Location: Chicago
Top Things to do in Chicago
The 10 Best Things to Do in Chicago, United States
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. The Art Institute of Chicago
Overall Ratings
5 based on 20 reviews
See why the Art Institute of Chicago is the only museum in the world to be top-ranked by TripAdvisor four years in a row! Experience the greatest Impressionist collection outside Paris, and view contemporary masterpieces in the spectacular Modern Wing. Stand before classics like Nighthawks, and travel the globe through galleries devoted to the art of ancient Greece, Japan, Africa, and the Americas.
Reviewed By Rocket_Man0691 - Phoenix, Arizona
Nice museum....something for everybody. It is a little sprawling and chopped up but with patience you can find your way. Several things we wanted to see were on loan e.g., American Gothic... so if you want something specific, ask before shelling out the admission
2. Millennium Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 20 reviews
Three square blocks of open lakefront complete with a Ferris Wheel, outdoor music pavillion and ice skating rink; expected to become one of the city's most popular sites.
Reviewed By cej0hns0n - Chicago, Illinois
Even in the middle of a spring snowfall (with Cloud Gate dropping clumps of snow) this park is just so beautiful. Nicer when it's blooming season (and kids are playing in the fountain), but still very pretty today.
3. Cloud Gate
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 14 reviews
Reviewed By lilmooshuny - New York City, New York
Went there twice and it was packed both days. So many angles to take pictures of. Would wait for a blue sky day so the reflection off the bean will show up more. Wished I could have gone at sunset. The reflections would have been gorgeous.
4. The Magnificent Mile
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 13 reviews
Chicago's 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 2beans2000 - San Diego, California
The best shopping ever, along broad sidewalks lined with beautiful flowers and well landscaped areas.
Stores of every kind, with store-windows that are both fun to enjoy while walking and also design delights as one walks along this city filled with art and architecture that interfaces with the public spaces.
I just love walking down Michigan Avenue and taking in the stores of fun, frolic, clothes, sound, devices, food, and more fun!!
Chicago is such a great and grand city!!
Enjoy!
5. Skydeck Chicago - Willis Tower
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 14 reviews
No trip to Chicago is complete without a visit to the top of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and The Ledge at Skydeck Chicago! Treat yourself to a "one stop Chicago" experience on your journey to the 103rd floor. Enjoy 360-degree views spanning up to 50 miles and 4 states and our most spectacular view - 1,353 feet straight down! "Dare to Stand Out" on The Ledge - glass balconies extending 4.3 Feet outside the building provide a thrilling, once in a lifetime experience!
Reviewed By Hikestick - Ferndale, Washington
Great 360 views of all downtown Chicago. The line at 1:30 was 3 hrs. We came back at 6:30PM with City Pass and got to the elevator in 30 minutes. Still a couple hundred people jamming access to the glass sky boxes on the side facing away from lake. Reflections on windows are a problem to picture taking of views. Gift shops both up on tower and down. The line in the lobby is just the start. About 4 times more hidden on other levels. Not as bad as at Empire State building but still be prepared for long waits at peak times.
6. Chicago Skyline
Overall Ratings
5 based on 197 reviews
Reviewed By andyh67186334 - Coalville, United Kingdom
I visited two aspects of the Chicago skyline. The first from Oak Street Beach and the second near the Planetarium. On both occasions, I visited at sunrise and there were nom people around.
7. Lookingglass Theatre Company
Overall Ratings
5 based on 357 reviews
The Lookingglass Theatre Company seeks to redefine the limits of theatrical experience and to make theatre exhilarating, inspirational, and accessible to all.Through theatre, which invites, even demands, interaction with its audience, the company's goal is to fire the imagination with love, to celebrate the human capacity to taste and smell, weep and laugh, create and destroy, and wake up where we first fell --- changed, charged and empowered.
Reviewed By Sanjay M
On a brief trip to Chicago, sought out Lookingglass Theatre because of previous wonderful experience (Arabian Nights). Love the book, which I had never seen performed, and was not only satisfied, but wonderfully entertained! Wonderful, mostly young actors (and a few solid veterans!) who gave it their all, including some from a local Circus school who impressively and athletically brought the story's circus atmosphere to the small stage ! A lovely evening's entertainment - love supporting this artistic gem !
8. Symphony Center - Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Overall Ratings
5 based on 687 reviews
Reviewed By WorldTraveler8000 - Chicago, Illinois
If your hometown doesn't have a major orchestra, catching a CSO performance while you're in Chicago is a treat. The world-renown orchestra and conductor(s) combined with the magnificent Symphony Center make for a memorable experience that nourishes the soul.
9. American Writers Museum
Overall Ratings
5 based on 120 reviews
Visit the American Writers Museum today! Through innovative and dynamic state-of-the-art exhibitions, as well as compelling programming, the American Writers Museum educates, enriches, provokes, and inspires visitors of all ages. Special exhibits FREE with paid admission; Capturing Stories: Photographs of Writers by Art Shay, and Laura Ingalls Wilder: From Prairie to Page.
Reviewed By melwender - Baltimore, Maryland
The museum is engaging as well as informative. The use of multimedia allows for a hands on experience. Definitely worth visiting!
10. Richard H. Driehaus Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1 reviews
Take a step back in time to the Gilded Age with banker Samuel Nickerson's mansion. Explore all three floors of the museum and discover how the Nickerson family lived and socialized. Tours are an extra $5, but well worth it.
Reviewed By wkdsdenn - Chicago, Illinois
Gilded Age mansion completely restored and furnished. Came for last year's French Posters exhibit. Didn't realize that the space itself was going to be the real draw! Check times before arriving to sync with guided tours. Recommended, but not required as very detailed, well placed plaques throughout. Step back in time while strolling through this stunning private home turned museum.
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