Chicago
This 207-acre park, which lends its name to the surrounding neighborhood, comes out of nowhere and gobsmacks you with Mother Nature. A lagoon brushed by…
Must-see attractions in Chicago
Chicago
This 550-acre, lakefront green space is a gem. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, renowned creator of New York City's Central Park, it comprises bird-rich…
Chicago
From 1957 to 1967, this humble building was Chess Records, the seminal electric blues label. It's now named for the bassist who wrote most of Chess' hits…
Chicago
Built in 1907, these two acres under glass are a lovely spot to while away a few hours sauntering around rooms of palms, ferns, orchids and koi-filled…
International Museum of Surgical Science
Chicago
This small but fascinating museum, set inside a former residential mansion facing the lake, is dedicated to the world of surgery and medicine. Exhibits…
Chicago
This wonderfully restored 1925 train station looks like it stepped right out of a gangster movie. In fact, it has been used to great effect in exactly…
Chicago
Top draws at the kiddie-mobbed Shedd Aquarium include the Wild Reef exhibit, where there's just 5in of Plexiglas between you and two-dozen fierce-looking…
Chicago
It's impossible to get any closer to Wrigley Field without actually crossing the stadium's threshold, making this newly developed plaza (formerly a…
Chicago
The enchanting Lily Pool hides in a plot northeast of the Lincoln Park Conservatory, at the corner of Fullerton and Cannon Drs. Built in 1938 by landscape…
Chicago
Bibliophiles will have a grand time in this museum, where American writers spanning the ages – from Edgar Allen Poe to Elie Wiesel, James Baldwin to Edith…
Chicago
The zoo has been around since 1868 and is a local freebie favorite, filled with lions, zebras, snow monkeys and other exotic creatures in the shadow of…
Chicago
Many residents of this area, also known as ‘Little Saigon,’ arrived as refugees from the Vietnam War and subsequently filled the storefronts with lunch…
Chicago
Holy Name Cathedral is the seat of Chicago’s Catholic Church and where its powerful cardinals do their preaching. It provides a quiet place for…
Pullman National Historical Park
Chicago
Part of the National Park Service, Pullman offers a rare look at a capitalist's fallen utopia. The community's design and architecture make for a…
Chicago
Walking through the conservatory’s 3 acres of desert palms, jungle ferns and tropical orchids is like taking a trip around the world in 30 minutes. The…
Chicago
TheMart, as the Merchandise Mart is now called, is the world’s largest commercial building. Spanning two city blocks, the 1931 behemoth has its own zip…
Chicago
This plain-looking park across from the Newberry Library has quite a history. In the 1920s it was known as ‘Bughouse Square,’ where communists, socialists…
DuSable Museum of African American History
Chicago
This was the first independent museum in the country dedicated to African American art, history and culture. The collection features African American…
Prairie Avenue Historic District
Chicago
In the late 1800s, Prairie Ave between 16th and 20th Sts is where Chicago's millionaires lived in their mansions. Today the district is good for a stroll…
Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago
A world-class leader in technology, industrial design and architecture, the IIT owes much of its look to Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the famed mid-century…
Chicago
The enchanted Garden of the Phoenix floats in Jackson Park. Birds flit through the sunlight, turtles swim in the lagoons, and stone-cut lanterns dot the…
Chicago
The final resting place for some of the biggest names in Chicago history, including architects Louis Sullivan and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and retail…
Chicago
This 154ft-tall, turreted tower is a defining city icon: it was the sole downtown survivor of the 1871 Great Chicago Fire, thanks to its yellow limestone…
Chicago
The architects behind the 1896 Marquette Building made natural light and ventilation vital components. The most impressive features, however, are the…
Chicago
Space enthusiasts will get a big bang (pun!) out of the Adler. There are public telescopes to view the stars (10am to 1pm daily, by the Galileo Cafe), 3-D…
Harold Washington Library Center
Chicago
This grand, art-filled building with free internet terminals and wi-fi is Chicago's whopping main library. Major authors give readings, and impressive…
Chicago
To understand Chicago's sports psyche, peruse the memorabilia-filled cases at this gallery attached to Harry Caray's 7th Inning Stretch restaurant. See…
Chicago
Famed landscape architect Fredrick Law Olmsted designed stately Washington Park. It hosts heaps of community festivals and athletic fields for teams…
Chicago
Faculty and students have racked up more than 80 Nobel prizes within U of C's hallowed halls. The economics and physics departments lay claim to most of…
Chicago
Fans of modern architecture shouldn't miss Chicago's newest gallery, designed by Pritzker Prize–winner Tadao Ando. Walk past the facade of the former…
Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art
Wicker Park, Bucktown & Ukrainian Village
Founded in 1971, this collection acts as the westernmost anchor to a string of West Town art galleries. Two rooms display a permanent collection of…
Chicago
The Plant occupies an enormous former meatpacking facility where a community of food producers is now engaged in a collaborative experiment to eliminate…
Chicago
The Board of Trade is a 1930 art deco gem. Inside, manic traders swap futures and options – or, at least, they used to. Most trading is done these days by…
Chicago
What the Castro is to San Francisco, Boystown is to the Windy City. The mecca of queer Chicago (especially for men), the streets of Boystown are full of…
Chicago
The entrance gate to Chicago’s largest cemetery is worth the trip alone. Designed by WW Boyington (the architect who created the Water Tower on Michigan…
Chicago
The 1887 John J Glessner House is the premier survivor of the Prairie Avenue Historic District. Much of the interior is reminiscent of an English manor…
Chicago
Who knew? Ben Franklin liked to be flogged, and Egypt’s Queen Hatshepsut had a foot fetish. The museum reveals this and more in its displays of leather,…
Chicago
Ping Tom stretches along the Chicago River and offers dramatic, bridge-strewn views of the skyline. Rent a kayak from the boathouse, or bring a picnic to…
Chicago
Named after the founders of Esquire magazine, who contributed the start-up money, this is the official fine-arts museum of the University of Chicago. The…
Chicago
What’s that giant phallic thing in the middle of the road, causing traffic to swerve every which way? Excellent question. Most locals have no idea. Turns…