what to do in chicago

What to Do in Chicago Let yourself be whisked 1,353 feet up the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) in a high-speed elevator to Skydeck Chicago (233 S. Wacker Dr.), where you can start your vacation with a view of the entire city spread out before you and, on a clear day, see four states.

Lose yourself within the cavernous exhibit halls of The Field Museum (1400 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr.), where you'll (safely) come face-to-fang with the man-eating Tsavo lions (stuffed) and SUE, a menacing Tyrannosaurus rex (fossilized), along with a menagerie of other well-preserved and well-displayed creatures.

AAA/Elizabeth Fernandez
Savor a slice of Chicago-style pizza (also known as stuffed or deep-dish) at any number of local restaurants. Lou Malnati's Pizzeria (439 N. Wells St.) in the Near North district is known for its signature crispy crusts.

AAA/Inspector 40
Take a trip on the “L” (Chicago's ELevated mass transit trains) around the Loop and enjoy an up-close look at downtown Chicago's historic architecture that you can't get from the ground, or for one of the most popular things to do in Chicago, take a boat tour along the Chicago River and Lake Michigan shoreline.

AAA/Inspector 40
Make a pilgrimage via the Red Line to the Chicago Cubs' Wrigley Field (1060 W. Addison St.), whose ivy-covered outfield walls have served as backdrop for some of Major League Baseball's most thrilling moments.

Experience live blues music at the free, 3-day Chicago Blues Festival in June in Grant Park at the lakefront or visit one of the blues clubs scattered about “Sweet Home Chicago.”

Limber up your shopping muscles and spend an afternoon hunting for that must-have item or dining at one of the many restaurants along the Magnificent Mile, that boutique-crowded section of North Michigan Avenue between Oak Street and the Chicago River.

ferrantraite/iStockphoto.com
Entertain the kids at Navy Pier (600 E. Grand Ave.), a 50-acre waterfront entertainment complex with dozens of fun things to do, including the nearly 200-foot-tall Centennial Wheel and a musical carousel, not to mention a children's museum, a miniature golf course, shops and restaurants.

AAA/Inspector 40
Snap a photo in front of Buckingham Memorial Fountain (Columbus Dr. & Congress Pkwy.) in Grant Park with either the Chicago skyline as a background or the lovely lakeshore, a popular warm weather destination for joggers, bikers and skaters.

Tour suburban Oak Park to see the groundbreaking work of Frank Lloyd Wright, often called America's greatest architect, whose home and studio stands amidst several of his Prairie-style masterpieces.

Choose Chicago
Dodge jets of water spewing from The Crown Fountain's twin video towers or photograph your warped reflection in the funhouse mirrorlike surface of “Cloud Gate” (aka The Bean), both in Millennium Park (N. Michigan Ave. & E. Randolph St.).

Ponder the lost-looking souls passing time in an all-night diner in Edward Hopper's masterpiece “Nighthawks” or imagine yourself strolling in a 19th-century park with the fashionable Parisians of Georges Seurat's “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte” at The Art Institute of Chicago (111 S. Michigan Ave.).

AAA/Frank Swanson
Watch chicks hatch, witness artificial lightning bolts arc through the air, descend into a re-created coal mine, and climb aboard a German submarine captured during World War II at the Museum of Science and Industry (5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr.), a beautiful 1893 building packed with hundreds of entertaining and educational science exhibits.

AAA/Elizaeth Fernandez
Press your nose against the thick acrylic windows of the Wild Reef Exhibit and feel like you're swimming with the eels, lionfish and sharks at the Shedd Aquarium (1200 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr.).