Chicago Things to Do

When it was built, Willis Tower was the tallest skyscraper in the world. It still lays claim to that title, being as its extended radio masts stretch up higher than any other building, but officially...

Walking along Michigan Avenue you can see Water Tower Plaza - a huge shopping mall that has a Disney store and other stores. "Filenes Bargain Basement" is supposed to be discount name-brands. You...

Chicago's Millennium Park is shrouded in controversy. Through delay and ballooning budget, it became known as "next Millennium Park". Costs spiralled from a proposed budget of just $10 million...

The voice in the lift up the 314 meters to the Hancock Center's observation deck boasted that the skyscraper was the "most recognizable building in the world". Now I think the Hancock Tower is a...

There is so much to see and do at the Navy Pier! This is an extremly diverse place to visit. it's part amusement park, part ship yard, part shopping destination and all tourist destination! Harry...

This is an impressive aquarium in the Museum Campus next to the Field Museum and Adler Planetarium. It has "stingray touch" where one can touch a stingray and beluga whales among other things. It is...

This is a large and varied museum of natural and human history. It has Sue, a Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaur fossil skeleton, part of an Egyptian tomb rebuilt along with other Egyptian artifacts, various...

One of my favorite things to visit at the Art Institute are the vibrant blue Chagall designed "America Windows" which were installed at the Art Institute in 1977. They were designed by Chagall to...

One of its famous attractions at the Grand Park is the Buckingham Fountain which was built in 1927 in honor of Clarence Buckingham. The design was inspired by a fountain found in Versailles Palace in...

The Chicago Chinatown is I imagine a quite smalll Chinatown compared to other cities in the US. It's well worth a visit and easy to get there using the subway. Easy to reach. I stayed for about an...

During the baseball season (end of March - beginning of October), going to a Cubs game is THE thing to do in Chicago. Especially on a Friday, where the game usually starts around 1pm. Tickets are sold...

The conservatory and gardens of Lincoln Park are a nice escape from the noise and traffic of downtown and are free for the rambling. Greenery and exotic florals abound in all shapes and colors inside...

Traveling with kiddies? On a budget? Here's a fun day out for you! Lincoln Park Zoo has been around forever, and is completely free for people both big and small to enjoy. There are enough critters to...

Last visit 12/31/06, check their website for free days for Illinois residents only. If you are visiting with children in a wide age range, this is where I would go, there's something for kids of all...

No ordinary transit system, the Elevated Lines (or L) is rated by the locals as one of the Seven Wonders of Chicago, greater even than the Willis Tower. It's historic, distinctive, and downright...

One thing i really liked about central city of Chicago is the river. The greeniest I've ever seen. I had a good view of it from our hotel window. Lots of opportunites getting on a boat and ride...

Opened in 1930, this is the oldest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere and it is a wonderful place. It has several different shows, a collection of astronomical and location-finding instruments, and...

The Chicago Cultural Center, formerly the public library, is a magnificent building that provides an unusual role as a cultural center for the public, with free art exhibits, performances, lectures,...

one of the architectural wonders in Wacker Area near the Chicago River due to the Art Deco Motif of the Building and on the Inside and a fine destination for Opera Lovers (unfortunately, I'm not fond...

I haven't been doing a lot of traveling lately (as of March, 2013) and although I still have plenty of tips to write about trips over the years I've decided to go through the Chicago categories and...

Two circular towers containing apartments, parking garages and a boat marina were built on the Chicago River between 1959 & 1964. It was the architectural dream/invention of Bertram Goldberg that...

Although the Tribune Tower (1922-25), built for the Chicago Tribune newspaper, is a magnificent example of 'sortof Gothic' skyscraper, with some elements strongly reminiscent of European Gothic...

In 1891, as the legend goes, a cow belonging to a Mr. and Mrs. O'Leary kicked over a lantern and started one of the most destructive fires in U.S. history. The inferno that blazed for two days wiped...

Originally opened as the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum, this museum has recently dropped "Vietnam" from its name. Its purpose is to inspire greater understanding of the real impact of war with...

August 17-18, 2013 Due to the federal sequester, two of the show favorites, the Thunderbirds and the Golden Knights, will not be performing in 2013 Held in mid to late August on a Saturday and Sunday...