Tours, Things To Do & Day Trips

Chicago is hugely popular among tourists for great buildings, restaurants and shopping. But one of the chief attractions, for both locals and visitors, remains the Brookfield Zoo. Opened in 1934, the zoo is located on 216 acres about 14 miles west of downtown. The sights and the location are perfect for someone looking for something [...]

Sited at the shore of Lake Michigan, the John G. Shedd Aquarium is widely acknowledged to be among the world’s finest. Home to more than 650 species of fish, reptile, amphibians, birds and mammals, they have over 8,000 individual animals from around the world.

Not the tallest building in Chicago, but surely one of the finest anywhere. With its distinctive twin aerials on top and X-shaped braces along the facade, this slightly trapezoidal 100-story building is an architectural marvel. Completed in 1969, it’s hard to imagine it not having always been a part of the Chicago skyline.

Frank Lloyd Wright is justly regarded as one of the greatest architects in history. But it wasn’t always so. Early in his career, as with most artists, he struggled for recognition and commercial success. After some initial popularity, for decades afterwards (as a result of scandals and changing tastes), he was largely ignored. But genius [...]

Founded in 1893 as the Columbian Museum, this treasure trove of archaeological artifacts is one of the world’s preeminent institutions. With a library of more than 250,000 volumes and millions of stored objects, it is a world class center of learning about the history of mankind. A major part of that collection is available to [...]

There are many examples of a Museum of Science and Industry around the country. But the one in Chicago is the oldest and unquestionably the best museum of its kind in the world. On three floors, covering 350,000 sq ft (32,520 sq m) it offers over 800 exhibits that attract 2 million visitors per year. [...]

Housed in an 1893 building erected as part of the World’s Fair, The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the country’s preeminent schools and museums.

For many years the world’s tallest skyscraper, the Sears Tower is really nine buildings combined into one massive structure. Completed in 1974, it was erected to consolidate offices housing 6,500 Sears employees from all over the city.

Whether you want to ride a ferris wheel or lean toward seeing some Shakespeare, Navy Pier has every kind of enjoyment you can imagine. Open to the public since 1916, the area was revitalized in 1995. Ever since, it has attracted visitors from all over the world – over 8 million in 2005 alone.

A mile of shopping! Now that’s something to set the heart a flutter. But the excitement doesn’t stop there, because this famed area has much, much more to offer. True, the shopping is first rate. But there’s sightseeing, dining and lots more.

With over 500 parks to choose from in the Windy City you may have trouble deciding which to visit. But some of the major ones have gained their reputations from all the things they offer visitors.

No matter what your interests, if you can’t find it in Chicago consider staying home. Whether your taste runs to Shakespeare or meerkats, food or Jazz, airy museums or dank coffee houses, this city has everything – in spades.