Location: Chicago
Top Things to do in Chicago
Countries
10 Free Things to do in Chicago That You Shouldn't Miss
The windy city is a cornucopia of modern art, fine dining, cutting edge comedy, and die-hard sports fans. Snap a photo of your reflection in the silver Cloud Gate sculpture at Millennium Park before heading to Grant Park to get hit with the refreshing spray of Buckingham Fountain. There are dozens of museums and theater companies in Chicago, so a cultural experience is never hard to find. You’re sure to laugh your head off at the Second City Theater, the professional launch pad of many famous comedians.
Restaurants in Chicago
1. Chicago Skyline
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 687 reviews
Reviewed By AlexB10499 - Providence, United States
Not only is the Chicago skyline one of the most recognizable in the United States – it’s also frequently ranked as one of the most impressive. The tallest landmark, of course, is the Sears Tower, one of the nation’s tallest buildings at around 1,450 feet. Trump Tower is the city’s second-tallest building and has a distinctly modern look to it – as well as a great location on the Chicago River. A few good spots to view the skyline include Navy Pier, Grant Park, the Nature Boardwalk in Lincoln Park, some of the skyscraper observation decks, and even from the Chicago River and Lake Michigan, if you want to take a quick cruise. One other anecdote about the Chicago skyline: you can see it on the horizon across Lake Michigan from the Indiana Dunes National Park, more than 50 miles away. That’s how tall those buildings are.
2. Chicago Cultural Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,992 reviews
The Chicago Cultural Center is the nation's first free municipal cultural center and one of the most visited attractions in Chicago. The stunning landmark building, opened in 1897 as the city's first public library, is home to two magnificent stained-glass domes, and annually presents hundreds of free cultural exhibits and performances. Admission is free.
Reviewed By pookala - Philadelphia, United States
Aside from being a beautiful building filled with finely executed mosaic work, a lovely marble staircase and an always interesting array of changing exhibits; the Cultural Center also has a free weekly recital under the largest Tiffany glass dome in the world. The 45 minute Wednesday concerts take place in the Preston Bradley Hall at 12:15 pm. Be sure to get there early (20-30 minutes) if you want to sit up front. The space fills up quickly. If you have nothing planned afterwards go to the Randolph St entrance after the concert and go on a tour of the building. Space is limited for this tour and they start at 1:15 pm daily. Check out their calendar of events before planning your Chicago itinerary to take advantage of this excellent cultural institution.
3. Michigan Avenue Bridge
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 969 reviews
The view from the bridge is one of the best vistas the city has to offer.
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
The Michigan Avenue Bridge, which was renamed the Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable Bridge in 2010 in honor of the Founder of Chicago and the city's first permanent non-Indigenous settler, is a bascule bridge that carries Michigan Avenue across the Chicago River in downtown Chicago. Opened in 1920, it provides passage for vehicles and pedestrians on two levels and carries more traffic per day than any other bridge in Chicago. The location is significant in the early history of Chicago, connecting on the north side near the 1780s homesite of Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable and on the south the early 19th century site of Fort Dearborn. Officially, it is a double-leaf, double-deck, fixed counterweight, trunnion bascule bridge, the first of its type ever constructed. The steel structure can carry about 30,000 people daily. The southwest bridgehouse has been converted into a museum, the five-floor, 1,613-square-foot McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum, with its entrance off the Chicago Riverwalk. It includes exhibits on the history of the Chicago River and the bridge. Visitors are allowed to access the bridge's gear room in the spring and fall to see the bridge's lifting gears in operation. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and designated a Chicago Landmark in 1991.
4. Tribune Tower
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 626 reviews
The neo-gothic tower's signature is the exterior collection of stones from other famous edifices, like the Parthenon, St. Peter's Basilica, Notre Dame, the White House and most recently, the Berlin Wall.
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
As a retired newspaperman who worked for the competitor across the street for more than 30 years, I can't get over the fact that the publishing, editorial and advertising offices of the Chicago Tribune no longer are housed in iconic Tribune Tower. It's like taking Mickey Mouse out of Disneyland or Babe Ruth out of Yankee Stadium. Located at 435 North Michigan Avenue, the 470-foot-tall, 36-floor neo-Gothic skyscraper was built between 1923 and 1925. The tower features carved images of Robin Hood and a howling dog near the main entrance to commemorate the architects John Mead Howells and Raymond Hood and the top of the tower is designed after the Tour de beurre of the Rouen Cathedral in France. While it has been recognized for its classic architecture and has earned a reputation as the most beautiful and distinctive office building in the world, it is most noted for the rocks and bricks that Tribune correspondents brought back from a variety of historically important sites throughout the world at the request of then Tribune publisher Colonel Robert McCormick to be incorporated into the lowest levels of the building. In all, there are 149 fragments in the building, including a piece of steel recovered from the World Trade Center and a rock from the Moon. In addition, there are stones from the Taj Mahal, the Parthenon, Hagia Sophia, Corregidor, Westminster, the Alamo, the Great Pyramid, Notre Dame de Paris, Abraham Lincoln's tomb, the Great Wall of China and Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Today, Tribune Tower is being converted into condominiums with work expected to be completed by 2020.
5. National Museum of Mexican Art
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 237 reviews
Enjoy one of the country's largest collections of Mexican art and culture, including a vibrant textile collection including indigenous outfits and weavings, folk art including masks and Día de los Muertos artifacts and ephemera documenting the Chicano Movement. Open daily 10am-5pm, closed Mondays.
Reviewed By bettyc552
This museum is small but there is a lot to see. It is a great way to learn the Mexican heritage, culture and history. There are lots of artwork ranging from painting, sculptures, pictures and photos. We went in early November and they had amazing artworks for Dia de Los Muertos on display. The museum is free and there are donation boxes in the hallway. The gift shop is worth a visit. There are beautiful home decorations, toys and jewelry. They do not have a parking lot but there are plenty of street parking
6. Wrigley Building
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 303 reviews
This white, terra-cotta landmark was built in 1922 as headquarters for the Wrigley chewing gum company.
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
My wife and I have fond memories of the Wrigley Building. As a sportswriter for the Chicago Daily News in the 1970s, I once joined a platoon of other sportswriters that gathered at Philip Wrigley's top-floor office to learn about a reported Chicago Cubs trade. My wife worked in an office in the Wrigley Building for more than 20 years. I used to get monthly haircuts in the Wrigley Building's barber shop. We used to enjoy breakfasts, lunches and dinners at the old Press Club, which was headquartered in the Wrigley Building. And I cashed my weekly checks at the bank that once was housed on the first floor of the Wrigley Building's South Tower. Today, it remains a Chicago Landmark, an architectural beauty, one of the city's most distinguished buildings. Located at 410 North Michigan Avenue, on the Chicago River, at the head of the Magnificent Mile, the Wrigley Building was built from 1920 to 1924 to house the corporate headquarters of the Wrigley Company, which sold chewing gum and owned the Chicago Cubs. It was the first major office building north of the Chicago River and the city's first air-conditioned office building. The glazed terra cotta structure was designed by the architechural firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst & White using the shape of the Giralda tower of Seville's Cathedral combined with French Renaissance details. The 425-foot, 30-story South Tower was completed in April 1921 and the 21-story North Tower was completed in May 1924. Walkways between the towers were added at the ground level and the third floor. In 1931, another walkway was added at the 14th floor. A signature feature is the clock tower. Who hasn't walked across the Michigan Avenue Bridge or along the Chicago River and glanced up at the Wrigley Building's clock tower to check the time of day? Today, the bank is gone. So is the Press Club. And the barber shop. But the new owners, who purchased the building in 2011, have added a Walgreen's drug store, Giardelli chocolate shop, coffee shop, fitness center and a nursing room for mothers. At night, bathed in lights, the grace and elegance of the Wrigley Building is beholden to one and all.
7. The Magnificent Mile
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 15,639 reviews
The Magnificent Mile is one of the great avenues of the world and is at the center of all that makes Chicago an international destination. One of the top 10 hospitality, dining and retail destinations in the world, with endless shopping, international cuisine, top rated hotels, lively entertainment, majestic architecture and natural beauty at every turn, The Magnificent Mile offers visitors to Chicago a one-of-a-kind city experience. The Magnificent Mile is the 13-block stretch of North Michigan Avenue that runs from the banks of the Chicago River to the south, to Oak Street to the north. The Magnificent Mile district extends a full square mile from North Michigan Avenue. The Magnificent Mile is a spectacular showcase of style, flavor, entertainment and fun. With more than 460 stores, 275 restaurants, 60 hotels and unique entertainments and attractions packed and stacked along its length, The Magnificent Mile has an indulgence for every passion and every pocket.
Reviewed By christiano242
The Magnificent Mlle is certainly magnificent with the high end stores and other shops along with the historic and new architecture for which Chicago is so justly proud. Just walking along the Mile, one can hear languages from many countries. Each season the street is decorated with theme-based decorations. Along with shopping I enjoy people watching.
8. The Loop
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,238 reviews
Downtown section of Chicago defined by the loop of elevated train that encircles it.
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
As a native Chicagoan--I actually grew up in south suburban Blue Island but have lived in downtown Chicago since 1976--I have learned there is so much to love about the city. Who would want to live anywhere else? Visitors gravitate to the most popular tourist attractions such as Navy Pier, Millennium Park, the Magnificent Mile and Wrigley Field. But old-timers still cling to The Loop, where it all began, where Chicago began. Bounded by the Chicago River on the north and west, by Lake Michigan on the east and by Roosevelt Road on the south, encircled by the prominent elevated railway system (the "El") that gives The Loop its name, the area is the first of Chicago's 77 designated communities, the central business district of the city, the main section of downtown Chicago, the second largest commercial business district in North America. Once the site of Chicago's first homestead and the site of historic Fort Dearborn, which was built in 1803, The Loop contains the headquarters and regional offices of several global and national businesses, retail establishments, restaurants, hotels and theaters. It also is the site of some of the world's earliest and tallest skyscrapers and many notable landmarks. It is home to City Hall, the seat of Cook County, Chicago Board of Trade, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Grant Park, Millennium Park, Palmer House, Art Institute, Union Station, Thompson Center, Daley Center, Printer's Row, Chicago Theatre and Marshall Field's (now Macy's). Mostly destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, The Loop quickly was rebuilt to include such architectural wonders as the Rookery Building, Monadnock Building, Willis Tower and Aon Center. And don't forget the artwork and sculpture, including Buckingham Fountain, Picasso, Chagall, Miro, Calder and DuBuffet. There is so much to see, so many photo opportunities. And you haven't even left the heart of the city.
9. Oriental Institute Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 552 reviews
The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago is a leading research center for the ancient Middle East. The museum houses some 350,000 artifacts—around 5,000 of which are on display—excavated mainly by OI archaeologists. Founded in 1919, at a time when the Middle East was called the Orient, the OI has pioneered innovative excavations and comprehensive dictionary projects that chronicle ancient civilizations. The Oriental Institute Museum aims to understand, reveal, and protect ancient Middle Eastern civilizations.
Reviewed By 515rauld - Chicago, United States
An Oasis you can explore Hyde Park and Univ. Of Chicago close to downtown by Bus and yet a different world.
10. Lincoln Park Zoo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5,859 reviews
Established in 1868, this 35-acre, beautifully landscaped zoo is one of America's last free-admission zoos. The Great Ape House has one of the best assemblages of gorillas and chimpanzees in the world.
Reviewed By Susantoot62 - Munster, United States
The Lincoln Park zoo lights for Christmas are extremely beautiful. My family and I stroll through this magnificent park and saw the incredible display of beautiful Christmas lights. Some of the lights are actually in the shape of animals of course! There is ice carving also. You can stroll enjoying hot chocolate hot coffee and other refreshments. It is great for all ages! And guess what, it is free
