Visiting from out of town?

Big Bus Tours

The HOP ON HOP OFF Tour has been the gold standard for an entertaining & informative tour as well as low-cost transportation to shopping, dining & attractions.

Adler Planetarium

Though it’s staffed by world-class researchers at the forefront of their field, the museum’s real draw will always be the virtual-reality trips through time and space in the Sky Theater, which—thanks to a 2011 rehab—features the “highest resolution and quality possible.”

Art Institute of Chicago

You could spend the next four years getting to know this encyclopedic institution, which owns more than 300,000 artworks and artifacts from all over the world and every era from antiquity to the present. Our favorite pieces include the Japanese prints, fragments of local buildings by Frank Lloyd Wright and the Thorne Miniature Rooms.

The Field Museum

Founded to house the biological and anthropological collections assembled for the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893, this massive natural history museum still packs ’em in with more than 30 permanent exhibitions. Inside the displays, you can see glowering dinos, marvel at ancient artifacts from a royal Egyptian tomb, or undergo a lesson in cannibalism in the “Pacific Spirits” gallery.

Shedd Aquarium

Anchoring the aquatic offerings at this 75-year-old institution are enduring favorites such as piranhas, frogs and snakes of the Amazon; rays, turtles and moray eel of the Caribbean; frightening predator sharks and, the most storied of them all, a 100-plus-year-old Australian lungfish believed to be the longest-living fish in any aquarium in the world.

Chicago Cultural Center

Since being converted to the Cultural Center in 1991 (it used to be the Chicago Public Library), this city-block- wide institution now offers free classical concerts. Most of the center’s classical offerings take place in Preston Bradley Hall on the second floor, but the Claudia Cassidy Theater on the Randolph Street side is used for experimental concerts, too.

Chicago History Museum

Not so long ago this vibrant museum was the stodgy ol’ Chicago Historical Society, which let you cull through thousands of archived photographs and curio. Well, that library still exists, but joining it are several permanent and temporary exhibits, the largest of which is “Chicago: Crossroads of America,” a treasure trove of historical objects.

Museum of Science and Industry

Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, one of the largest science museums in the world, is home to more than 35,000 artifacts and nearly 14 acres of hands-on exhibits designed to spark scientific inquiry and creativity. We have welcomed more than 180 million guests in our 90 years, and our ongoing mission has been to inspire the inventive genius in all of them with world-class, permanent exhibits such as the U-505 Submarine, the only German U-boat in the United States.

Grant Park

Spanning 319 acres of lakefront property, Chicago’s “front yard” is filled with notable landmarks like the Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain, the Art Institute and Museum Campus. In the summer, Grant Park’s sprawling terrain plays host to festivals like Lollapalooza, Blues Fest and the Taste of Chicago.

Millennium Park

This 24.5-acre park features Frank Gehry’s Pritzker Pavilion and serpentine bridge; sculptor Anish Kapoor’s 110- ton Cloud Gate (a.k.a. “The Bean”); and Jaume Plensa’s Crown Fountain, with its ever-changing array of locals’ faces spewing water very five minutes in the summer months. The Lurie Garden wows with year-round flower displays and monthly garden walks.

Chicago Riverwalk

If you’re looking for breathtaking views of some of Chicago’s most gorgeous architecture, take a stroll along the Riverwalk. A series of public walkways and seating areas offers access to boat tours and water taxis as well as waterfront cafes and restaurants.

360 Chicago

Formerly known as the John Hancock Observatory, 360 Chicago offers dining, sights and an interactive tour far above the city streets. From 1,000 feet up on the 94th floor, you can see up to 55 miles out and four states—you’ll feel as if you’re along for the ride as you watch airplanes whiz by. A recent addition is the Tilt attraction, which allows visitors to step onto an enclosed platform that extends from the building at a 30-degree angle.

Navy Pier

This tourist hot spot features shops, eateries, an IMAX cinema and a bevy of sightseeing boat tours. Pier Park is home to a 150-foot-high Ferris wheel, plus an old-fashioned swing ride and 18-hole mini-golf course—great for tourists or an afternoon of people-watching.

Water Tower Place

If you’re downtown and looking for a place to go on a shopping spree, this Michigan Avenue mall is just the ticket. Tourists flock to the seven-story complex to take their kids to the American Girl and Lego stores or grab a bite at the upscale food court.

Wendella Boat Tours

For over 80 years, we’ve provided visitors and locals alike with the ultimate Chicago experience. Offering premier Chicago River & Lake Michigan tours and cruises, we blend nostalgia for Chicago’s rich history with modern experiences to provide a fun day on the water, whatever the occasion.

Willis Tower Skydeck

The second-tallest building in the country, this 1973 landmark put the city in an uproar when insurance broker Willis Group Holdings Ltd acquired the Sears Tower naming rights in 2009. Skydeck views from the 103rd floor allow you to see as far as 50 miles out, and its newest feature, the Ledge, allows you to crawl into a glass cube structure suspended 1,353 feet off the ground.