Chicago
Pilsen's art galleries are known collectively as the Chicago Arts District. There are 20 or so studios, and they tend to be small, artist-run spaces with erratic hours. Many cluster around 18th and Halsted Sts. The best time to visit is on Second Fridays, when the galleries stay open from 6pm to 10pm on the second Friday of each month and welcome patrons with free wine, snacks, and freshly hung paintings and photos.
Pick up a map at the office at 1945 S Halsted St.
6.26 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…
5.67 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…
1.93 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…
2.14 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…
1.56 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…
Field Museum of Natural History
1.65 MILES
The Field Museum houses some 30 million artifacts and includes everything but the kitchen sink – beetles, mummies, gemstones, Bushman the stuffed ape –…
3.02 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…
National Museum of Mexican Art
1.36 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…
0.63 MILES
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…
0.83 MILES
Built in 1928 and originally known as the On Leong Building, this grand structure is a fantasy of Chinese architecture that makes good use of glazed terra…
3. Chicago Fire Department Training Academy
0.84 MILES
Rarely has a building been placed in a more appropriate location: the fire department’s training school (also known as the Quinn Academy) stands on the…
0.93 MILES
Opened on the site of an old limestone quarry, Palmisano Park unfurls an urban prairie landscape with great views of the Chicago skyline. Locals come here…
1 MILES
The Romanesque revival-style church was built between 1885 and 1892 and was a hub for the city's Irish immigrants. Its smooth masonry contrasts with the…
6. Cooper Dual Language Academy
1.07 MILES
The exterior wall of this school (ie the north-side wall, facing 18th Pl) is the canvas for a 1990s tile mosaic that shows a diverse range of Mexican…
7. Willie Dixon's Blues Heaven
1.2 MILES
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…
1.28 MILES
The Henry B Clarke House is the oldest structure in the city. When Caroline and Henry Clarke built the imposing Greek Revival home in 1836, log cabins…