touristy things, you have the Sears Tower or John Hancock Building for views. State Street in the loop is good for shopping as is North Michigan Avenue. I am not familiar with the location of the Marriott but you should check to see if you are near the subway (El)Line to O'Hare Airport. It is cheap and the trip takes about 50 minutes. You really don't want to drive downtown if possible. Public Transportation both bus, subway and rail is frequent and excellent. During the winter, Chicago usually lives up to its name, "windy city." The winds can be extremely cold so dress appropriately. Hope this helps some and have a great time.

Hi, I live in uruguay in South America, but I've been twice in Chicago. It's one of the most wonderful cities I've known. As Carl tells you in his reply, you should go to the Art Institute, the Museum of Science and Industry (it's great with a United 727 inside!), the Field Museum of Natural History and the Shedd Aquarium.
I donīt know how old you are, but if you really want to have fun, go to River North area, where you can find several hot places, like Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock Cafe, but I specially recommend Ed Debevics, where the waiters and waitresses are very funny, they make shows and so on. If you have time, don't miss to take a walk by the Gold Coast, specially Astor Street. You will love it! (It's close to the John Hancock Tower)
And finally, go to the area known as Lincoln Park-De Paul, there are a lot of pubs and bars there, specially on Halsted Av.
I wish you have a very nice time in Chicago
A final tip: at the John Hancock Observation Deck, there are two very special photo spots that you will have to discover but I promise that you will enjoy them, because you will get funny photos there. Discover them! Bye, bye

You don't need a lot of money to enjoy Chicago. Maybe you could take a train downtown. If you drive you will have to pay to park. Try the Monroe Street parking garage. The Art Institute is free on Tuesday and open evening hours then I think. It's on Michigan Ave. where there are lots of upscale shopping places, fun to browse. Or go a block more to Lake Shore Drive where you can walk or bike along Lake Michigan. On Adams Street near the Art Institute is Russian Tea Time, a neat restaurant good for meals, appetizers or just dessert and tea. Make reservations. Visit the Lincoln Park neighborhood for the zoo, botanical gardens, funky shops. The Wrigley Field (Cubs ballpark) area is interesting. Take a bus tour from Michigan Ave. to view various sites or in good weather a boat tour. Neither is too expensive. People are friendly and will advise you if you ask. You will like the city any time of year. For a resaonably priced meal you might try Greektown - lots of Greek restaurants. I like The Greek Islands or the Parthenon. There's a Hot Tix booth (it might be on State Street?) where you can buy tickets for shows not sold out on that particular day. Enjoy!

I live near the Schaumburg Marriott and its about a 40 minute drive downton except during rush hours. You can drive to nearby train stations but ask your hotel if they have any services. The hotel is next to Woodfield Mall which is one of the worlds largest if you like shopping. Tons of restaurants in the area. I would also recommend Navy Pier on Illinois at the lake. It has an IMAX Theater, indoor roller blading, shops, restaurants, outdoor ice skating and more. Between the wind and the humidity, the temp may not be cold but it sure feels cold. Layer up! Michigan Avenue is known for its shops, fun to browse (no cost) and lots of cool specialty shops. Go to the City of Chicago web page, it has a map with all local points of interest. Lots of tours, architectural and historical. The city keeps late hours, lots of stuff happening all the time; just be sure you know how you are going to get back home (suburbs) since trains and services taper off at night and you don't want to be stuck downtown.

If you want to go to Casino's they are in nearby Elgin (30 mins); Long Grove is a historic village to the north (20 mins); and the Fox River (30 mins) has riverboats and restaurants.

Hope you have a good time