60 Awesome Chicago Activities

At over 1000 feet above ground level 360 Chicago offers stunning views of downtown Chicago and much more if you are lucky enough to catch it on a clear day. This viewing deck is 94 floors up the John Hancock Tower

When in Chicago, don't miss out on visiting America's first planetarium. Founded in 1930, the Adler Planetarium became a haven for astronomy and astrophysics enthusiasts. It became a National Historic Landmark

This is a great place to visit whether you have a full day to explore or only a few hours there is an admissions package for you. They have three full size theaters showing three different immersive sky shows

Brookfield Zoo is a large 216 acre zoo which houses about 450 different species of animals. It can be found in the Brookfield suburb of Chicago and can sometimes be referred to as the Chicago Zoological Park as

One of Chicago's great landmarks Buckingham Fountain is located right in the center of the downtown's Grant Park. It is truly a spectacular sight and reminiscent of a bygone time in Chicago's past. The fountain

Centennial Beach is a public aquatic park located in the city of Naperville, Illinois, about an hours' drive west of Chicago. Families looking to escape the hot Midwestern summer love Centennial Beach since it

The Nicholas J. Melas Centennial Fountain and Water Arc can be found on the North Bank of the Chicago River at McClurg Court, near the Sheraton. It was completed in 1989 and dedicated to the Metropolitan Water

Chicago Architectural Foundation explores the historic and legendary architecture of Chicago city, the foundation offers tours of the iconic and world-famous landmarks and buildings of Chicago. Visit sky scrapers

The Chicago Botanic Garden, despite the name, is not actually located within Chicago city. Instead it can be found in the Greater Chicago Area, in the town of Glencoe on the picteuresque North Shore. These gardens

There are so many things to see and do at the museum plan to spend the day. There is everything from pretending you’re part of a circus, Climb all over a schooner, play in a tree house, build your own skyscraper

The City of Chicago's Cultural Center is a building with a long and proud history. Built in 1897 as the city's first public library it is now a landmark building with beautiful and grandiose architecture including

Enjoy the day as you explore the great history of Chicago through historical fiction stories that focus on Chicago’s colorful past as well as where this great city is heading. There are interactive maps

The Children's Neigborhood Musuem located inside the Robert W. Rolek Community Center in round Lake Illinois porvides kids under the age of 6 with the unique opportunity to take on an occupation in their very

The Children's Museum in Oak Lawn aims to promote creativity and a desire for lifelong learning in children by introducing them to play-based learning as early on in life as possible. They do this by sticking

The stated mission of Cosley Zoo is to improve the relationship between humans and nature mainly through education and wildlife conservation. The five acre zoo can be found in Wheaton, Illinois and offers a fun

The Crabtree Nature Center sits in over a thousand acres of land that have been set aside specifically as Nature Reserve land. Within this land there are a large number of nature trails giving visitors in the

The DuPage Children's Museum aims to offer more than the typical museum experience to children and adults alike. They aim to open the minds of young children and expose them to the true depth of creativity and

You can learn about African American history, art and culture in the DuSable museum of African American history in Chicago, IL. The museum emerged during the civil rights movement, the museum was founded by Charles

Instead of watching the usual suspense movie this weekend, why not be the star of your own show? Book an hour at the Escape Chambers in Chicago and exercise your brainpower while working together with the family

Three main galleries exhibit contemporary artworks by emerging and established artists. Group shows, solo artist exhibitions and retrospectives are juried by our exhibitions' committee, which includes exhibiting

The Fox River Trolley Museum celebrates and preserves a time in American life when the electric trolley car was a cornerstone of transportation and daily life for the average person. You can learn about these

The Frank Lloyd Wright Trust make the great architect's home available to the public while also providing informative public tours, programs and events at many of the major buildings he worked on through out his

The Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center offers a great deal of ways that visitors can enjoy the beauties of nature found in DuPage County. Whether you would like to head off on an excursion on bike or on

Located within the 184 acre Garfield Park on Chicago's West Side the Garfield Park Conservatory has stood for over a century as a not only a magnificent structure in its own right but also the home to a vast a

Grant Park is a large 319 acre park located right in the middle of downtown Chicago. It is home to world class museums, exciting concert venues, historic structures and beautiful gardens. It is cherished by the

Juneway Beach Park in Chicago, Illinois, is a place to have summer fun and relax in the sizzling weather. Juneway beach offers many recreational activities and outdoor fun for families in the summer, summer is

An interactive museum in Glenview, Illinois the Kohl Children's Museum of Greater Chicago allows children to learn in a family friendly hands on environment. Special programs are held regularly which are

The Lake County Discovery Museum is dedicated to preserving and exhibiting the history and culture of Lake County, Illinois. A great variety of educational, cultural and historical exhibits are showcased. One

An 85 acre park in Palos Heights, Illinois, Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Garden is a beautiful natural area with abundant wildlife. Here you can take kayaks out onto the lake, jog the Gardens or head

The world class 35 acre Lincoln Zoo is one of the only free zoos in the United States. The Zoo has a wide selection of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians which you are welcome to view. They also run special

The Magnificent Mile is a grand boulevard that is dubbed as a shopper's paradise, it has exclusive shops, restaurants, hotels and museums. The northern part of the Michigan avenue in Chicago is dubbed as the magnificent

Millennium Park encompasses 24.5 acres of land and is situated in the center of Chicago between Michigan Ave on the west, Columbus Dr on the east, Randolph St on the north and capping it off with Monroe Dr on

One of the few museums in the U.S.A to concentrate solely on the arts and history of the native peoples of North America, the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian offers a unique look into this proud culture

Located in Lisle, Illinois some 25 miles from Chicago City the Morton Arboretum is a grand 1,700 acre space which is home to more than 220,000 living plants. It is possible to explore the Arboretum on foot or

Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art is located not far from Water Tower Place in the central downtown area. It is amongst the largest contemporary art spaces in the world. There are regularly changing exhibits

The largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere, Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry offers a great amount of exhibits and activities to interest all ages. There are a range of permanent exhibitions

The Naper Settlement in downtown Naperville, Illinois offers visitors 12 acres of interactive, educational exhibits that explore the history of this part of the United States from pioneer times right up to the

Learn about Mexican art and culture when in Chicago right in the heart of the Pilsen neighborhood. The National Museum of Mexican Art opened in 1987 as a means to showcase thousands of Mexican works of art. The

With an estimated 9 million visitors a year, making the Navy Pier the most visited attraction in the Midwest and a top destination for those who live in the Chicago area makes this a must see attraction during

Located just 10 miles west of the heart of Chicago, Oak Park has a historic setting and offers the perfect spot for family reunions, business meetings, live entertainment, shopping and so much more. There is something

The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, also known as The Museum of the Chicago Academy of the Sciences, is a nature museum located in Chicago's popular Lincoln Park. Its collections feature thousands of natural specimens

The Phillips Park Zoo to teach students and visitors a better understanding of nature and the animal world in a safe and fun environment. They claim to give top quality care to their animals and through free admittance

Rainbow Beach park is located in the South Chicago Neighborhood, the park is named after the US army's Rainbow Division that fought in world war I. The Rainbow beach and park totals an area of 61 acres and it

The Randall Oaks Barnyard Zoo is a fun and safe environment for the whole family to meet, view and learn about a range of animals. Here young kids can pet and feed a bunch of friendly animals like cows, mini horses

Located in Aurora Illinois the SciTech Hands On Museum offers families and children the chance to learn about science and discover all kinds of facts through over 200 fully interactive hands on exhibits

While you are at the Shedd Aquarium you will have the chance to see 32,000 amazing animals and enjoy amazing shows that are both educational and entertaining. The Shedd Aquarium has something for everyone whether

Six Flags Great America is a popular theme park in Gurnee, Illinois, which is located between Chicago and Milwaukee. Its many attractions include rides, live entertainment, shops, restaurants, and Hurricane Harbor

Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park is a nature oasis and a wonderful sculpture park located in Skokie, IL, the park is located North of Downtown, Chicago. The unique park showcases over 60 incredible and larger

Open 365 days of the year the Skydeck Chicago is located 1,353 feet in the air, on the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower, which at one time held the title of the tallest building in the world. The Skydeck has

A truly special natural setting that was named the "Most Beautiful Place in America" by "Good Morning America" on ABC, the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Seashore can offer the entire family a truly memorable experience

Soldier Field is the oldest NFL stadium located in Chicago, Illinois. Soldier field is the home of Chicago Bears, and is celebrating 90 years of NFL seasons. This American football stadium was opened in 1924

Carry out your fitness routine without the need to watch the lights or worry about colliding with a vehicle at The 606 Trail in Chicago. The local government turned the old freight railway into a 2.7-mile elevated

This Gallery was the winner of the Travelers Choice 2013 Best Museum in the United States. This is a great destination for all art lovers of all ages. Whether you are a novice to the art world or a avid art collectors

The Book cellar is an independent book store in Chicago, Illinois. Visitors can have a wonderful time reading books and enjoying a variety of drinks and snacks at the book store. The bookstore has an incredible

Chicago's Field Museum is one of the world's great museums of science, environment, and culture, a focus of public learning and scholarly research. It is a treasury of more than 20 million objects from ancient

The Smart Museum of Art is an intimate art museum located in the University of Chicago, the permanent collection displays over 15,000 pieces of arts and crafts, and there are temporary and traveling exhibits

The Wrigley Building is an iconic landmark in Chicago, Illinois, this sky scraper is a symbol of Chicago and is located on the North Michigan Avenue at the Southernmost point of the Magnificent Mile in Chicago

The Wheaton History Center is a non-profit institution which aims to preserve the history and culture of the town of Wheaton. It also aims to illustrate the town's relationship to American and international history

The Wildwood Nature Center is located in the largely urbanised area of Park Ridge, Illinois. Amongst this urban environment the Center provides a place to learn about animals and the natural world with animal

Wrigley Field is a popular baseball stadium, home of the Chicago cubs, located in Chicago, Illinois. Wrigley field was built in 1914, and it has been hosting the major league baseball for 100 seasons. Watch a