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Within City Walls (Clicking on red colored text will link to more info or videos or official sites)
City Sights
The Hop On Hop Off Trolley is clean, beautiful and fun to ride, taking you to the city’s landmarks while allowing you to hop on and hop off whenever you want to spend a little more time at a specific place. Sights you’ll see on this Chicago tour, in addition to the many attractions located near the stops above, include the Field Museum of Natural History, the Adler Planetarium, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Art Institute. |
Navy Pier
Attracting an impressive 8.6 million visitors each year, Navy Pier is a 50-acre, lakeside wonderland that lets visitors revel in the splendors of Lake Michigan. Shopping, eating, thrill-riding, movie-watching, and cruise-hopping…you can do it all, and then some, at Navy Pier! It features timeless parks, promenades, gardens, shops, eateries and attractions, and more. Relax on the shores of beautiful Lake Michigan. |
North & South Side
Pablo Picasso created a sculpture in Chicago's honor, and the thoroughfare is called the "Magnificent Mile." Hyde Park is one of Chicago's most famous neighborhoods on South Side. The Loop is the central business district of Chicago. Discover prestigious financial centers on State Street. The white Wrigley Building marking the beginning of the Magnificent Mile, and Water Tower Place. |
Skydeck Chicago
Voted one of the "Seven Wonders of Chicago," the Sears (Willis) Tower is the tallest building in the western hemisphere. Enjoy 360 degree and see four states at once! You can even look down….1353 feet, 412 meters, 103 floors to be precise! “The Ledge” is a tantalizing, all-glass balcony that extends four feet outside the building’s edge. Take a photo of yourself “floating” above the city. |
Windy of Chicago
The 'Windy' is the Windy City's renowned 150-foot four-masted schooner. Add a little maritime flavor to your city trip and spend some time cruising in style aboard Tall Ship Adventure’s Windy, a 148-foot, four-mast, gaff topsail schooner that sails daily from Chicago’s adventure-hub, Navy Pier. Learn about the pirates that once sailed the Great Lakes. Sail in fair-weather months on an array of informative and exciting excursions that depart on different days. |
The Picasso
Standing 50 feet tall and weighing over 160 tons, the Chicago Picasso in Daley Plaza is much more than just artwork to Chicagoans. The untitled Picasso sculpture that originally sparked controversy in the city has now become one of Chicago’s most famous sculptures and icon. It's built of Cor-Ten steel. In his dedication letter, Picasso gave the sculpture as a gift to the people of Chicago, without ever explaining what the sculpture was intended to represent. |
Millennium Park
Hosting over 525 free events each year, Millennium Park is an award-winning center for art, music, architecture and landscape design. In Millennium Park, you’ll find a new kind of town square – a lively, spectacular gathering spot located in the heart of the city and a destination for Chicagoans and visitors alike. Discover the brilliance of the 5-acre urban sanctuary Lurie Garden. Tour the open air Boeing Galleries and experience the monumental sculpture exhibition. |
CAF
Want to learn about Chicago's world-renowned architecture? This is where to go. Start by checking out the 320-square-foot model of the downtown. The Chicago Architecture Foundation is your gateway to discovering Chicago’s world-renowned architecture and design. Start your visit at the orientation center, which features a large-scale model of downtown Chicago and explores the innovative people and ideas that shaped this urban hub. |
Wright Home
The Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio Tour. His own private architectural laboratory, it was here that Wright both worked and raised his six children. Come for a glimpse into his fascinating world. Don’t miss the surrounding Oak Park community: a virtual museum of his architectural history. Frank Lloyd Wright is a Chicago legend and something of an idol to students and fans of architecture around the world. Beverly includes stately homes by Frank Lloyd. |
The MCA
The Museum of Contemporary Art houses large collection of contemporary art. The museum itself is a work of art with its glass construction. It houses thousands of pieces of post-World War II art and boasts a rich history of displaying the art of many visionary and controversial artists. MCA boasts a well-rounded permanent collection featuring such pieces as Jackie Frieze and Troy Diptych by Andy Warhol, and Four Boomerangs by Alexander Calder. |
Art Institute
Experience Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano’s Modern Wing, home to our celebrated collections of modern and contemporary art, architecture, design, and photography. Then stroll back in time and let your old favorites - iconic artists like Seurat, Hopper, Monet, and Rembrandt - guide you through the historical Michigan Avenue building. Travel to the Thorne Miniature Rooms (68 model rooms created on a one-inch-to-one-foot scale) |
History Museum
Seeing all 22 million pieces in this expansive collection would take a lifetime so here are a few can't-miss highlights: the world-renowned costumes collection, the Lincoln artifacts and if you've got kids, 'Sensing Chicago,' where they'll learn about the city through all 5 senses. See a vast array of artifacts, documents, fabrics and information. Among its greatest treasures are a world-renowned costume collection multi-faceted Abraham Lincoln Collection. |
Science Museum
The Museum of Science and Industry. Imagine seeing a baby chick hatch, the real Apollo 8 capsule, your face age 40 years or the blood run through your veins. This exciting, interactive visit also includes a cinematic adventure in the museum's five-story Omnimax Theater. Some of the many draws include All Aboard the Silver Streak which lets you go back in time to the golden age of rail travel as a passenger on the Pioneer Zephyr. |
The Field
The Field Museum of Natural History is one museum with millions of adventures. Come face to face with Sue, the world-famous T. Rex, and learn about Age of the Dinosaurs. Explore the ocean floor of an ancient Cambrian sea in Evolving Planet, when arthropods, sponges and mollusks populated these shallow waters. Step into the windswept world of Ice-Age mammoth hunters as you walk through an 800 year old pueblo in Ancient Americas. |
Adler Planetarium
The Adler Planetarium invites you to explore outer space without leaving Chicago. Follow astronauts into orbit and experience the beauty of starry night skies. Learn about current NASA missions, discover the Milky Way, and investigate what lies beyond in nine exhibitions and multiple theaters! Whether you have a budding astronaut or just find yourself fascinated by the night sky, a trip to The Adler must be on your list. |
Children's Museum
Scale a schooner, build a skyscraper and dig for dinosaur bones. 3 floors of interactive exhibits deliver one big adventure. Scale a towering schooner, build a tall skyscraper to add to skyline, dig for bones in a Dinosaur Expedition, create splash in WaterWays and take in an art class in the Kraft Artabounds Studio. Three floors of interactive exhibits, programs, performances and workshops offer learning adventures to children. |
Kids Audio Tour
Take an adventure to Chicago's coolest places without ever leaving your home! The FREE Chicago For Kids Audio Tour will take kids on adventures throughout the city and features eight destinations, games and challenges that highlight the rich culture and history of Chicago. The Chicago For Kids Audio Tour is brought to you by the Chicago Office of Tourism. Stops include the Chicago Cultural Center, Michigan Avenue Bridge/Tribune Tower, Millennium Park, The "L", Picasso Sculpture, North Avenue Beach, Chicago Food, and the Garfield Park Conservatory. |
Lincoln Park Zoo
What better way to start your trip to this awesome zoo than to take a ride on the Endangered Species Carousel, a Chicago landmark. Enjoy the 48 intricately hand-carved and beautifully hand-painted artisan replicas of animals that are in need of protection. Across from the Seal Pool, kids can ride a pint-sized “express” train built just for them! See marine mammals in the Sea Lion Pool and chimpanzees and gorillas in the Center for African Apes. Enjoy Farm-in-the-Zoo and marvel at the unique animals housed at the Children’s Zoo Enjoy your excursion into the wilderness! |
Brookfield Zoo
Home to more than 2,000 animals, from aardvarks to zebras. This national Park-like experience is an absolute must-see, from daily dolphin shows to the Great Bear Wilderness to the South American jungle. Stroll over 7 acres and see grizzly bears, polar bears, bison, wolves, and eagles. Top exhibits include The Fragile Kingdom, Pachyderm House, Seven Seas, Habitat Africa: The Savannah: This is your “classic” African zoo habitat. Come experience the excitement. You would be hard-pressed to find a species that doesn’t reside at this awesome, and very comprehensive, zoo. |
Legoland
It doesn't get much better than 30,000 square feet of Legos at your feet. Plus exhibits, rides, construction challenges and more. The life-size Lego Harry Potter is just icing on the cake. Learn LEGO® building secrets from the Master Model Builder, feel like a part of the story in LEGOLAND’s 4D cinema, ride a dragon through the medieval LEGO castle, see iconic downtown Chicago landmarks in MINILAND®, pedal to the skies on the Technicycle, and build and test your own LEGO creations! With over 2 million LEGO® bricks under one roof, what will you create and discover? |
Cirque Shanghai
Cirque Shanghai Year of the Dragon is a spectacle for audiences of all ages, featuring performers direct from China who are leaders in their craft of tumbling, juggling, balancing and more. This year’s production features an incredible line up of awe-inspiring acts, including favorites such as Bike Balances and Hoop Diving, as well as an all-new Group Chair Stack, Teeterboard act and the Wheel of Death. China’s finest daredevil motorcycle troupe, “Imperial Thunder,” returns with not two, not four, but five motorcyclists riding at break-neck speed within a steel globe, more than ever before in this death-defying feat. Performances run approximately 75 minutes with no intermission. Skyline Stage is a 1,500 seat, canopied, open-air theater on Navy Pier. Performances take place rain or shine. Quality performances. |
Shedd Aquarium
This watery world includes 32,500 marine animals and 80 different habitats — plus a polar play zone for kids. Explore Waters of the World, Caribbean Reef, Amazon Rising, Wild Reef, the Abbott, Oceanarium and Polar Play Zone, PLUS the Jellies special exhibit! Shedd Aquarium lets visitors become explorers, with its interactive and awe-inspiring exhibits and stunning resident-creatures. Have you ever head-bobbed with a blue iguana on a desert island? Gotten eye-to-eye with a piranha in the Amazon? Or followed a sea turtle as she cruised through the Caribbean? Meet some of the aquarium’s most fascinating creatures. ‘Granddad’, for example, is Shedd’s resident Australian lungfish, known to be the oldest fish in any of the world’s aquariums or a female beluga whale calf named Naya (another female beluga whale). |
John Hancock
Ever wondered what is feels like to fly? Find out when you zoom up 1,000 feet in a thrilling 40 seconds on the world’s fastest elevator. And from atop the 94th floor observatory deck you enter an observatory with 360-degree views of Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Lake Michigan. Take multimedia “Sky Tour”, narrated by David Schwimmer a great way to learn about the history behind the building as well as what, you are looking at from up there. Treat yourself to a hot shot of Italy’s favorite espresso or a smooth cappuccino at Lavazza Espression Café, Chicago’s highest café. The John Hancock Center should be an essential stop on your trip to this “City by the Lake”. Don’t go home without taking an exhilarating trip to the top and experiencing the incredible panoramic views. |
Tommy Gun's Garage
Known as the longest running interactive dinner show, Tommy Gun's Garage features gangsters and flappers performing a musical comedy revue set in a 1929 Chicago speakeasy. After a delicious sit-down dinner, join “Vito”, “Gloves”, and da “gangsters” and da “flappers” for non-stop comedy and dangerous fun. You will be transported back to da 1920’s complete wit da boss’s 1928 Model “A” Ford, Roaring Twenties music and memorabilia from da Twenties. Da mugs and da molls dance and sing da Charleston and udder musical selections from Cole Porter to George Gershwin, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington and more…. All played by Chicago’s Sinfully Orchestra. Be ready to hide your hooch cause we could get raided by da coppers at anytime. Be careful, you could get pulled up on stage at any time. |
Medieval Times Dinner & Show
Step back in time with epic battles, jousting tournaments, royal feasts, knights and romance at any of the nine North American castles. Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament is a family dinner theater featuring staged medieval style games, sword fighting, and jousting performed by a cast of 75 actors and 20 horses. Most locations are housed in a replica 11th-century castle. The chain was featured in the 1996 film The Cable Guy, and the 2004 feature film Garden State and episodes of TV shows such as Cake Boss, Hell's Kitchen, Celebrity Apprentice. Click for more. |
Tiki Terrace Dinner & Show
Book your mini vacation today at Chicago's intimate Hawaiian hide-away and experience the sights, sounds, tastes, and entertainment of the South Pacific, without having to book a flight. It is truly a full experience perfect for those seeking a unique night out. Like the luaus in Hawaii, our guests enjoy a variety of unique Island dishes including the popular Kalua pig and Mahi Mahi, sip on cool Mai Tais from the tiki bar, and relax in tropical atmosphere reminiscent of beautiful Hawaii. And the grand finale of your mini vacation is the action packed Echoes of Polynesia show. Click for more |
Detective Dinner & Show
The Dinner Detective® Murder Mystery Dinner Show was voted 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 “Best Dinner Show”. The Dinner Detective® is America’s LARGEST murder mystery comedy dinner show! You’ll solve a hilarious murder case while you enjoy a fantastic four-course plated dinner. A tantalizing Prize Package awaits our Top Sleuth of the evening. But be careful! In this show, EVERYONE is a suspect, even YOU, and the killer might be at your table! We strive to engage all of your senses from the moment you walk through our doors and keep focus on entertainment experience. Click for more. |
Grizzly Jack’s
The Grizzly Jack’s Grand Bear Resort & Indoor Waterpark. Older kids love the darkened atmosphere and loud piped-in rock music. The Grizzly rotates so fast it "knocks their socks off." Tilt-a-Whirl, Swing Buggy, Vertical Plunge, Carousel, Growler, Grizzly and Boa Coaster roller coasters. Small children can ride Centipede Express, Pouncing Tigers and Aliens rides. The space has a comfortable restaurant and bar. The Enchanted Forest Friday Family Fun Pack is a great deal. Full service restaurant serving pizzas, sandwiches and appetizers. Amusement park is free for guests Click for more. |
Behold the beauty of Illinois, below are popular side trips from the city. (Clicking on red colored text will link to more info or videos or official sites)
Naperville
One of the best known suburbs of Chicago. It's received accolades from Money Magazine, Modern Maturity, and Home Computing. Generally perceived as one of the best Chicagoland areas in which to live, Naperville is not just a bedroom community. With a population of over 140,000, it's more than a suburb of Chicago, but the fourth largest city in Illinois. Partly due to the charm of the downtown area. A popular area for families and teens is Centennial Beach, a former quarry. On the south side the Moser tower houses 72 bells and spans six octaves, also the living history museum Naper Settlement. A very popular Chicagoland destination. |
Milwaukee
The Brew City. Known as the setting of "Happy Days" and films like Bridesmaids, Transformers. Breweries are integral to Milwaukee's image and they offers excellent tours, starting with the brewing process and finishes at a pub for a little beer-tasting. The Oak Leaf Trail (a.k.a. the Old-76 Bike Tour) is the jewel in the crown of Milwaukee County's extensive trail system. The 96.4-mile trail meanders in and around the city of Milwaukee on a changing terrain of flat rural plains and hilly city streets. Nearly a quarter of the trail hugs the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan. There's no shortage of night life in the Brew City a.k.a Milwaukee. |
Geneva
An affluent suburb located on the western fringe of the Chicago suburbs. A popular tourist destination with its scenic location along the Fox River and numerous shops and restaurants. There is an extensive bike trail system in Geneva including portions of the Fox River Trail and the Illinois Prairie Path. Geneva has an active historical society, the Geneva History Center, located in downtown Geneva as well as the Fabyan Windmill, an old Dutch windmill dating back to the 1850s. The city is home to the Kane County Cougars baseball club of the Midwest League. Downtown offers shoppers over 200 unique shops and restaurants. |
Long Grove
An affluent village located in Lake County. Visitors love the relaxed pace and interesting mix of local shops, restaurants, art, and entertainment. Famous for our annual festivals and lush green spaces, Long Grove, was recently named one of Chicago’s Best Public Spaces by the Metropolitan Planning Council. This special little village retains all the character of its original farming community roots, with historic buildings, cobblestone walks and flowering gardens, set in a secluded atmosphere. Do you like chocolate? Then make sure to visit the annual Long Grove Chocolate Festival. Visit the many vendors, beautiful shops and restaurants with chocolate themed items. |
Galena
It makes visitors feel like entering a time machine, transporting them to the 19th century. Eighty-five percent of the city’s buildings sit in a National Register Historic District. In addition to historic attractions, Galena boasts scenic mountains that make visitors feel like they are on top of the world. The rolling hills, scenic roads and historic charm revitalize the spirit. Inspired by nature and overlooking the banks of the Galena River, the Main Street embraces a simpler time. The Galena River Trail, a 3.4-mile multiuse trail, accommodates bikers, hikers and skiers at no cost. The rich history is clearly visible in the city's architecture everywhere. |
Six Flags
Welcome to Six Flags Great America, an amazing theme park with awesome rides, great shows, and incredible attractions. The highly popular Six Flags Great America has a great collection of coasters that keeps visitors screaming from one end of the park to the other. While roller coasters are certainly its highlight, Six Flags isn't just about the thrills. Its Hurricane Harbor water park (included with admission) is huge and includes Skull Island, an enormous interactive water play center. Between the two parks, Great America offers over 75 rides and attractions. Enjoy Looney Tunes National Park, a huge interactive play center. |
Route 66, Pontiac
Pontiac offers its visitors a unique collection of interesting places and great things to see. Home of the Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame & Museum, the Pontiac Oakland Automobile Museum & Resource Center, the Livingston County War Museum, and the International Walldog Mural and Sign Art Museum, Pontiac has something to suit every taste. Take a “Core Route 66 Experience?” Simply put, these are historically significant attractions that will provide you unique, memorable glimpses into the glory days of The Mother Road. Some are quick stops. Others will tempt you to linger for hours. But they’re all fun, they’re all interesting. |
Oregon
Fun place to visit. Great place to live! Welcome to Oregon, Illinois, a beautiful town with picturesque landscapes, fascinating history, and warm, friendly people. Whether looking for a great place to live and do business or searching for a peaceful getaway, Oregon is the perfect destination. It is nestled along rocky cliffs, verdant forests, and the meandering Rock River. An exceptional small town, Oregon boasts: 4 State Parks and 10 City Parks; An Historic Downtown and Unique Shopping; Art Galleries and 3 Working Foundries; Cultural, Historical and Natural Attractions and much, much more. Current Population 4,100, Land area: 2.0 square miles. |