01
1 hr 30 min
Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago is an encyclopedic art museum beside Grant Park, with historic galleries and the Modern Wing.
- Must see
- Museum
City guide · United States
Chicago
Chicago is organised around Lake Michigan, the Chicago River and a regular street grid. The Loop contains the central business district, major architecture and Millennium Park; museum campuses and lakefront parks extend south, while River North, Lincoln Park and neighbourhood centres continue north and west. A first visit works best when downtown sights are grouped together and separate time is reserved for one or two neighbourhoods beyond the Loop.
Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor
Practical information
Practical information
- Language spoken
- English is the principal language; no federal official language
- National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
- Dialling code
- +1
- International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
- Currency
- United States dollar (USD)
- Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
- Emergency number
- 911
- Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
- Plug type
- Type A and B · 120 V
- Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
- Tap water
- Not recorded
- Water quality is regulated locally; check the current notice for the destination
Turn this list into a plan
Set your days, your pace and the hours you actually want to be out. The planner works around closing days and travel time, and leaves room to eat.
Planning a visit
- Suggested stay
- Not recorded
- Getting around
- Walk, CTA rail and bus
- January: recurring difficult conditions
- February: recurring difficult conditions
- March: viable with meaningful trade-offs
- April: good time to visit
- May: best time to visit
- June: good time to visit
- July: viable with meaningful trade-offs
- August: viable with meaningful trade-offs
- September: best time to visit — current month
- October: best time to visit
- November: viable with meaningful trade-offs
- December: recurring difficult conditions
- Best time
- Good time
- Viable with trade-offs
- Difficult conditions
Sources
- www.weather.gov Checked 2026-08-28
Top things to see
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
Filter the list
44 places match
44 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
-
-
02 1 hr 30 minField Museum of Natural History
Field Museum
Field Museum is Chicago's major natural-history museum, developed from World's Columbian Exposition collections. Its visitor experience is defined by Stanley Field Hall, Máximo, SUE, dinosaurs, evolving life, ancient Americas, Egypt, gems, and cultural collections.
- Must see
- Museum
-
03 1 hr 30 minKenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry is a hands-on science museum in Hyde Park's former Palace of Fine Arts. Its visitor experience is defined by U-505, the coal mine, Science Storms, transport halls, genetics, farming, and the model railway.
- Must see
- Museum
-
04 1 hr 30 minShedd Aquarium
Shedd Aquarium is a public aquarium on Museum Campus joining freshwater and marine conservation. Its visitor experience is defined by Caribbean Reef, Wild Reef, Polar Play Zone, Abbott Oceanarium, sharks, rays, otters, penguins, and Great Lakes ecology.
- Must see
- Family attraction
-
05 1 hr 30 minChicago Architecture Center
Chicago Architecture Center is an interpretation center devoted to Chicago's buildings, engineering, planning, and design. Its visitor experience is defined by the Chicago City Model Experience, skyscraper galleries, neighborhood design, exhibitions, and guided tours.
- Must see
- Museum
-
06 2 hoursWrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball stadium on Chicago's North Side, serving as home to the Chicago Cubs since 1914. It holds designation as a National Historic Landmark, recognizing its century-long role in American sports architecture.
- Must see
- Entertainment venue
-
07 1 hr 30 minLincoln Park Zoo
Lincoln Park Zoo is a free public zoo founded in 1868 within landscaped Lincoln Park. Its visitor experience is defined by large mammals, primates, African habitats, farm animals, birds, indoor houses, gardens, and Nature Boardwalk.
- Must see
- Family attraction
-
08 1 hr 30 minMuseum of Contemporary Art Chicago
Museum of Contemporary Art
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is a contemporary-art museum founded in 1967 near Water Tower Place. Its visitor experience is defined by changing exhibitions, installations, painting, sculpture, media art, performances, commissions, talks, and public spaces.
- Must see
- Museum
-
09 2 hoursAdler Planetarium
The Adler Planetarium is a public museum dedicated to astronomy and astrophysics.
- Must see
- Museum
-
10 2 hoursSoldier Field
Soldier Field is a historic stadium located on Chicago's lakefront. The venue opened in 1924 and serves as a memorial to American soldiers who have died in wars.
- Must see
- Entertainment venue
-
11 1 hr 30 minChicago History Museum
The Chicago History Museum is the principal museum dedicated to the social and civic history of Chicago. Located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, it serves as the city's primary institution for preserving and interpreting its past.
- Must see
- Museum
-
12 1 hr 30 minDuSable Museum of African American History
DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center
The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center is a museum in Chicago dedicated to the history, art, and culture of African Americans. Founded in 1961, it is the oldest independent institution of its kind in the United States.
- Must see
- Museum
-
13 1 hr 30 minNational Museum of Mexican Art
The National Museum of Mexican Art is a nationally important cultural institution located in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood.
- Must see
- Museum
-
14 1 hr 30 minInstitute for the Study of Ancient Cultures
Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures Museum
The Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures is a museum operated by the University of Chicago. It houses major archaeological collections from West Asia and North Africa.
- Must see
- Museum
-
15 1 hr 30 minMuseum of Illusions
Museum of Illusions Chicago is an interactive attraction located in the Loop district, positioned among the city's established museum row. The venue specializes in perceptual and sensory exhibits designed to challenge visitor understanding of visual reality.
- Must see
- Museum
-
16 1 hr 30 minAmerican Writers Museum
The American Writers Museum is a Chicago museum devoted to American writers and literary history. Located on the second floor of a building on Michigan Avenue, it uses interactive exhibits to introduce authors, movements, and works that shaped American literature.
- Must see
- Museum
-
17 1 hr 30 minDriehaus Museum
Richard H. Driehaus Museum
The Richard H. Driehaus Museum occupies the historic Samuel M. Nickerson House in Chicago's River North neighborhood. Built in 1883, this Gilded Age mansion exemplifies elaborate Victorian architecture and design.
- Must see
- Museum
-
18 1 hr 30 minJohn J. Glessner House
Glessner House Museum
Glessner House is a historic house museum located on Prairie Avenue in Chicago. It exemplifies the Richardsonian Romanesque architectural style and holds significant importance in the history of this once-prominent residential district.
- Must see
- Museum
-
19 1 hr 30 minHull House
Jane Addams Hull-House Museum
The Jane Addams Hull-House Museum is a settlement-house museum located in Chicago, Illinois. It preserves and interprets the history of Hull House, founded in 1889 by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr.
- Must see
- Museum
-
20 1 hr 30 minHenry B. Clarke House
Clarke House Museum is Chicago's oldest surviving house and a historic house museum in the Prairie Avenue Historic District. Built for Henry B. Clarke, the Greek Revival home preserves an early chapter of Chicago residential architecture.
- Must see
- Museum
-
21 1 hr 30 minChicago Maritime Museum
Chicago Maritime Museum is a Bridgeport museum devoted to the waterways that shaped Chicago. Its story joins the Chicago River, Lake Michigan, and the Illinois and Michigan Canal, showing how water supported commerce, transport, work, recreation, and naval activity.
- Must see
- Museum
-
22 1 hr 30 minChicago Children's Museum
The Chicago Children's Museum is Navy Pier's principal hands-on museum for children. Located on Chicago's lakefront at one of the city's most visited destinations, this institution serves young visitors through interactive exhibits designed for play-based learning.
- Must see
- Museum
-
23 1 hr 30 minPeggy Notebaert Nature Museum
The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is a natural history museum in Chicago operated by the Chicago Academy of Sciences. It focuses on the nature and ecology of the Midwest region.
- Must see
- Museum
-
24 1 hr 30 minPritzker Military Museum & Library
Pritzker Military Museum & Library is a Chicago museum and research library devoted to military history, the citizen soldier, and the relationship between military service and democratic society.
- Must see
- Museum
-
25 1 hr 30 minNational Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture
National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture
The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture is a cultural institution located in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood. It occupies the historic Humboldt Park stables and receptory, a building dating to 1895.
- Must see
- Museum
-
26 1 hr 30 minIntuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art
The Intuit Art Museum is a specialist museum in Chicago dedicated to intuitive and outsider art. It occupies a distinctive position in the city's cultural landscape by focusing on work created by self-taught artists operating outside the mainstream art world.
- Must see
- Museum
-
27 1 hr 30 minSmart Museum of Art
David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art
Smart Museum of Art is the University of Chicago’s art museum in Hyde Park. Opened in 1974, it was named for brothers David and Alfred Smart and developed as a teaching museum.
- Must see
- Museum
-
28 1 hr 30 minRenaissance Society
The Renaissance Society
The Renaissance Society is a long-running contemporary art centre at the University of Chicago. Founded in 1915, it is one of the oldest venues for contemporary art in the United States.
- Must see
- Museum
-
29 1 hr 30 minMichigan Avenue Bridge
McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum
McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum occupies the historic bridgehouse at the Michigan Avenue Bridge, now known as the DuSable Bridge, over the Chicago River.
- Must see
- Museum
-
30 1 hr 30 minChicago Sports Museum
Chicago Sports Museum is an interactive downtown attraction devoted to the sporting life of Chicago. It brings together stories from the city’s professional and amateur teams and presents them in a format that invites participation rather than quiet gallery viewing.
- Must see
- Museum
-
31 2 hoursNewberry Library
Newberry Library is an independent research library in Chicago, founded in 1887 and dedicated to rare books, manuscripts, maps, and other humanities materials.
- Must see
- Activity
-
32 2 hoursHarold Washington Library Center
The Harold Washington Library Center is the main branch of the Chicago Public Library system. Named after Chicago's first African American mayor, it opened in 1991 and serves as the central library for the city.
- Must see
- Activity
-
33 2 hoursChicago Board of Trade Building
The Chicago Board of Trade Building is a landmark skyscraper in Chicago's Loop district. Completed in 1930, it stands as one of the city's most recognizable Art Deco structures.
- Must see
- Activity
-
34 2 hoursWrigley Building
The Wrigley Building is a prominent office building and Chicago landmark located on the Near North Side, directly across Michigan Avenue from the Tribune Tower.
- High
- Activity
-
35 2 hoursMarina City
Marina City is a mixed-use residential complex in downtown Chicago, Illinois, notable for its distinctive corncob-shaped twin towers.
- High
- Activity
-
36 2 hoursBP Pedestrian Bridge
BP Pedestrian Bridge is a sculptural pedestrian crossing in Chicago’s Millennium Park, designed by architect Frank Gehry. The bridge spans Columbus Drive and links Millennium Park with Daley Bicentennial Plaza.
- High
- Activity
-
37 1 hr 30 minMuseum Campus
Museum Campus is a 57-acre park in Chicago along Lake Michigan, created in 1998. It connects three major natural history and science museums: the Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Adler Planetarium.
- High
- Museum
-
38 2 hoursChicago Lakefront Trail
The Chicago Lakefront Trail is an extensive multi-use path running along the western shore of Lake Michigan. It stretches through Chicago's lakefront park system, connecting numerous neighborhoods and recreational areas.
- High
- Activity
-
39 2 hoursRosehill Cemetery
Rosehill Cemetery is a historic burial ground located on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. Established in 1859, it is the largest cemetery in the city of Chicago.
- Notable
- Activity
-
40 1 hr 30 minChess Records
Chess Studio
Chess Records was a landmark American record company and recording studio on Chicago's South Side. Founded by brothers Leonard and Phil Chess, it became one of the most important labels in blues and early rock and roll history.
- Notable
- Museum
-
41 1 hr 30 minNational Hellenic Museum
The National Hellenic Museum is a cultural institution located in Chicago's Greektown neighborhood. It is dedicated to preserving and interpreting the history, culture, and contributions of Greek people, with particular emphasis on the Greek diaspora experience in America.
- Notable
- Museum
-
42 1 hr 30 minUkrainian National Museum
The Ukrainian National Museum is a cultural institution located in Chicago's Ukrainian Village neighborhood. It preserves and presents Ukrainian-American history and material culture for public education.
- Notable
- Museum
-
43 2 hoursKinzie Street Bridge
Kinzie Street Bridge is a Chicago River crossing in the downtown area, carrying road traffic and pedestrians across the North Branch.
- Notable
- Activity
-
44 2 hoursGreen Mill Cocktail Lounge
Green Mill Cocktail Lounge is a historic jazz club in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. Its story reaches back to the early twentieth century, and the venue is closely connected with Chicago’s Prohibition-era nightlife.
- Notable
- Nightlife venue
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·
How the city is laid out
State Street and Madison Street form the reference point for Chicago's address grid. The Loop sits beside the river and lake, with the Magnificent Mile and River North immediately north. Museum Campus, Hyde Park and Bronzeville lie south; West Loop, Pilsen and Wicker Park extend west and northwest. The lakefront is a continuous orientation line, but neighbourhood distances are substantial, so a map that appears compact can still represent several miles of travel.
Checked 2026-08-26
Getting around
Walk within the Loop and along the central riverfront, then use CTA trains and buses for neighbourhoods and the airports. The colour-coded rail network connects downtown with the North, West and South Sides; the Blue Line serves O'Hare and the Orange Line serves Midway. Metra is useful for farther suburban trips rather than most central sightseeing. Check the official service map and alerts before travel because planned work can alter routes.
Checked 2026-08-26
Common questions
How many days should I spend in Chicago?
A fixed stay length is not recorded. Plan one block for the Loop and river, one for the lakefront museums, and additional time for the neighbourhoods that match your interests.
Where is central Chicago?
The Loop is the practical centre, bounded by elevated rail tracks and set beside the river and Lake Michigan. River North and the Magnificent Mile begin immediately north.
Can I visit Chicago without a car?
Yes. Walk downtown and use CTA trains and buses for the lakefront, neighbourhoods and airports. Metra is mainly useful for destinations farther beyond the central city.
Which train connects O'Hare with downtown?
The CTA Blue Line connects O'Hare International Airport with downtown. Consult CTA service alerts before departure because construction or maintenance can affect the normal route.
Are Chicago's neighbourhoods close together?
Not always. The grid makes orientation simple, but the city extends a long way along the lake. Group nearby districts and use transit between the North, West and South Sides.