Outdoors · Chicago · United States
6 best outdoor things to do in Chicago
Parks, viewpoints and open-air sights for the dry, bright days.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Chris Rycroft from Madison, Wisconsin, United States, CC BY 2.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Quick answer
Start with Millennium Park and Cloud Gate, Lincoln Park Zoo and Chicago Riverwalk. Together the 6 picks below take roughly 7–13 hours across 4 areas; 6 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 6
- Free entry
- 6
- Time to see them all
- 7–13 hours
- Areas
- The Loop, Lincoln Park and Wicker Park and Bucktown
Outdoors in Chicago
Park · The Loop
1.Millennium Park and Cloud Gate
See the Bean early in the morning before the crowds, then cross Gehry's winding BP Bridge to Maggie Daley Park.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Kids
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
Zoo · Lincoln Park
2.Lincoln Park Zoo
Zoo parking is limited and paid; take the 151 bus up from Michigan Avenue instead.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
.jpg){kind=link}
Waterfront · The Loop
3.Chicago Riverwalk
Look into the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum in the DuSable Bridge tower to see the gears that raise the bridge; it opens seasonally.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Couples
- After dark
- Food
- Outdoors
Park · Wicker Park and Bucktown
4.The 606 (Bloomingdale Trail)
Walk it from west to east and come down at Damen Avenue for coffee, lunch and the shops of Wicker Park.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Active
- Off the beaten path
Garden · East Garfield Park
5.Garfield Park Conservatory
Take the Green Line to Conservatory–Central Park Drive, which stops right next to the entrance.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
- Off the beaten path
Park · The Loop
6.Maggie Daley Park
Skate-rental queues are long on winter weekends; a weekday afternoon is much calmer.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Kids
- Free
- Outdoors
- Active
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| The Loop | Millennium Park and Cloud Gate, Chicago Riverwalk and Maggie Daley Park | 1–2 hours + 1–2 hours + 1–2 hours |
| Lincoln Park | Lincoln Park Zoo | 2–3 hours |
| Wicker Park and Bucktown | The 606 (Bloomingdale Trail) | 1–2 hours |
| East Garfield Park | Garfield Park Conservatory | 1–2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 6, 6 free. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Lincoln Park Zoo; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (The Loop): Millennium Park and Cloud Gate → Chicago Riverwalk → Maggie Daley Park, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Lincoln Park and Wicker Park and Bucktown): Lincoln Park Zoo → The 606 (Bloomingdale Trail), at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (East Garfield Park): Garfield Park Conservatory, at least 1 hour.
The best months to be outside
- September: highs of 24°C (75°F), about 9 rainy days, busy crowds. Often the best month: warm, sunny and less humid, with outdoor dining still going and summer crowds thinning.
- August: highs of 28°C (82°F), about 9 rainy days, very busy crowds. Warm and humid, with the lake at its warmest for swimming; hotel prices climb around major festival weekends.
- May: highs of 21°C (70°F), about 12 rainy days, busy crowds. Pleasant and green, with river cruises in full swing; the lake stays cold, so near-shore areas can feel cooler than inland.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- The Loop — Elevated L tracks, skyscraper canyons, Millennium Park and the State Street theatres
- River North — Galleries, steakhouses and late bars just north of the river
- Lincoln Park — Free zoo, lakefront park, Armitage Avenue boutiques and Halsted Street blues bars
- Wicker Park and Bucktown — Vintage shops, record stores, music venues and The 606 trail on the Blue Line
More of Chicago
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Chicago?
Millennium Park and Cloud Gate. Chicago's showpiece park holds Anish Kapoor's mirrored Cloud Gate sculpture (universally called the Bean), the Crown Fountain's two glass-block towers that show the faces of Chicagoans and spout water in summer, Frank Gehry's Jay Pritzker Pavilion and the Lurie Garden.
+Which of these are free in Chicago?
Millennium Park and Cloud Gate, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago Riverwalk, The 606 (Bloomingdale Trail), Garfield Park Conservatory and Maggie Daley Park.