Location: Chicago
Top Things to do in Chicago
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Things to do in Chicago, Illinois (IL): The Best Traveler Resources
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. Harold Washington Library Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 259 reviews
The library houses approximately two million books and is a wonderful example of Chicago's architecture.
Reviewed By annesR1323XJ - Dunlap, United States
On our recent trip into the city we decided to explore Harold Washington Library. It is a gorgeous library with huge owls hanging off the corners of the roof, watching you as you slip into the cool, quiet library. There is an amazing art installation of over 58,000 dog tags from the Vietnam War, showing the true impact of that terrible time in our history. Make your way to the 9th floor where you will find a nice little museum area telling about Harold Washington, a special collections area that always has art on display, and of course the beautiful Winter Garden!
2. Newberry Library
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 54 reviews
The Newberry is an independent research library concentrating in the humanities with an active educational and cultural presence in Chicago. Free and open to the public, it houses an extensive non-circulating collection of rare books, maps, music, manuscripts, and other printed material. The Newberry offers exhibits based on its outstanding collections, theatrical performances, lectures and discussions with today's leading humanists, seminars, and teacher programs. The Newberry welcomes researchers into the reading rooms who are at least 14 years old or in the ninth grade. Creating a reader account and requesting collection items takes just a few minutes.
Reviewed By nancylee54 - Dixon, United States
My first time to visit - excellent staff, very helpful. Great resources for research. Hope to stop in and continue with my research.
3. Chicago Public Library - Hall Branch
4. Pritzker Military Museum & Library
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 71 reviews
The Pritzker Military Museum & Library is located at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Monroe Street on floors two through four of the historic Monroe Building in Chicago's Loop. Situated across the street from Millennium Park (home to Cloud Gate and the Crown Fountain) and the Art Institute of Chicago, The Museum & Library is a unique institution – part military history and information center, part museum – open to the public with an extensive collection of books, artifacts and rotating exhibits covering many eras and branches of the military. Visitors can also participate in live television show recordings in the Museum & Library's state of the art broadcast center. The Museum & Library is a center where citizens and active duty military and veterans come together to learn from each other, about military history and the role of the Armed Forces in today’s society.
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
It has been said, by some reviewers, that the Pritzker Military Museum & Library in Chicago is more library than museum. And that might be true. But there is such a treasure trove of rare and interesting books, including a sizable collection relating to Winston Churchill, that it is worth a trip to spend time in the Rare Book Reading Room to catch up on history that dates to the 1600s and 1700s and 1800s that you can't find anywhere else. Located at 104 South Michigan Avenue, on the second floor, it was founded in 2003 for the study of "the citizen soldier as an essential element for the preservation of democracy." The collection features over 115,000 items, including more than 67,000 books, as well as periodicals, videos, artwork, posters and rare military ephemera, over 9,000 photographs and glass negatives from the American Civil War and the Spanish-American War to the present, letters and journals from American soldiers, newspaper cartoons by Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper artist Bill Mauldin, war-related sheet music and many materials relating to Churchill. Another fascinating exhibit are two World War II diaries donated to the museum by Chicagoan Sam Gevirtz, who served on the aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill during the invasion of Okinawa in 1945. If you are a historian, especially related to the Civil War and World War I and II, if you are interested in such subjects as Civil War regimental histories or military aviation or World War II unit histories, even Soviet history, the Pritzker beckons.
5. Chicago Cultural Center Welcome Center
6. Chicago Public Library Chinatown
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5 reviews
The new Chinatown branch of the Chicago Public Library is light-filled as well as full of books. It has an extensive collection of Asian language books. The children's part of library has educational toys as well as books. There are frequent programs for young children and school-age children. It is located close to the Chinatown el stop and to Chinatown restaurants and shopping.
7. Alliance Francaise en Chicago
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3 reviews
Reviewed By O6378WFannag - Park Ridge, United States
I recently signed up for French classes here. So far so good. I’m not disappointed. I am just confused by the class schedule- system-numbering... and this location doesn’t have its own parking but they validate parking tickets ( for $9)
8. Read/Write Library
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2 reviews
Read/Write Library is an independent experimental library and community information lab in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood and the only project of its kind in the world. Its collection of over 6,000 local historical & contemporary books, zines, art books, chapbooks & more showcases contributions from all over the city. Get immersed in local creativity & culture you won't find anywhere else.
9. Pullman National Monument Information Center
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 14 reviews
Reviewed By DiAlJo - Hockessin, United States
We visited this because of the National Park Service - Junior Ranger Program. What we found was a rich history of the entire Pullman experience. The visitor center has several displays and a movie. The Ranger was a great help telling us about area and where we should walk within the Historic Pullman area.
10. McCormick Place
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 488 reviews
Reviewed By jimr440 - Auchtermuchty, United Kingdom
I visited many times. Everything runs smoothly there is some decent (but expensive) food outlet. Bus services are very efficient
