Top 15 Attractions in Chicago

Chicago is a great place to have fun. When you arrive you’ll find a destination with personality, culture and state-of-the-art attractions that you will be talking about for years to come!

Make sure to visit the Lincoln Park Zoo while visiting Chicago. This attraction takes a leading role in protecting the world’s wildlife and its habitats through innovative education, science and conservation programs. It’s also one of the last free admission zoos in the country.

If you’re looking for family fun, Navy Pier offers shopping, restaurants and amusement rides the whole family will enjoy. In the evening consider taking in a classic Shakespearean performance at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

Experience some of the finest performances in theater at “Wicked,” or at a dazzling array of vigorous performances by some of Chicago’s other nationally renowned drama companies.

Millennium Park is Chicago’s hottest attraction! When you visit this 24.5-acre park you will discover the work of world-renowned architects, planners, artists and designers. A prominent feature of the park is Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate sculpture, which reflects the city’s famous skyline and invites visitors to touch its mirror-like surface.

All this plus: world-class shopping, all-star sports teams, a lively blues and jazz scene, free outdoor music festivals and much more.

Chicago and its surrounding communities are home to a variety of unique attractions: world-class museums, championship golf courses, historic downtown districts, diverse shopping opportunities, horse race and casino gambling, scenic nature areas, family-friendly venues and more.

1. Navy Pier

600 E. Grand Ave, Chicago, IL, 312-595-5300

Navy Pier’s attractions include the IMAX Theatre, the Ferris Wheel, the Chicago Children’s Museum and the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

Chicago’s lakefront playground with over 50 acres of parks, shops, restaurants, entertainment and attractions. Enjoy a ride on the Ferris Wheel, musical carousel, Wave Swinger and miniature golf course. Visit the Chicago Children’s Museum, Chicago Shakespeare Theater or the Navy Pier IMAX® Theatre. Take a ride on a tour boat or dining cruise ship. Free. For more information on the Chicago Downtown area, visit their website.

Attraction Type: Kids and Families.

2. Millennium Park

201 E. Randolph St, Chicago; 312-742-1168

This new cultural hot spot features a spectacular elliptical sculpture by Anish Kapoor, the beautifully landscaped Lurie Garden, the Frank Gehry designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, and a digitally – animated water fountain.

Millennium Park offers dazzling music, art, landscape design and architecture – including the mammoth stainless-steel Cloud Gate sculpture – plus ice skating in the winter, splashing around in the interactive Crown Fountain during summer, and alfresco din Free. For more information on the Chicago Downtown area, visit their website.

Attraction Type: Special Interest.

3. Lincoln Park Zoo

2200 N. Cannon Dr, Chicago; 312-742-2000

Visit one of the last free zoos in the country with an exciting African Journey exhibit, experience the newly renovated Farm-in-the-Zoo, or enjoy a magical ride on the Endangered Species Carousel.

The nation’s most historic zoo, is also one of the last remaining free admission zoos. Home to thousands of animals representing hundreds of different species, and operating one of the most significant zoo-based conservation and science programs in the country. Visitors can go nose-to-nose with gorillas, immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of Africa and howl with red wolves or climb inside a black bear. Located just minutes from downtown at Lake Shore Drive and Fullerton Pkwy. Free. For more information on the Chicago Downtown area, visit their website.

Attraction Type: Zoo.

4. Shedd Aquarium

1200 S. Lakeshore Dr, Chicago; 312-939-2438

From beluga whales to frolicking sea otters, and lively penguins to exotic fish, the Shedd is the world’s largest indoor aquarium offering more than 8,000 aquatic animals.

From whales to snails, tarantulas to turtles, you’ll meet 32,000 creatures from aquatic habitats around the world. Explore Shedd’s Abbott Oceanarium, where you can get face to face with beluga whales, dolphins, sea otters, sea lions and penguins. Polar Play Zone is a permanent exhibit where kids and their families can play, pretend and discover through hands-on activities. See the aquatic show, starring the dolphins, belugas and more. Then meet some of Shedd’s critters up close during live animal encounters in the Waters of the World galleries, talk to a diver in the 90,000-gallon Caribbean Reef, take a walk through a flooded forest in Amazon Rising and watch sharks overhead in Wild Reef. Admission Charge. For more information on the Chicago Downtown area, visit their website.

Attraction Type: Museum.

5. Art Institute of Chicago

Michigan Ave. at Adams St., Chicago; 312-443-3600

A cultural gem which boasts one of the nation’s largest collections of Impressionist works, the Art Institute offers an extensive permanent collection of paintings, drawings, photography and textiles as well as rotating special exhibits.

Visit America’s greatest collections of Impressionist paintings. With the opening of the critically acclaimed Modern Wing, just a short walk from Millennium Park over the spectacular new pedestrian bridge, the new home to one of the world’s greatest collections of modern and contemporary masters like Matisse, Picasso, Chagall, Pollock, and Richter. As the second largest art museum in the country, the Art Institute of Chicago has something for everyone! Admission Charge. For more information on the Chicago Downtown area, visit their website.

Attraction Type: Museum.

6. Museum of Science and Industry

57th St. and Lake Shore Dr, Chicago; 773-684-1414

More than 800 interactive exhibits are open to touch, create and explore at this museum for all ages. The Museum of Science and Industry is the largest science museum in the Western hemisphere.

The largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere and housed in the only remaining building from the 1893 World’s Fair. You’ll experience 14 acres of hands-on exhibits and have the chance to stand before a 40-foot tornado; climb aboard a World War II German submarine; take a run in a human-sized hamster wheel; descend into an Illinois coal mine; tour a fully-functioning eco-friendly home; board a 727 hanging from the ceiling; transmit your pulse to a 13-foot, 3-D, beating heart; and much more! Admission Charge. For more information on the Chicago Downtown area, visit their website.

Attraction Type: Museum.

7. The Field Museum

1400 S. Lake Shore Dr, Chicago; 312-922-9410 

Learn about different worlds, cultures and environments through the various permanent exhibits found at The Field Museum. Discover Sue, the largest and most complete T.Rex ever found or descend into an Egyptian tomb. Be dazzled by sparkling gems or come close to the man-eating lions of Tsavo.

Discover Sue, the world’s largest and most complete T. rex ever found! Descend into an Egyptian tomb and see 23 Egyptian mummies and 5,000 year-old hieroglyphics, shrink to 1/100th of your natural size and get a bug’s-eye view in Underground Adventure, be dazzled in our Halls of Gems and Jades, come nose-to-nose with the man-eating lions of Tsavo, walk among dinosaurs in our new, renovated dinosaur hall – Evolving Planet or explore 13,000 years of history from the Ice Age Mammoth hunters to the temples of the Aztecs in the Ancient Americas Hall. Experience Chicago’s only completely digital 3-D theater featuring “Waking the T.Rex. ” Admission Charge. For more information on the Chicago Downtown area, visit their website.

Attraction Type: Museum.

8. Skydeck Chicago

Breathtaking 360-degree views from North America’s tallest building. At 103 stories high, the Skydeck offers an unparalleled view of Chicago and four surrounding states.

Dare to Stand Out on The Ledge at Skydeck Chicago on the 103rd floor , with never before seen views, 1353 feet straight down. Atop the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, Skydeck Chicago is a “one stop Chicago” experience featuring museum quality interactive exhibits, the fastest multi media elevator ride and new theater presentations highlighting the architecture and culture of Chicago. Admission Charge. For more information on the Chicago Downtown area, visit their website.

Attraction Type: Special Interest.

9. Chicago Cultural Center

78 E. Washington St, Chicago; 312-744-6630 

See the world’s largest Tiffany stained-glass dome at this architectural showplace for the performing, literary and visual arts. Here you can enjoy a wealth of exciting, free exhibits.

Chicago’s acclaimed landmark home of the arts. Daily programs and exhibitions covering a wide range of the performing, visual and literary arts are presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. See the world’s largest Tiffany stained-glass dome. Free. For more information on the Chicago Downtown area, visit their website.

Attraction Type: Special Interest.

10. Chicago Children’s Museum

Navy Pier, 700 E. Grand Ave, Chicago; 312-527-1000

Hands-on exhibits and new activities daily make every visit special for kids and adults.

Playful, age-appropriate exhibits and programs feature sensory experiences for the youngest visitors and content focused on science, math, literacy, the arts, and diverse cultures for families with children through age 10. Admission Charge. For more information on the Chicago Downtown area, visit their website.

Attraction Type: Kids and Families.

11. Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave, Chicago; 800-233-7114

Chicago’s acclaimed symphony led by Daniel Baremboim performs more than 200 concerts annually from September – June.

With over 200 performances and events every year, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an internationally known talent. Admission Charge. For more information on the Chicago Downtown area, visit their website.

Attraction Type: Theater / Performing Arts.

12. Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum

1300 S. Lake Shore Dr, Chicago; 312-922-7827

The Adler fuels the imagination of its visitors with all-new exhibits and state-of-the-art computer technology in the world’s first Star Rider Theater.

The first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, fuels the imagination with exhibitions, state-of-the-art computer technology, hands-on activities for the family and three planetarium theaters. Catch a space show in the all-digital Definiti Space Theater on a screen that is 360° and more than 50 feet in diameter. Check out the Gemini 12 capsule, hop on the Lunar Leap and step on the Lunar Scale to find out how much you weigh on the Moon, and more. Admission Charge. For more information on the Chicago Downtown area, visit their website.

Attraction Type: Museum.

13. The Hancock Observatory

875 N. Michigan Ave, Chicago; 312-751-3681

The 94th-floor observatory, more than 1,000 feet above Chicago, features an open-air Skywalk, Sky Tours, which takes you on a personal audio tour of Chicago, and Soundscope 3-D “talking” telescopes.

At 1,000 ft above the Magnificent Mile, be amazed by the stunning views spanning 4 states after riding in North America’s fastest elevator. Stimulate the mind with a FREE multimedia Sky Tour through Chicago’s history and hotspots. Tour comes in both kids and adult versions and is translated in 6 languages. Feel why Chicago’s called the Windy City on our open-air Skywalk or sit down to relax in our Lavazza Espression Cafe. Admission Charge. For more information on the Chicago Downtown area, visit their website. Attraction Type: Special Interest.

14. Museum of Contemporary Art

220 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago; 312-280-2660

Known as Chicago’s largest museum for contemporary art, the museum highlights today’s most innovative and exciting artists.

The finest and most provocative contemporary art including sculpture, painting, photography, video, music and dance. Admission Charge. For more information on the Chicago Downtown area, visit their website. Attraction Type: Museum.

15. Chicago History Museum

Clark St. at North Ave, Chicago, IL; 312-642-4600

Visit the oldest cultural institution and keeper of Chicago’s memories.

The nation’s premier urban history museum features an impressive collection of exhibits centered on Chicago, Illinois and American history. Admission Charge. For more information on the Chicago Downtown area, visit their website.

Attraction Type: Museum.