Best things to do in Chicago
The top 3 according to 125 votes from people: Chicago Architecture Center River Cruise · Millennium Park and Cloud Gate · Shedd Aquarium. (Updated Oct 31, 2025.)
Architecture, lakefront and world-class museums: the Chicago experiences that top U.S. News, AAA and TripAdvisor.
Top 15
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1
Chicago Architecture Center River Cruise
90-minute boat tour along the Chicago River explaining over 50 landmark buildings.
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2
Millennium Park and Cloud Gate
Lakefront park with Anish Kapoor's 'Bean', the Crown Fountain and Frank Gehry's Pritzker Pavilion.
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3
Shedd Aquarium
Lakefront aquarium opened in 1930 with beluga whales and a Caribbean reef.
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4
Art Institute of Chicago
Home of Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, Hopper's Nighthawks and Grant Wood's American Gothic.
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5
Field Museum
Natural history museum home to SUE, one of the most complete T. rex skeletons ever found.
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6
360 Chicago
Observation deck on the 94th floor of the John Hancock building with the tilting TILT window.
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7
Chicago Riverwalk
1.25-mile walkway along the river's main branch lined with bars, kayak rental and public art.
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8
Second City
Improv comedy theatre where Bill Murray, Tina Fey and Steve Carell started out.
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9
Skydeck Chicago
Glass-floored Ledge boxes on the 103rd floor of Willis Tower.
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10
Wrigley Field
The Cubs' ivy-walled ballpark from 1914, the second-oldest in Major League Baseball.
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11
Lakefront Trail
18-mile path along Lake Michigan for cycling and running past the city beaches.
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12
Garfield Park Conservatory
One of the largest greenhouse conservatories in the US, free, on the West Side.
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13
Museum of Science and Industry
Huge museum in Hyde Park with a captured German U-505 submarine and a coal mine replica.
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14
Chicago deep-dish pizza
Try the city's deep-dish at classics such as Lou Malnati's, Giordano's or Pequod's.
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15
Chicago Cultural Center
Free cultural venue in the former public library, with the world's largest Tiffany stained-glass dome.
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16
Navy Pier
Lakefront pier with the Centennial Wheel, boat tours and summer fireworks.
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17
Lincoln Park Zoo
One of the oldest zoos in North America (1868), free to visit.
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18
National Museum of Mexican Art
Free museum in Pilsen with one of the largest collections of Mexican art in the United States.
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19
The 606
Elevated park and trail built on the old Bloomingdale railway line, 2.7 miles across four neighborhoods.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
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Comments (4)
Chicago Cultural Center is free and has the world's largest Tiffany glass dome. Missing!
The architecture boat tour is the best thing to do in Chicago, absolutely #1.
Deep dish is a casserole, not pizza. Tavern style is the real Chicago pizza
Walk The 606 and visit the National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen, both free and great.