Things to Do & Must-See Attractions in Illinois

Formerly known as the John Hancock Observatory, 360 Chicago offers an interactive experience of the Windy City’s history and culture on the way up to its 94th-floor observation deck. From here, sweeping views of the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan are enhanced by Tilt—moving glass lookouts that that literally tilt you out 1,000 feet (305 meters) above the Magnificent Mile.

The Hard Rock Cafe Chicago has been serving the Chicago River North area since its opening in 1986. River North borders the Magnificent Mile, is just across from the Loop, and a few blocks west of Michigan Avenue, a vibrant and popular dining and nightlife district.

Be sure to order Hard Rock’s signature food offerings like the Legendary Burger and drinks like Rockarita. Check the menu for house made local entrees that have a touch of Chicago flavor as well.

Like other Hard Rock Cafes around the world, the Hard Rock Cafe Chicago features music memorabilia on the walls, with an emphasis on funky styles. Be sure to tour the restaurant and see various guitars, platinum records, and more.

There are numerous concerts and events taking place at the cafethroughout the year, so be sure to check the Hard Rock Cafe Chicago events page for details and reservations.

Known as “Chicago’s Front Yard,” Grant Park stretches over 300 acres (121 hectares), and is the city’s primary downtown park. Located in the Loop, Grant Park is sandwiched between Lake Michigan and soaring skyscrapers. Its cultural highlights include the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum Campus, and Millennium Park.

Once home to the Chicago Tribune, this neo-Gothic landmark was built as a result of the International Design Competition in 1922. Before this 462-foot (141-meter) building was constructed, reporters from the paper brought back pieces of rock from important landmarks around the world like the Taj Mahal, the Hagia Sophia, the Great Wall of China, and more.

The historic Chicago Theatre, which dates back to 1921, is a popular downtown architectural landmark. With its famous dazzling marquee, French baroque architecture, and lobby modeled on a Versailles chapel, this picturesque structure today hosts concerts and comedy shows, as well as daily tours of its spectacular interior.

A distinctive feature of the Chicago skyline since the 1960s, the twin concrete columns of Marina City were once the tallest residential buildings in the world. Their scalloped “corn cob” exterior made them instantly recognizable and a popular setting in movies like Batman Begins, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and The Blues Brothers.

Towering over the Richard J. Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago, the monumental statue known as The Picasso was one of the city's first large-scale pieces of public art. Gifted by the famed Spanish artist himself, the 50-foot (15-meter) steel form is Cubist in style and offers a range of different interpretations.

With more than 20 million artifacts, the Field Museum is an engaging museum filled with both interactive and imaginative displays. The big attraction is the Tyrannosaurus rex named "Sue," a 13 foot (4 meter) tall, 41 ft (13 m) long beast who menaces the grand space with ferocious aplomb. The most complete T-Rex ever discovered, it takes its name from Sue Hendrickson, the fossil-hunter who found the 90 percent complete skeleton in South Dakota in 1990.

Dinosaurs loom large in the Field Museum. At the Evolving Planet exhibit, you can also watch staff paleontologists clean up fossils, learn about the evolution of the massive reptiles, and even learn about Homo sapien's evolutionary ties to the extinct beasts. Away from the prehistoric giants, the “Inside Ancient Egypt” exhibit recreates an Egyptian burial chamber on three levels. The mastaba (tomb) contains 23 actual mummies. The bottom level, with its twisting caverns, is especially worthwhile. Those reeds growing in the stream are real.

Other displays worth your time include “Underground Adventure,” a vast exhibit exploring the habitats of animals and insects that live underground, and the “Pawnee Earth Lodge,” which allows visitors to explore a complete dwelling of the Great Plains tribe.

Part of Chicago’s Museum Campus in Grant Park, the Adler Planetarium dates to 1930 when Chicago businessman Max Adler opened it as the first planetarium in the western hemisphere. See its family-friendly planetarium shows, celestial artifacts, and the immersive Grainger Sky Theater, which opened in 2011.

Home to the Chicago Bears and host to numerous concerts, festivals, and other blockbuster events throughout the year, Soldier Field is one of Chicago’s major athletic and entertainment venues. Built in 1924 and named in honor of fallen soldiers, the stadium has hosted the Windy City’s National Football League team since 1971.

Chicagoans take their baseball seriously, and one of best places to see a Major League Baseball game in the United States is at the ivy-covered home of the Chicago Cubs: Wrigley Field. Built in 1914 and known as the "Friendly Confines," Wrigley Field is the oldest baseball park in the National League and should be on the bucket list of any baseball fan.

Chicago’s largest park and a leisure destination for locals and visitors alike, Lincoln Park abuts its namesake neighborhood. This massive green space serves as a welcome escape from the urban hustle and bustle, whether it be for a short picnic lunch break or a day spent lounging and exploring.

Once the world’s largest indoor aquariums, Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium is home to more than 1,500 species of fish, marine mammals, birds, snakes, and amphibians. The aquarium sits on the shores of Lake Michigan and is part of Chicago’s famous Museum Campus, which includes the Field Museum and Adler Planetarium.

A Beaux Arts masterpiece in the Loop District, the historic Palmer House Hilton has been a Chicago landmark, and a favorite of dignitaries and celebrities, since 1875. The longest continually operating hotel in the United States, Palmer House offers guests more than 1,600 luxurious rooms, fine dining, and a full range of amenities.