Chicago Attractions
Things to do in Chicago
Chicago Attractions. Looking for something fun to do with your family? Want something kid friendly? Need to find a good park to play with your dog? Then look no further because HelloChicago.com has you covered. We've sought out the best attractions in Chicago and have detailed information about parks, museums, festivals, zoos and more.
Visit delightful Lambs Farm, complete with farmyard, bakery, country store and more, and you'll be helping people in need lead more meaningful lives.
The Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, located in Chicago's Ukrainian Village, is dedicated to the Eastern European experience and to giving foreign artists a chance to state their artistic autonomy.
This Northern League team has risen in tough economic times from the unlikely location of Zion, Illinois, where the street names are biblical and baseball is a blessing.
One of the city's most intriguing museums exhibits the best in Outsider Art.
City life can be grueling. Have you ever had the urge to get away from it all and plant yourself in the middle of a farm? Angelic Organics in Caledonia, Illinois, offers the opportunity for learning and serenity.
From the exposed brick walls and custom curtains to the lighting and large stage, Evanston's SPACE has easily become one of the best venues to hear live music in the Chicago area.
One of Chicago's most recognized landmarks, Clarke House Museum is the oldest surviving residential home in Chi-Town and annually draws thousands of visitors
In the Chicago suburb of Brookfield lies a forgotten pastime: the video game arcade. Those who grew up in the ‘80s remember quite fondly wasting bags of quarters on full-sized Donkey Kong and Pac Man games, and since everything retro is popular, the Galloping Ghost Arcade resurrects one of most essential childhood staples for new and old generations.
In Chicago, the North vs. South baseball rivalry dates back to the early 20th century when two different leagues formed on opposite ends of the city: The “Loveable Losers” Cubs on the North side in Wrigleyville, and the 2005 World Series champions The White Sox in the South side. Even though Chicagoans seem to prefer Wrigley stadium over U.S. Cellular Field, at least the Sox have won a World Series in the past 100 years.
Art house Chicago movie theaters thrive despite a downtown overrun with commercialized, glossy cinemas and outdated movie palaces from yesteryear.
The Swedish American Museum offers everything from art exhibits to musical performances, lectures, and children's events
Morseland's motto, "Good Eats, Nice Beats" best describes this low-key live music and food venue in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood.
In the past few years, Chicago has really grown as a food mecca, as witnessed with this year’s first ever Michelin star ratings. But some things in Chicago never change, like being known for hot dogs, deep dish pizza and diverse neighborhoods offering every kind of food under the sun. Chicago food tours enable tourists and locals to immerse themselves in Chicago’s food culture in a short span of time and also allow people to learn the history of the foods and neighborhoods.
The only accredited museum dedicated to Mexican, Latino and Chicano art, the National Museum of Mexican Art is one of Chicago's cultural touchstones.
Built over a 100 years ago in the Garfield Park area of Chicago resides the idyllic Garfield Park Conservatory bursting with plants as old as 300 years old. The botanic gardens grow an array of plants and flowers in some of the most natural landscapes under glass.
Whether it be for art films or a burlesque show, The Wilmette Theatre's vast and creative line-up of events will take you by surprise.
One of the many major architectural wonders of Chicago that sprung up after the Great Fire of 1871, the Glessner House Museum is a step back in time.
Even though the city offers several kinds of options for learning about a part of history, these are heavy hitters when one thinks of the best Chicago museums.
This newly expanded suburban museum uses interactive exhibits to teach kids math, science, social skills, and how to navigate the big world around them.
When Lakeview’s The Vic Theatre isn’t hosting rock concerts, the theatre’s “alter ego” doubles as a movie house called Brew and View. The brew in the title alludes to the libations for sale while the view section takes care of two to three feature film screenings in one night.
Last fall, Chicago was blessed with one of its best music venues in the form of Lincoln Hall. Akin to Schuba’s, Lincoln Hall is a state-of-the-art music venue hosting intimate performances from the world’s best musical acts.
The name alone sounds intense, but surgical science has been the backbone to both Eastern and Western medicine for thousands of years. Tucked away on Lake Shore Drive, this inconspicuous four-floored former mansion educates visitors on everything from pharmacogenomics (genetics and drugs) to the history of anesthesia.
Chicagoan Jane Addams was the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize for her social reform work. Today, her contributions to society and to the city are immortalized at the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, where visitors can educate themselves on her immense impact made decades ago.
With an overwhelming amount of food and drink options in the city, Chicago Food Planet helps narrows it down. Part food tour, part architectural tour, Planet enlists knowledgeable tour guides to navigate groups of foodies through Chicago’s hippest neighborhoods.
The museum features a terrace with a lake view, a gift shop with books and DVDs for sale, a café called Pucks and four floors of breakthrough and sometimes titillating art work in the form of paintings, chromatic prints, graphic novels, and audio and visual items. The contemporary in the title refers to Post-World War II works, anything after 1945 to present day.
Chicago is a goldmine rich with history and art museums. But one in particular goes unnoticed. And it is a gem. Devoted to Italian American athletes, The National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame has in its keep some incredible treasures.
Reaching the 96th floor of John Hancock Center radiates a postcard panorama view of the city where on a clear day, parts of Michigan can be spotted. Soaring to such great heights as 1,300 feet, eat and drink at the apex of the city.
Chicago is a culturally diverse city, so it makes sense to have a center dedicated to the arts. Completed in 1897 and originally a library, the Center offers free movies, admission and art exhibits year round and even performs civil ceremonies.
Chicago’s renowned for numerous of things, especially being a food epicenter. Chicago Dine Around aims to combine the best of the city’s world gourmet cuisine and electrifying sights into one memorable dining evening.
Located five miles from downtown in the blue collar neighborhood of Bridgeport resides 400 million years of ancient ruins in the form of the Stearns Quarry. Originally a working quarry, last spring the Chicago Parks District beautified the old limestone mine and altered it into a stunning park.
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