Things to do · Chicago · United States
20 best things to do in Chicago
20 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Chicago are Millennium Park and Cloud Gate, Art Institute of Chicago and Chicago Architecture Center river cruise. Of the 20 picks below, 9 are free, 8 work on a rainy day and 11 suit children. Allow about 4 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Millennium Park and Cloud Gate
- Free sights
- 9
- Good on a rainy day
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Time to see the highlights
- 4 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Millennium Park and Cloud Gate | The Loop | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Art Institute of Chicago | The Loop | 3–4 hours | Mid-priced |
| Chicago Architecture Center river cruise | Chicago River | About 75–90 minutes | Mid-priced |
| Willis Tower Skydeck | The Loop | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Field Museum | Museum Campus | 3–4 hours | Mid-priced |
| Shedd Aquarium | Museum Campus | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Wrigley Field | Wrigleyville | 3–4 hours for a game | Mid-priced |
| The Second City | Old Town | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| 360 Chicago observation deck | Streeterville | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Navy Pier | Streeterville | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Adler Planetarium | Museum Campus | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Museum of Science and Industry | Hyde Park | Half a day | Mid-priced |
| Lincoln Park Zoo | Lincoln Park | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Chicago Riverwalk | The Loop | 1–2 hours | Free |
| The 606 (Bloomingdale Trail) | Wicker Park and Bucktown | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Chicago Cultural Center | The Loop | 45 minutes | Free |
| Garfield Park Conservatory | East Garfield Park | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Frederick C. Robie House | Hyde Park | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| National Museum of Mexican Art | Pilsen | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Maggie Daley Park | The Loop | 1–2 hours | Free |
The 20 best things to do
Park · The Loop
1.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. Free concerts fill the pavilion lawn on summer evenings.
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
Museum · The Loop
2.Art Institute of Chicago
Guarded by two bronze lions on Michigan Avenue, the Art Institute is one of the great encyclopaedic museums of the US. Highlights include Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, Hopper's Nighthawks, Grant Wood's American Gothic, a deep Impressionist collection with several of Monet's Stacks of Wheat, Chagall's America Windows and the Thorne Miniature Rooms. Renzo Piano's Modern Wing holds 20th-century art.
Start with the Impressionists on the second floor before tour groups arrive, then take the Modern Wing's Nichols Bridgeway straight into Millennium Park.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Experience · Chicago River
3.Chicago Architecture Center river cruise
Chicago rebuilt itself after the Great Fire of 1871 and became the birthplace of the skyscraper, and the clearest way to read the skyline is from the river. The Chicago Architecture Center's docent-led cruise, departing from the Riverwalk at Michigan Avenue, passes dozens of buildings including the Wrigley Building, Tribune Tower, Marina City's corncob towers and the Merchandise Mart.
Sit on the open upper deck and bring a layer even in summer; it is several degrees cooler on the water.
- Time needed
- About 75–90 minutes
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Summer weekend and sunset sailings sell out; book a day or more ahead.
- Iconic
- Architecture
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
Viewpoint · The Loop
4.Willis Tower Skydeck
Completed in 1973 as the Sears Tower, the 110-storey Willis Tower was the world's tallest building for about 25 years. The Skydeck on the 103rd floor, roughly 412 metres up, looks across four states on clear days, and The Ledge, a set of glass boxes projecting from the facade, lets you stand with nothing but glass between you and Wacker Drive.
Check the visibility before buying; low cloud can hide the view completely, and a late-afternoon visit gives you daylight and sunset in one ticket.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Queues for The Ledge can be long in summer; timed tickets bought online shorten the wait.
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
Museum · Museum Campus
5.Field Museum
One of the world's major natural-history museums, the Field holds Sue, one of the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons ever found, a cast of the giant titanosaur Máximo in the main hall, a walk-through Egyptian tomb and the Evolving Planet fossil galleries. It shares the lakefront Museum Campus with the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium.
Arrive at opening and do the Field in the morning; the Shedd is a five-minute walk away for the afternoon.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
- Iconic
Aquarium · Museum Campus
6.Shedd Aquarium
Opened in 1930 in a Beaux-Arts building on the lake, the Shedd's highlights are the Caribbean Reef, a circular tank in the central rotunda, the Wild Reef shark exhibit, Amazon Rising and the Abbott Oceanarium, where beluga whales and Pacific white-sided dolphins swim in front of windows that look out onto Lake Michigan.
Walk the lakefront path from the Shedd to the Adler Planetarium afterwards for the classic skyline photo.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Buy timed tickets online; on summer weekends and school holidays the entry queue can stretch around the building.
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Landmark · Wrigleyville
7.Wrigley Field
Opened in 1914 and home of the Chicago Cubs since 1916, Wrigley Field is the second-oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball, known for its ivy-covered outfield walls, hand-operated scoreboard and rooftop bleachers on the neighbouring buildings. The season runs from about April to September, and ballpark tours run on many non-game days.
Day games are a Chicago tradition; take the Red Line to Addison, as driving and parking around the ballpark are difficult.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours for a game
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Weekend and rivalry games sell out; buy through the Cubs' official ticketing rather than street resellers.
- Iconic
- History
- Kids
Experience · Old Town
8.The Second City
The Second City has staged sketch and improvised comedy on Wells Street since 1959, and its alumni include Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell. Main-stage revues mix scripted sketches with improvisation, and a free improv set often follows the final show of the evening.
Stay after the late show for the improv set, where the cast tests new material from audience suggestions.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Weekend shows sell out; book a few days ahead.
- After dark
- Couples
- Iconic
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Viewpoint · Streeterville
1.360 Chicago observation deck
The observation deck on the 94th floor of 875 North Michigan Avenue, the tapering black tower long known as the John Hancock Center, looks straight up the lakefront over Oak Street Beach and the Gold Coast. TILT, an optional extra, tips you outward over Michigan Avenue in a glass panel.
Pick this over the Skydeck if you want lake and beach views; the Skydeck looks more over the city grid and the west.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- Couples
- After dark
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Waterfront · Streeterville
2.Navy Pier
Opened in 1916, the kilometre-long pier juts into Lake Michigan with the 60-metre Centennial Wheel, the Chicago Children's Museum, Chicago Shakespeare Theater and docks for lake cruises and speedboat rides. It is commercial and crowded in summer, but walking the pier is free and the view back to the skyline from the east end is one of the best in the city.
Walk to the far east end for skyline views and fewer people; summer fireworks over the lake are held on some evenings, so check the pier's calendar.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Kids
- Views
- After dark
- Free
Museum · Museum Campus
3.Adler Planetarium
America's first planetarium opened in 1930 at the end of the Museum Campus peninsula. Inside are dome shows, space exhibits and a collection of historic astronomical instruments; outside, the lakefront path in front of the building gives one of the widest skyline views in Chicago, especially at dusk.
Even if you skip the museum, walk out to the Adler around sunset for the view back across the harbour to downtown.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Views
- Rainy day
- Photo spot
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Museum · Hyde Park
4.Museum of Science and Industry
Housed in the Palace of Fine Arts from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, this is one of the largest science museums in the Americas. Highlights include U-505, a German submarine captured in 1944, a replica coal mine reached by a mine-shaft lift, the streamlined Pioneer Zephyr train and a huge model railroad running from Chicago to Seattle.
Allow at least half a day and pick two or three big exhibits; the Metra Electric to 55th–56th–57th Street is the easiest way there from downtown.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- The U-505 on-board tour and the coal mine need separate timed tickets that sell out on busy days; add them when you book entry.
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Zoo · Lincoln Park
5.Lincoln Park Zoo
Founded in 1868 and still free, Lincoln Park Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in North America. Gorillas and chimpanzees live in the Regenstein Center for African Apes, lions in the Pepper Family Wildlife Center, and small children love the Farm-in-the-Zoo. The Nature Boardwalk at South Pond, next to the zoo, frames a classic skyline view.
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
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Waterfront · The Loop
6.Chicago Riverwalk
The Riverwalk runs about 2 km along the south bank of the river's main branch, from the lakefront to Lake Street, with wine bars, floating wetland gardens, kayak rentals and the docks for architecture cruises and water taxis. It is the best place to see the river's moveable bascule bridges up close.
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
7.The 606 (Bloomingdale Trail)
This 4.3-km elevated trail on a former freight line links Wicker Park, Bucktown, Humboldt Park and Logan Square, with access ramps every few blocks. Locals use it for running and cycling, and it gives a view into the neighbourhoods' brick two-flats and back gardens that you don't get from street level.
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
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Architecture · The Loop
8.Chicago Cultural Center
Built in 1897 as the city's first central public library, the Cultural Center holds what is described as the world's largest Tiffany stained-glass dome in Preston Bradley Hall, a second glass dome by Healy and Millet, mosaic-lined staircases and free exhibitions and concerts. It sits directly across Michigan Avenue from Millennium Park.
Go up to Preston Bradley Hall on the third floor first; lunchtime concerts are often held under the dome.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
- History
Garden · East Garfield Park
9.Garfield Park Conservatory
Designed by landscape architect Jens Jensen and opened in 1908, this is one of the largest conservatories in the US, with a Fern Room laid out to evoke a prehistoric Illinois landscape, a palm house, a desert house and a children's garden. Entry is free with donations welcome, and its warm, humid glasshouses are a welcome escape from a Chicago winter.
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
Architecture · Hyde Park
10.Frederick C. Robie House
Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House, completed in 1910, is the defining example of his Prairie style, with long cantilevered roofs, narrow Roman brick and leaded art-glass windows. Guided tours by the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust show the restored interiors, and the house is part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing for Wright's 20th-century architecture.
Combine it with a walk through the University of Chicago quadrangles and Rockefeller Chapel, a few minutes away.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Tours have limited capacity; reserve a slot in advance.
- Architecture
- History
- Art
Museum · Pilsen
11.National Museum of Mexican Art
Founded in 1982 in Pilsen, this free museum has one of the largest collections of Mexican art in the US, from ancient Mesoamerican pieces to contemporary prints. Its Día de Muertos exhibition each autumn is one of the city's best-loved shows, and the streets around 16th and 18th streets are covered in murals.
Combine it with lunch on 18th Street and a look at the murals inside the 18th Street Pink Line station.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Park · The Loop
12.Maggie Daley Park
Linked to Millennium Park by Frank Gehry's BP Bridge, this park has a play garden with giant slides and climbing nets, rock-climbing walls and, in winter, a looping ice-skating ribbon instead of a conventional rink. The play garden is free; skating and the climbing walls are paid.
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
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Art Institute of Chicago, Field Museum, Adler Planetarium and Museum of Science and Industry |
| History | Art Institute of Chicago, Field Museum, Museum of Science and Industry and Wrigley Field |
| Views | Chicago Architecture Center river cruise, Willis Tower Skydeck, 360 Chicago observation deck and Navy Pier |
| Outdoors and nature | Millennium Park and Cloud Gate, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago Riverwalk and The 606 (Bloomingdale Trail) |
| Food and markets | Chicago Riverwalk |
| After dark | 360 Chicago observation deck, Navy Pier, Chicago Riverwalk and The Second City |
| With children | Millennium Park and Cloud Gate, Willis Tower Skydeck, Navy Pier and Field Museum |
| On a rainy day | Art Institute of Chicago, Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium |
What to book ahead
- Chicago Architecture Center river cruise: Summer weekend and sunset sailings sell out; book a day or more ahead.
- Willis Tower Skydeck: Queues for The Ledge can be long in summer; timed tickets bought online shorten the wait.
- Shedd Aquarium: Buy timed tickets online; on summer weekends and school holidays the entry queue can stretch around the building.
- Wrigley Field: Weekend and rivalry games sell out; buy through the Cubs' official ticketing rather than street resellers.
- The Second City: Weekend shows sell out; book a few days ahead.
- Museum of Science and Industry: The U-505 on-board tour and the coal mine need separate timed tickets that sell out on busy days; add them when you book entry.
- Frederick C. Robie House: Tours have limited capacity; reserve a slot in advance.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do 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.
+What can you do for free in Chicago?
Millennium Park and Cloud Gate, Navy Pier, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago Riverwalk and The 606 (Bloomingdale Trail). More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Chicago when it rains?
Head indoors to Art Institute of Chicago, Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium.
+What is there to do in Chicago at night?
360 Chicago observation deck, Navy Pier, Chicago Riverwalk and The Second City are best after dark.