Chicago Attractions: Must Go, Maybe Go, & Skip
Tara Posted on Thursday, August 12, 2010 at 9:20PM Nearly every city has its set of attractions; those places that offer an only-in-this-city experience. They also have those that, well, end up feeling like a tourist trap. Chicago is no exception to this. You could come spend a week in this city and fill your visit with attractions if that is what you wanted to do. While not all of them are created equal and some are definitely a skip, there are quite a few that will absolutely give you that only-in-Chicago experience.
When I plan trips, I like itineraries and lists. I will make a list for every day that includes the Must Go and the Maybe for activities/sights and food/dining options so that we make the most of our time. We will start the day at a breakfast place talking about what is on the list and what we want to make sure to hit that day. The maybes are places that sound pretty interesting to squeeze in if we end up having more time than anticipated.
So if I was planning a trip to Chicago, these are the places that (based on my experiences) would be on the lists.
Must Go
Art Institute
I adore the Art Institute. And I go fairly regularly. They tend to have really good special exhibits and I would definitely be sure to see the Impressionist Gallery. This is absolutely a must go. I would head there fairly early, spend a few hours wandering around, and then head across the street to grab a sandwich to enjoy in the gardens/courtyards that are on either side of the building's Michigan Ave entrance; the courtyard on the south side of the entrance is particularly lovely. I am headed here Labor Day weekend to visit the Henri Cartier-Bresson exhibit!
Chicago Cultural Center
I love this building. Not only is it a US Registry of Historic Places; it is also so beautiful inside, the Preston Bradley Hall is stunning. They regularly have nice little exhibits and concerts... Did I mention it is free? Both to wander around the pretty building and the performances! Nice. You can find the events calendar here. There is a Welcome Center at the Randolph St entrance that is loaded with free maps, activity/festival schedule brochures, and information on neighborhoods... so it might be super helpful to check this out early on in the trip. Chicago brides, those free maps are great additions to welcome packages. I just visited the Cultural Center to see a photograph exhibit - it was totally worth the visit!
Sears (aka Willis) Tower Skydeck
The new viewing ledge at the Skydeck is very cool. Maybe not for the faint of heart regarding heights but definitely a fun experience of getting up close and personal with the skyline. Lines can get long so I would try to do this early.
Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour
There is some awesome architecture in Chicago. And what better way to see it than floating down the Chicago River. I would suggest reading The Devil In The White City before visiting. I will be doing one of these next weekend!
Millennium Park
While this is definitely something that will appear in nearly every tourist publication for Chicago, I have to recommend visiting Millenium Park. What is not to love about visiting one of the world's largest green roofs? The park is built over a railway yard and parking garages. It is really pretty. The Bean is a very cool sculpture worth seeing in any season. And maybe there will be a free concert at the Pavilion while you are visiting; just grab picnic fare from Fox and Obel and enjoy the lawn with front seat view of the skyline as it will surely be a great experience (I found it to be an amazing evening). There is also the Cycle Center where you can rent bicycles and get a map of bike lanes. I have spent many a lunch hour in all seasons wandering around Millennium Park, it is definitely worth a visit.
Lincoln Park Nature Boardwalk & Alfred Caldwell Lily Pond
I love spending time in Lincoln Park and the new boardwalk is really very nice. The Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool is like a secret little beautiful haven (and is where we had some engagement photos taken). I would recommend adding as peaceful little moment during your trip to visit these spots. What I would do is wander around the Green City Market grabbing some snacks or a light lunch, then walk over the Boardwalk to wander around and take in the view, and then head over the Lily Pool for a peaceful little picnic.
North Ave Beach
I also absolutely love going to the beach (as I professed earlier this week). The North Ave beach offers this awesome view of beach, lake, city, and park. It is at the same time peaceful and inspiring and energizing. It also gets crazy busy during the summer. My favorite time to go is between 7 and 9am. Go for a run, walk, jog, bicycle ride between Oak Street and Diversey Harbor. Then walk out on the little pier/area that juts out into the lake to the sound end of Castaways (the big ship building); here is a link to a pdf map of the lakefront path. It will be uniquely Chicago.
Maybe Go
Lincoln Park Zoo and Conservatory
Zoos make me sad. But this is pretty nice little zoo with cool old buildings. The Conservatory is a nice way to spend an hour or so, especially in the winter. I have enjoyed visiting these spots but would put them as a maybe; if there is time open and you are near there, they will be worth checking out. Oh and they are both free!
Museum of Contemporary Art
I am partial to the Art Institute... but if Contemporary Art is your thing you might want to bump this up in priority on the list. One thing I would check is if you will be visiting during a Tuesday on the Terrace. An evening of jazz while hanging out in the Sculpture Garden would definitely make for a memorable evening.
Field Museum
This is a pretty cool museum and most science-types and boys are sure to enjoy visiting. If time is limited, I would keep this as a maybe. It is an enjoyable museum to visit but something that is ok to miss if you need to start cutting things out.
Shedd
Ahhh, on one hand I enjoy visiting Shedd Aquarium but the almost always dreadfully long lines and $26 a person admission fees put it lower on the list. You will not feel as though you missed out on a major Chicago experience by skipping Shedd.
Skip It and Don't Think Twice
Navy Pier
This place always feels lacking to me. It is the definition of tourist trap. And I honestly think that if I had young kids I would still skip this place and take them to the places on the Must Go list and spend more time in the parks instead.
Museum of Science and Industry
This place is seriously far away. You spend a pretty penny on a cab or spend a lot of time on CTA. It is great for school field trips and for elementary age kids.
Adler Planetarium
The area surrounding is beautiful. Really very pretty. Again, good for kids but not necessarily something that you will miss out on and regret not going to.
Chicago Bus Tours
Sitting atop a bus in traffic is not how I would want to spend my time. Do the river tour and call it a day for tours.
Sports Arenas
Going to a game is incredibly fun... but if you are not going to a game I would skip the "drive by" of an arena.
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There are some great attractions in Chicago that will give you memorable experiences, hopefully this helps give you a bit more information when you have to start picking which you will be able to fit in. For the local Chicagoans, what would you add to these lists?
Up next will be my round up of favorite neighborhood areas that will give you a view of local Chicago!
Reader Comments (3)
Love Sears Tower and Millennium Park! I did both on my last trip there three years ago. I also agree that Navy Pier is not worth the hype. Can't wait to hear about your favorite neighborhoods -- Lincoln Park, perhaps?
I love your picks! I totally agree with your skip its too. It's funny that I haven't been to LP Zoo in so long that the lily pond was something I didn't know of...I def. want to check that one out. Great list!!!
Navy pier was a bust both times I went there. I love just walking up and down Michigan Ave. I'm ready for a return visit to Chicago- it's been too long!