164 Best Sights in Chicago, Illinois

This gem (known until 2023 as the Oriental Institute) began with artifacts collected by University of Chicago archaeologists in the early 20th century (one is rumored to have been the model for Indiana Jones) and has expanded into an interesting, informative museum with a jaw-dropping array of artifacts from the ancient Middle East. With the largest collection of such antiquities in the United States, you'll see amulets, mummies, limestone reliefs, gold jewelry, ivories, pottery, and bronzes from the 8th millennium BC through the 13th century AD. A 17-foot-tall statue of King Tut was excavated from the ruins of a temple in western Thebes in 1930.

Intuit showcases work from creators outside the artistic mainstream, many of whom used whatever supplies they had at their disposal to realize their vision. Collectively it’s a testament to the force of the creative impulse, no matter one’s background. Temporary exhibitions change throughout the year, but the heart of the museum is its exhibition about the internationally renowned artist Henry Darger, featuring a selection of artwork and anchored by a recreation of the artist’s cramped one-room apartment with his actual ephemera---think volumes of scrapbooks, balls of twine, pencil stubs, and paint pots—along with digital elements that explore the art, writings, methods and motivations of this mystery-shrouded artist.

When he designed this house in 1896, Frank Lloyd Wright was still moving toward the mature Prairie style achieved in the Robie House 13 years later. As was common with Wright's designs, Heller House is entered from the side. But rather than being long and low, this one has three floors, the uppermost one of which comes complete with pillars and sculptured nymphs. The building is not open to the public.

This Hyde Park gem was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (co-designer of New York City's Central Park) for the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. It has lagoons, a Japanese garden (named Osaka Garden, for Chicago's sister city) with authentic Japanese statuary, and the Wooded Island, a nature retreat with wildlife and 300 species of birds. There's also a sculpture by Yoko Ono, as well as nearly 200 cherry blossoms trees that explode into bloom in spring. Its 63rd Street Beach is a popular summer destination.

An opulent "hasheesh-dream decor" of Buddhas and elephant-type chairs made the erstwhile Oriental Theatre a popular spot for viewing first-run movies starting in 1926. Though listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, the building continued to crumble for some time after. In 1998 it was restored to its past splendor and since then has had a second life as a home to Broadway shows; it was rechristened for the late patriarch of the Nederlander family of theater producers in 2019.

Adults are hard-pressed to get youngsters to leave the 17 hands-on exhibits at this Glenview museum. Here toddlers to eight-year-olds can learn about solar power or how sounds make music. They can slip on a white jacket and be pretend doctors in a baby nursery or vets in an animal hospital. Kids can also get into home construction in Hands on House, learn to change a tire, or paint their faces and don costumes. There's also a spot to put on raincoats and play in the water. When weather permits, the two-acre Habitat Park, just outside, is a great place for bug hunting, wall painting, and wandering through a grass maze.

The house where author L. Frank Baum dreamed up The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has been replaced by an affordable housing complex. But Baum's connection to the corner lot hasn't been forgotten; in 2019, the current building's developer paved the sidewalks with yellow brick, and installed a colorful mosaic depicting Dorothy and the gang beneath the author's famous words, "There's no place like home."

The tranquility and abundant greenery inside this 1892 conservatory offer a refreshing respite in the heart of a bustling neighborhood. Stroll through permanent displays in the Palm House, Fern Room, and Orchid House, or catch special events like the fragrant Spring Flower Show. Free, timed reservations—available on the conservatory's website—are required.

Long known for its Teutonic heritage, Lincoln Square is home to two annual German gatherings—Maifest in late May and German-American Fest in September—both featuring plenty of beer, brats, pretzels, and folks clad in dirndl and lederhosen. Thursday evenings in summer bring free concerts and a farmers' market. Bars and restaurants line Lincoln Avenue between Montrose and Lawrence; shopping is a draw, too. Many credit Lincoln Square's renaissance to the relocation of the Old Town School of Folk Music, which moved to a long-vacant art deco building at  4544 North Lincoln Avenue in 1998. Each July, it sponsors the Square Roots festival. But those longing for a taste of Lincoln Square's ethnic roots shouldn't entirely despair—spots like Himmel's and the Hansa Clipper are still heralding their heritage through lager and schnitzel. Also still here is the 1922 Krause Music Store building ( 4611 North Lincoln Avenue), with its ornate green terra-cotta facade; it was the last work commissioned by architect Louis Sullivan.

The park that gives Logan Square its name can look a little worse for the wear---the colossal eagle-topped column at its center has seen its fair share of graffiti tagging---but that doesn’t stop locals from setting up shop for the afternoon with a book and a portable hammock. An old-world Norwegian church and restaurants with busy sidewalk patios fringe the square (really more of an oval), imparting a cosmopolitan vibe. Wide, rambling Kedzie and Logan Boulevards---two of the neighborhood’s loveliest assets---radiate outward from the park; pick out your dream mansion on a postprandial stroll.

The love of geometric ornamentation that Sullivan eventually brought to such projects as the Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co. building (now the Sullivan Center) is already visible in these row houses, built in 1885. The terra-cotta cornices and decorative window tops are especially beautiful.

Samuel Insull, partner of Thomas Edison and founder of Commonwealth Edison, built this mansion as a country home in 1916. After Insull lost his fortune, John Cuneo Sr., the printing-press magnate, bought the estate and fashioned it to suit his own taste. The skylighted great hall in the main house resembles the open central courtyard of an Italian palazzo, the private family chapel has stained-glass windows, and a gilded grand piano graces the ballroom.

This neoclassical building, designed by Daniel Burnham, opened in 1907 as one of the world's earliest department stores, Marshall Field's. Macy's acquired the chain in 2005 and changed the store's name. An uproar ensued, and many Chicagoans still refer to the flagship as Marshall Field's. A visit is as much an architectural experience as a retail one. The building has distinct courtyards (one resembling an Italian palazzo), a striking Tiffany dome of mosaic glass, a calming fountain, and gilded pillars. Its green clock at the State and Randolph entrance is a Chicago landmark. For lunch, try the Walnut Room, and make sure to sample Frango mints—the store's specialty, they were once made on the 13th floor.

Named after former Mayor Richard M. Daley's late wife, this park offers a place to play between Lake Michigan and the city's skyline. Opened in late 2014, it includes 40-foot-high rock-climbing sculptures, an Enchanted Forest with a kaleidoscope and mirrored maze, a Slide Crater, a Wave Lawn, and an area strictly for toddlers. A skating ribbon winds around the park, with ice skates available to rent in the winter months, and rollerblades and scooters in the summer.

Likened to everything from corncobs to the spires of Antonio Gaudí's Sagrada Família in Barcelona, these twin towers were a bold departure from the severity of the International Style, which began to dominate high-rise architecture beginning in the 1950s. Designed by Bertrand Goldberg and completed in 1968, they contain condominiums (all pie-shaped, with curving balconies); the bottom 19 stories of each tower are given over to exposed spiral parking garages. The complex is also home to six restaurants, including the House of Blues, plus Hotel Chicago, a huge bowling alley, and the marina.

Like a slipcover over a sofa, the clean, geometric facade of this 1895 building expresses what lies beneath: in this case, a structural steel frame. Sure, the base is marked with roughly cut stone and a fancy cornice crowns the top, but the bulk of the Marquette Building mirrors the cage around which it is built. Inside is another story. The intimate lobby is a jewel box of a space, where a single Doric column stands surrounded by a Tiffany glass mosaic depicting the exploits of French Jesuit missionary Jacques Marquette, an early explorer of Illinois and the Upper Midwest. From its steel skeleton to the terra-cotta ornamentation, this Holabird & Roche structure is a clear example of the Chicago style.

This massive art deco building takes up nearly two square blocks and was the world's largest building when it opened in 1930. These days the neighborhood landmark is known as ground zero for home-design shopping, with the first floor given over to LuxeHome, a vast collection of high-end kitchen, bath, and building showrooms open to the public. The upper floors are lined with trade-only showrooms.

This legendary outdoor bazaar, which operates every last Sunday of the month from May to October, is part of Chicago's cultural landscape. Relocated by the city amid much controversy in the 1990s as the University of Illinois at Chicago's campus expanded, the market returned to its original location in 2024 and remains a popular spot, particularly for Latino immigrants, to buy and sell wares year-round. The finds aren't so fabulous, but the atmosphere sure is fun, with live blues and stalls peddling Mexican street food.

Located in the southwest tower of the DuSable (Michigan Avenue Bridge), this engaging museum provides a glimpse into the complicated history of the Chicago River System and its movable bridges---and has some great city views, too. The Chicago River has undergone an incredible transformation over the past 40 years, from a polluted waterway to a thriving, living river full of wildlife. On lift days visitors can see the gears that still raise the bridge put to work. This is the only bridge house in Chicago that is open to the public. See the website for a lift schedule; reservations are recommended on lift days.

Founded in 1977, the Mitchell Museum houses more than 10,000 Native American artifacts from the Paleo-Indian period through modern times. Permanent exhibits focus on tribes in the Plains, Southwest, Northwest Coast, Woodlands, and Arctic areas. Guided tours, lectures, and kids' craft mornings (weekends only) are a regular part of the programming here.

Built in two segments a few years apart, the Monadnock captures the turning point in high-rise construction. Its northern half, designed in 1891 by Burnham & Root, was erected with traditional load-bearing masonry walls (6 feet deep at the base). In 1893 Holabird & Roche designed its southern half, which rose around the soon-to-be-common steel skeleton. The building's stone-and-brick exterior, shockingly unornamented for its time, led one critic to liken it to a chimney. The lobby is equally spartan; lined on either side with windowed shops, it's essentially a corridor, but one well worth traveling. Walk it from end to end and you'll feel as if you're stepping back in time.

At this 1,700-acre outdoor oasis, you can hike some of the 16 miles of manicured trails, or drive or bike (bring your own) along 9 miles of paved roads bordered by trees, shrubs, and vines. Every season is magnificent: spring's flowering trees, summer's canopy-covered trails, fall's dazzling foliage, and winter's serene beauty. Snowshoe and cross-country ski rentals are available. If you have kids, check out the award-winning 4-acre Children's Garden, which is stroller- (as well as wheelchair-) friendly. A 1-acre maze garden will delight as you wind your way to the lookout platform.

"Contemporary" is generally defined here as work made in the past two or three decades. Curators constantly seek out new talent and underappreciated established photographers, which means that there are artists here you probably won't see elsewhere. Rotating exhibits have included explorations of infrastructure, crime, and American identity.

No matter the season, Navy Pier is a fun place to spend a few hours, especially with kids in tow. Opened in 1916 as a commercial-shipping pier and part of Daniel Burnham's Master Plan of Chicago, it stretches more than a half a mile into Lake Michigan. Redesigned and reopened in 1995, Navy Pier underwent another major transformation for its 100th anniversary in 2016, which included the opening of the Polk Bros Park, the Fifth Third Bank Family Pavilion, and the Peoples Energy Welcome Pavilion. Other popular activities and venues on the pier include tour boats and cruises, the Centennial Wheel, the Chicago Children's Museum, and the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre.

This 1989 limestone-and-granite edifice by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill looks back to the art deco days without becoming a victim of fashion's past. Four floors of the 38-story tower are dedicated to a radio and television broadcasting facility.

Modeled after the one in Beijing's Beihai Park, this wall is graced by nine large and 500 smaller dragons, all signifying good fortune.

The beautiful people strut their stuff at this lakefront strand. The ocean steamer-shaped beachhouse, which received an overdue glow up in 2024, has concession stands, a restaurant, cabana rentals, and upper decks for surveying the skyline. There are over 50 volleyball courts (rented by the hour), kayak and Jet Ski rentals, and lots of sand. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards (late May--early Sept.); parking (fee); toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; sunrise; swimming; walking.

Part of the Museum Campus, Northerly Island is a man-made peninsula in Lake Michigan. It's home to the Adler Planetarium as well as a 40-acre park, with walking and biking trails and the 12th Street Beach.

Erected in 1929, this triangular, 12-story art deco office building is the anchor of the North-Milwaukee–Damen intersection and is used as a reference point from miles around. According to the Chicago Tribune, some artists dubbed it the Coyote Building in the 1980s, because they thought that the base attaching the flagpole to the rest of the tower "resembled a coyote howling at the moon." The tower has a café on the ground floor, a hotel (The Robey Chicago), a rooftop lounge, and a club.

This private university, founded in 1851 by town namesake John Evans, puts Evanston on the map. Its sprawling Evanston campus hugs Lake Michigan. Strolling around its ivy-covered walls while listening to the crashing waves hitting the shore is a delightful experience. The campus is home to highly regarded undergraduate and graduate schools (the Medill School of Journalism and Kellogg School of Management among them) as well as the Block Museum of Art, which has more than 6,000 works in its permanent collection. Northwestern's Big Ten athletics program draws a mix of students and locals to games, especially when the Wildcats football team play.