Chicago attractions

Located within Chicago's iconic Marina City building complex, House of Blues—a combination restaurant, bar, and concert hall—has been a major Windy City entertainment destination for tourists and music lovers since its opening in 1996. Co-founded by Blues Brothers star Dan Aykroyd, the venue hosts music and comedy events most nights of the week. Its central location makes it easy to fit into a full day out in Chicago.

Wrigleyville is a sporty Chicago neighborhood located on the city’s North Side, which is centered around the iconic Wrigley Field (home of the Chicago Cubs). However, this lively enclave offers more than just baseball. Whether it’s a game day or an average weekday, dozens of sports bars, pizzerias, and casual eateries draw Cubs fans and thirsty locals alike looking for a fun night out.

At Flyover in Chicago, you can see the best of the Windy City without leaving Navy Pier during an immersive multimedia experience. This 9-minute ride uses sky-high video footage to create the illusion of soaring above the city’s downtown and most famous sights, including Willis Tower, the Chicago River, and Millennium Park. Flyover also offers other experiences that take you virtually to locations around the globe, with destinations typically changing throughout the year.

LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Chicago is the ultimate building toy box, featuring millions of LEGO® pieces, indoor rides, virtual reality experiences, a 4D theater, meet and greets with LEGO characters, and a Master Model Builder Workshop®. Designed for families with kids between the ages of 3 and 10, this indoor play space features themed areas and hands-on activities to entertain, challenge, and foster the imagination of young builders.

Chicago established the 550-acre (220-hectare) Jackson Park in celebration of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, and today the popular green space continues to be one of the city’s premier parks. It features a golf course, sports fields, the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, scenic nature trails, a Lake Michigan beach, and more. The Chicago Lakefront Trail runs through the park, making it a great biking and jogging destination.

The largest lake in the world that sits within a single country’s borders, Lake Michigan is most often associated with the city of Chicago, which occupies 26 miles (41.8 kilometers) of its shoreline, including dozens of beaches and several marinas housing thousands of boats. Activities along the shoreline include something for everyone, from kayaking or sailing to sightseeing cruises, biking along the lakefront path, and relaxing in one of the many parks.

This historic South Side neighborhood was once one of the city’s most illustrious addresses and home to tycoons like George Pullman and Marshall Field. Today, only a handful of original mansions remain on “Millionaires Row,” but the district is preserved on the National Register of Historic Places as a tribute to Chicago’s Gilded Age grandeur. Its historic mansions—some open to the public—are a must–see for architecture buffs.

Take a walk through automobile history at the Volo Auto Museum, where classic cars and a self-playing orchestra bring the past to life. Marvel at muscle cars on the way to the pop culture exhibits, and don’t miss the country’s largest collection of original Hollywood movie and TV cars.

Among the country's most esteemed comedy and improv clubs, The Second City has been a Chicago institution since 1959. Famous alumni range from Bill Murray and John Candy to Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Stephen Colbert. The Second City hosts performances across multiple stages and studio theaters housed within its Old Town headquarters, so there's plenty to choose from—from stand-up sets to improv troupes and sketch comedy performances.

Lincoln Park Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in the United States, is famously free and open to the public 365 days a year, and is a Chicago highlight for visitors of all ages. Come to marvel at almost 200 different species of animals from around the globe, plus participate in daily educational activities, ride the train and carousel, and admire the city skyline.

Experience entertainment fit for a king at Medieval Times in Chicago. The soaring watchtowers of the Schaumberg Castle house a rousing dinner and action-packed jousting tournament featuring sword fighting, horsemanship, and falconry. Visit the Hall of Arms, meet the horses and falcons, join the noble ranks in a knighting ceremony, and cheer for your favorite warriors while devouring a medieval-style feast.

In the heart of Chicago’s Lincoln Park stands the Lincoln Monument, a towering 12-foot bronze statue of the 16th US president, Abraham Lincoln. Designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, the monument was unveiled in 1887, predating the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC by 35 years. Today, you can gaze up at the stately figure while enjoying a picnic or a stroll through the park.

Founded back in 1831, the First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple is known as the oldest church in Chicago. After scrambling to find a permanent building for its services, the congregation moved into the Gothic spire of a custom-designed downtown skyscraper in the early 1920s. There, it earned an even more impressive superlative: world’s highest church. A century later, Chicago Temple still attracts a steady flow of worshippers and curious visitors.

Leave the kids at home for this one, folks. Chicago’s Medieval Torture Museum is a garish, gory look at implements and devices of cruelty from days of yore. From one-off murderers and madmen, from the eccentric to the government-sanctioned, the exhibits often leave visitors feeling many things—including gratitude for living in the 21st century.

Downtown Chicago has many architectural highlights, but few quite rival the Merchandise Mart (The Mart). Nearly a century old, the building was the world’s largest at the time of its construction; it spans some 4 million square feet (372,000 square meters). Today, the art deco landmark is an important design center, and stands proud along the Chicago River.

Famous as the home of both the University of Chicago and (formerly) Barack Obama, Hyde Park was an early Chicago suburb that remains one of the city's foremost academic addresses. Spanning several parks plus the Lake Michigan shoreline, the neighborhood is a great place to get outdoors and take in fantastic views of the Chicago skyline. The area also boasts the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, DuSable Black History Museum, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s UNESCO-listed Robie House.

Widely regarded as the birthplace of Chicago deep-dish pizza, Pizzeria Uno is one of the Windy City’s most famous food stops. Though it has spawned nationally franchised locations under the Uno Pizzeria & Grill name, the original Pizzeria Uno—founded by Ike Sewell in 1943—still stands at the corner of East Ohio Street and North Wabash Avenue in downtown Chicago. This legendary local landmark wears its 1940s pressed-tin ceiling, tiled floor, and long wooden bar with style.

For a contemporary magic show, head to Trickery, an hour-long experience with audience participation. Join Aaron and Hoppy the Psychic Wonder Bunny as they delight guests with comedy and sleight-of-hand tricks that will keep you guessing the entire time. The show is geared toward adults, but enjoyable for young magic fans too.

The Chicago Architecture Center is the place to start if you want to understand why Chicago is so renowned for its architecture. The riverfront museum combines detailed city models and exhibitions with guided tours that take you inside and past some of the city’s most important structures. It’s especially worthwhile if you plan to explore downtown Chicago afterward, since many of the buildings discussed here are within walking distance.

One of the most notable features along the Chicago River, the Nicholas J. Melas Centennial Fountain was built to commemorate the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Chicago, whose engineers famously reversed the flow of the Chicago River in 1900. Featuring a modernist, cascading waterfall and an hourly jet of water, it’s a summertime sightseeing staple of the Windy City.

Founded in 1988 by graduates of Northwestern University, the award-winning Lookingglass Theatre Company is known for putting on cutting-edge works that sometimes incorporate circus acts. Located in the historic Water Tower Water Works, the company has staged more than 65 world premieres.

The Chinese American Museum of Chicago (CAMOC) is situated in the heart of Chinatown, and is the first museum of its kind in the Midwest. Small but well-curated, visitors can learn about the Chinese American experience and contributions to society, including things like Chinese cuisine, the evolution of Chicago’s Chinatown, and darker periods in US history like the Chinese Exclusion Act.