22 awesome things to do in Chicago

For many years I have declared my undying love for Chicago over New York City.

I’ve been three times and that is my verdict. My husband doesn’t agree, he’s New York all the way, but there are so many reasons why Chicago is a great place for a weekend getaway or even longer.

A lot of people do agree with me too, the Windy City has been voted as the second best city in the world (2022) by 20,000 Time Out voters (behind Edinburgh) for nightlife, food and drink, arts and culture, affordability, walkability, public transportation and more.

It’s the only city in the United States to make the top 10, with New York coming in at 20. Most visitors spend their time in what they call the Chicago Loop, four square km of downtown where you’ll find theatres, museums, parks, eateries, shopping and pretty much everything you’re coming here for!

Let me tell you all the reasons I love Chicago…

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One amazing time we arrived and the city was on a frenzied high thanks to the Cubs winning the World Series against Cleveland. The first win in 108 years.

That day five million people had been celebrating on Grant Park (directly opposite our Hilton hotel) and fortunately had dispersed by the time we taxied in. Five million people in one park! That’s nearly the entire population of New Zealand!!

Chicago v New York City:

Chicago seems to breathe more than its congested cousin on the east coast – with it’s busy rooftop restaurants and bars, all the action of Times Square, and the shenanigans of New Year’s Eve in NYC which is filled with events.

Chicago is lavishly planted with trees and flowers along the main street, Michigan Avenue (aka Magnificent Mile) and of course it sits on the edge of Lake Michigan with the Chicago River flowing from the lake through the city. In 1900, the city’s pollution was flowing down the river and into the lake, so they reversed the river!

The streets of Chicago’s CBD are wide and the architecture is totally worth taking a river boat tour of. (You can see some of my favorite Chicago building pics here.)

There are several different neighbourhoods to stay in too, so to help you decide, here’s a great post on where to stay in Chicago.

I wrote this post to use as a sort of Chicago itinerary, but it is really just a collection of the best things to do, focusing mainly on Downtown Chicago – where the best way to get around is on your feet (or Uber when your feet just won’t move any more!)

Here are my top picks for the best things to do in Chicago:

1  Shop Magnificent Mile

Mag Mile (as the locals call it) is actually the main street called Michigan Avenue and runs parallel to the lake. There are lots of office buildings along here so the best shopping is on the north side of the Chicago River.

2 Check out Maggie Daley Park

This beautiful green space is connected to Millennium Park via a bridge. It’s an awesome spot for some recreation. Visit the Skating Ribbon in winter, play an 18-hole miniature golf course, climb the rock climbing wall, and set the kids loose in the magical Play Garden which has been thoughtfully designed for children of all ages and abilities.

3 Get to a free summer concert

Between June and August head to Millennium Park for free concerts. Grab a spot on the lawn in front of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and enjoy all genres of music from emerging and accomplished artists.

See the full summer music schedule here.

4  Visit American Girl Store!

If you have girls aged 3 to about 10 years old in your world, they will turn in awed circles at the American Girl Store. Trust me, go there! Two levels of dolls and their accessories including a hair salon where your overly loved dolls can have new hair dos after sitting in a salon chair draped in a cape. Then you and the dolls can have cupcakes in the cafe.

5  Have lunch at Eataly

But leave room for deep-dish pizza for dinner! This is two floors of Italian inspired food outlets, but seating is dining style on the second floor – you choose which of the open plan restaurants you want. Loads of accessories to buy too like oils and preserves, accessories and cookbooks.

6  Visit Garrett Popcorn

You MUST buy their sensational and signature real cheese and caramel popcorn. Seriously, it’s so good. Sweet and savoury all in one. (Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!)

I even got to tour behind the scenes at Garrett, off Michigan Avenue, and went into the kitchen to see how they make this popped goodness. You can read my Garrett post here >

7  Take an architecture cruise

Chicago is famous for its architecture and one of the best ways to see it is on an architectural river cruise on the Chicago River where you’ll hear the history of the city plus see some unique angles on an architectural tour that glides past the magnificent buildings and skyscrapers.

The tour starts at the Michigan Avenue (DuSable) bridge and goes up the main branch of the Chicago River past Wolf Point. You’ll cruise along the north and south branches of the river, before heading back past the Chicago Riverwalk towards Lake Michigan.

You’ll learn about historic skyscrapers like the Wrigley Building and the Tribune Tower, the art deco Merchandise Mart, and mid-century skyscrapers like the Mies Van der Rohe AMA Building.

This is a fascinating boat tour, perfect for photography lovers too.

8  Take a gangster tour

This is fun! Starting in the CBD and stopping at scenes of former gun battles and massacres as the Mob ruled Chicago during the prohibition of the 1920s, you’ll hear all about gangsters like Al Capone and bootlegging and all the skulduggery that went along with it!

Untouchable Tours is highly rated and I’ve done it twice now, so can recommend it. $38 pp, but book online as they fill up.

9  Get a photo of the Bean

One of the most popular tourist attractions, walk through Millennium Park and take selfies in front of the Bean (Cloud Gate), then head south past the spitting murals and into Grant Park to enjoy the fresh air.

The Bean was designed by Indian-born British artist Sir Anish Kapoor, inspired by liquid mercury, and sits in AT&T Plaza at Millennium Park. It’s made of 168 stainless steel plates welded together and on a beautiful day it reflects the surrounding buildings and makes for quirky photos.

10  Visit Field Museum

The kids will love the Field Museum of Natural History which is next to Soldier Field. You’ll be greeted by the biggest tyranosaurus named Sue, the most photographed item here. But there is a lot more to take a selfie with at the Field Museum!

11  The Art Institute of Chicago

This museum is next to the Bean, but try and nip in before the hundreds of school kids that turned up by the bus load when we were there!

12  Eat deep dish pizza!

The pic below is from our delicious meal at Piquod’s in Lincoln Park which is a neighbourhood full of bars and restaurants and music that deserves a whole evening itself.

Other places to try are Lou Malnati’s, Giordano’s and Uno for great deep dish pizza. Yes Deep Dish pizza is a Chicago institution but I’m reliably informed Chicago residents only eat it when they have out of town visitors, or maybe a few times a year. Shock, horror many prefer thin crust NY style!

13 Visit Navy Pier

This is one of Chicago’s top attractions with loads of great restaurants, bars, live music, amusement park rides with a Ferris wheel, shopping, hotel accommodation and fantastic views of the lake and looking back at this beautiful city.

14  Have a rooftop cocktail

The largest rooftop bar in the whole country is here at Navy Pier. So after you’ve had a wander and some fun, head to Offshore Rooftop for a cocktail in the sun and snap the amazing views of Lake Michigan and the city.

It’s a 36,000 sq ft all-weather venue, and the 20,000 sq ft terrace has seven fire pits for the chilly Chicago days.

15 Take the kids to Shedd Aquarium

They will love the giant octopus, beluga whales and sharks, seahorses and sea dragons (what?), jellyfish, frogs and a whole lot more.

16 Visit the Chicago Children’s Museum

Located at Navy Pier, the kids will love building things in the Tinkering Lab, digging for dinosaurs in a recreation of a Saharan expedition. If it’s hot out and you need some respite, there are lots of things that splash and squirt. There’s an enchanted forest and I would have loved this so much: Michael’s Museum: A Curious Collection of Tiny Treasures. I love miniatures!

Pick up a Chicago Go City all-inclusive pass with 25 attractions on it. You can buy one that is valid for up to 5 days if you plan to hit all the attractions.

17 Visit Lincoln Park Zoo

Founded in 1868, Lincoln Park Zoo is one of the few zoos to offer free admission – 365 days a year. Lincoln Park Zoo is actively involved in speaking out against primates being kept as pets. Over 15,000 are said to be kept as pets in the US, and most are in unsuitable or inhumane conditions, kept to perform. I’m not a zoo fan, except for animal rescue, rehabilitation or breeding programs to save a species.

18 See a game at Wrigley Field

Located on Chicago’s North Side, Wrigley Field is an iconic baseball park, home of the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs played their first home game here in 1916. The name comes from Wrigley Gum, who acquired the Cubs in 1921 and named the park in 1927.

19 Take your stargazers to Adler Planetarium

This museum is all about astronomy and astrophysics.

It was founded in 1930 by Chicago business leader Max Adler and is located on the northeast tip of Northerly Island at the shore of Lake Michigan. It boasts one of the largest collections of astrolabes in the world, including the most sophisticated scientific instrument of the Middle Ages which could be used to find the time and directions.

20 Visit the Museum of Science and Industry

MSI is filled with science exhibits for kids as well as adults. It’s mandate is to “inspire the next generation of innovators” and is rated as the best museum in Chicago by some.

21 Go to the top of Willis Tower

This Chicago landmark is formerly the Sears Tower, the tallest building in Chicago at 1451 ft (442m). In fact Sears Roebuck sold the 108 story tower and moved out in 2009 and it was renamed Willis Tower after global insurance broker Willis Group Holdings.

Head up to the Willis Tower Sky Deck for incredible views of the city skyline and four states (on a clear day) and stand on the glass boxes that extend out of the building – if you dare.

22 Stroll along Chicago Riverwalk

In fact you could spend a whole day just eating and playing along this 1.25 mile stretch of the Chicago Riverbank. It’s open from 6am to 11pm and boat trips happen May to October.

This multi-award-winning, pedestrian-friendly attraction is filled with intimate coves, waterfront cafes and bars. Lovers of art and culture will enjoy the public art pieces, monuments and you’re close to museums, as well as excursions on the water.

If you want to do Chicago on a budget, there are loads of free things to do in Chicago too. In fact 207 of them, which will keep you busy for at least a week!

Value: Pick up a Chicago Go City all-inclusive pass with 25 attractions on it. You can buy one that is valid for up to 5 days if you plan to hit all the attractions.