101 Things To Do in Chicago: As Told by A Local
Things To Do in Chicago
No matter what time of the year it is, you can always find things to do in Chicago. As someone who has lived here for years, I have put together the best things you should do, whether you’re also living in Chicago or just visiting for the weekend.
101 Things to Do in Chicago
Admire your reflection in the Bean (Cloud Gate)
Shop along Michigan Avenue
Enjoy the scenery and admire the animals at Lincoln Park Zoo
Splash around at one of Chicago's many beaches
Attend a White Sox game at Guaranteed Rate Field
Ride the Ferris wheel at Navy Pier
Take an architecture boat tour on the Chicago River
Enjoy an evening boat ride on Lake Michigan
Attend a Cubs game at Wrigley Field
Attend one of the many yummy food festivals in the summer
11. Attend a Bears game at Solider Field
12. Check out the views from the Willis Tower
13. Visit the Garfield Park Conservatory
14. Attend a Bulls or Blackhawks game at the United Center
15. Have a drink on the 96th floor of the John Hancock Building
16. Visit one of Chicago's well-known museums, including the Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, Science and Industry Museum, Shedd Aquarium, and the Art Institute of Chicago
17. Explore Chinatown’s many great restaurants and shops
18. Attend a Chicago Fire or Chicago Red Stars soccer game
19. Enjoy a picnic amongst the many statues of the Wizard of Oz characters at Oz Park
20. Visit the world's largest Starbucks
21. Stroll along the riverfront in Chicago's Loop
22. Quench your thirst at one of Chicago’s many local breweries
23. Enjoy a glass of wine or a cold beer on top of one of Chicago's many rooftops in the Loop or River North
24. Try a deep-dish pizza at a local spot
25. Check out the famous poop statue in Ukrainian Village
26. Go for a walk, run, or bike ride along the lakefront path
27. Attend the many art festivals in the summer
28. Rock out at Lollapalooza
29. Have a drink at Theater at the Lake in Lincoln Park
30. Attend the Auto Show at McCormick Place
31. Watch a concert at Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park
32. Splash around in the Crown Fountain
33. Walk through Steelworkers Park
34. Admire the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park
35. Take part in a game of softball in Grant Park with a 16-inch softball
36. Witness the cherry blossoms at Jackson Park in April
37. Stroll through Northerly Island
38. Run in the Chicago Marathon in October
39. Check out the skyline view from Promontory Point
40. Sit and read a book at the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool
41. Ride your bike on the 606 path
42. Rent a boat for the afternoon in the Chicago River
43. Try the many restaurants in Fulton Market
44. Watch the fireworks by Navy Pier during the summer months
45. Visit the Winter Palace at the top of Harold Washington Library
46. Admire the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed lobby of the Rookery Building
47. Have a picnic at Milton Lee Olive Park
48. Laugh the night away at a comedy show at Second City
49. Spend an afternoon at the Lincoln Park Conservatory
50. Watch the sailboats come in and out of Lake Michigan at Belmont Harbor
51. Play a round of golf at the golf course right along Lake Michigan, Sydney R. Marovitz Golf Course
52. Admire the Bahá'í House of Worship in Evanston
53. Stroll through the Chicago Botanic Garden
54. Spend an afternoon of recreation at Humboldt Park
55. Watch the Chicago River being dyed green in honor of St. Patrick's Day
56. Visit Ping Tom Memorial Park in Chinatown
57. See the light show at Buckingham Fountain
58. Tour the University of Chicago's campus
59. Stroll through Washington Park
60. Attend a blues concert
61. Shop at the many farmer's markets around the city in the summer
62. Admire Lincoln Park from above at The J Parker
63. Play in a beach volleyball league at North Avenue Beach
64. Attend a concert at Ravinia Festival
65. Watch a Chicago Sky game at Wintrust Arena
66. Enjoy the playground at Maggie Daley Park
67. Visit the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary
68. Paddle Board along Lake Michigan's waterfront
69. Admire the Historic Water Tower that survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871
70. Take a Chicago Crime tour
71. Watch The Air and Water Show along Lake Michigan
72. Shop and eat your way through the Christkindlmarket during the holiday season
73. Check out the Zoo Lights at Lincoln Park Zoo
74. Attend a show or concert at The Chicago Theater
75. Go mural scouting in Chicago’s coolest neighborhoods.
76. Going ice skating in Millennium Park
77. Visit the birthplace of famous Chicagoans
78. See the latest luxury fashions on Rush Street in the Gold Coast
79. Listen to live jazz at the Museum of Contemporary Art
80. Admire Chicago’s remaining Gilded Age mansions
81. Learn about the history of the Pullman District
82. Dine at the famous Restoration Hardware showroom cafe
83. Marvel at the largest Tiffany stained-glass dome at the Chicago Cultural Center
84. Kayak the Chicago River
85. Admire butterflies at the Peggy Notebaert Museum
86. Watch Art at the Mart displays
87. Catch a Blue Man Group show
88. Visit Brookfield Zoo
89. Visit the many Chicago Public Library locations around the city
90. Check out the petting zoo at Farm in the Zoo
91. Visit the Leaning Tower of Niles
92. Watch the Annual Chicago Ducky Derby
93. Take a photo in front of the Big Monster Toys Door
94. Visit one of Chicago’s speakeasies
95. Take a Segway tour along the lakefront
96. Escape the cold with a stroll through the pedway in the Loop
97. Take a polar plunge in Lake Michigan to raise money for charity
98. Attend a performance at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
99. Meander through the Garden of the Phoenix
100. Get a bird’s eye view on a helicopter tour
101. Visit the lesser-known museums, including the International Museum of Surgical Science, National Museum of Mexican Art, DuSable Museum of African-American History, and Chinese-American Museum of Chicago
