United Center

Chicago

LoginSave

This busy facility is Chicago’s arena for big-name concerts and sporting events. The pro-hockey team the Blackhawks (www.nhl.com/blackhawks) and pro-basketball team the Bulls (www.nba.com/bulls) both play here from October through April. The slam-dunking Michael Jordan statue is a famed photo op; it’s in the glass atrium on the building’s eastern side.

The atrium also holds the box office, a cool Blackhawks/Bulls team shop and a couple of bars. On game days, there's a special express bus (bus 19) on Madison St that heads to the stadium.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 30: The Chicago Cubs defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks during a Friday afternoon game at Wrigley Field on April 30, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois

    Wrigley Field

    4.74 MILES

    Built in 1914, Wrigley Field – aka the Friendly Confines – is the second-oldest baseball park in the major leagues. It’s home to the Chicago Cubs and…

  • JUNE 24, 2018: Planes hanging from the ceiling inside the Museum of Science and Industry.

    Museum of Science & Industry

    7.8 MILES

    The MSI is the largest science museum in the Western hemisphere and a place to completely geek out. Highlights include a WWII German U-boat nestled in an…

  • JUL 15, 2018: Exterior of the Art Institute of Chicago museum.

    Art Institute of Chicago

    2.61 MILES

    The second-largest art museum in the country, the Art Institute houses a treasure trove from around the globe. The collection of impressionist and…

  • July 7, 2012: Crowd gathered at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park.

    Millennium Park

    2.7 MILES

    There's free admission to Millennium Park, the playful heart of the city. It shines with whimsical public art, both permanent and temporary exhibits, and…

  • Chicago skyline at dusk.

    Willis Tower

    1.98 MILES

    Willis Tower is Chicago's tallest building (and one of the world's loftiest). Breathe deeply during the ear-popping, 70-second elevator ride to the 103rd…

  • Model of Dinosaur Skeleton

    Field Museum of Natural History

    3.11 MILES

    The Field Museum houses some 30 million artifacts and includes everything but the kitchen sink – beetles, mummies, gemstones, Bushman the stuffed ape –…

  • Navy Pier on Lake Michigan

    Navy Pier

    3.4 MILES

    Half-mile-long Navy Pier is one of Chicago's most-visited attractions, sporting a 196ft Ferris wheel and other carnival rides ($9 to $18 each), an IMAX…

  • Dead of the Dead Art at Mexican Heritage Museum.

    National Museum of Mexican Art

    1.69 MILES

    Founded in 1982, this vibrant museum – the largest Latinx arts institution in the US – has become one of the city’s best. The vivid permanent collection…

View more attractions

Nearby Chicago attractions

1. Monique Meloche Gallery

0.7 MILES

One of Chicago's tastemakers, Monique Meloche has an eye for emerging artists, such as Amy Sherald, who painted Michelle Obama's official portrait. Her…

2. Mars Gallery

1.01 MILES

This pop-art gallery is pure fun, from the colorful, cartoony prints and paintings to the building's offbeat history (it was an egg factory and then a…

3. Document Gallery

1.07 MILES

Document organizes exhibitions of contemporary photography, film and media-based works by emerging national and international artists. It shares its large…

4. Ukrainian National Museum

1.09 MILES

Across from one of the Ukrainian Village's larger churches, this small museum packs in a massive amount of information about the history, culture and…

5. Sts Volodymyr & Olha Church

1.12 MILES

This church was founded by traditionalists from nearby St Nicholas cathedral, who broke away over liturgical differences and built this showy church in…

6. Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art

1.21 MILES

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…

8. Mary Bartelme Park

1.24 MILES

The neighborhood's stroller-pushing families and dog-walking hipsters get their exercise in Mary Bartelme Park. Five off-kilter stainless-steel arches…