Chicago

Best Things To Do

Chicago can boast of being a very child-friendly city with all there is for them to see and do.

Showing 1–24 of 35 places

City guide section

Top picks in Chicago

Showing 1–24 of 35 places

Browse the highlights below, then open any place for maps, area notes, and practical details.

What to do with Children in Tow

Chicago can boast of being a very child-friendly city with all there is for them to see and do.

Chicago Architecture Foundation

As the grand avenues of Paris are exemplary of the nineteenth century, and the canals of Venice of the Renaissance, so do the skyscrapers and neoclassical monuments represent modernity.

Chicago Cultural Center

The Chicago Cultural Center was built between 1893 and 1897 as a public library. It is built in the Neoclassical style, with touches from the Italian Renaissance.

Fine Arts Building

The Fine Arts Building, also known as the Studebaker Building, was built in 1885 for the Studebaker company by architect Solon S. Beman. It is a striking example of Romanesque architecture.

Sears (Willis) Tower

Until the completion of the new World Trade Center in New York City, the Sears Tower is the tallest building in the United States, standing 442m (527m to the spire).

Adler Planetarium

The Adler Planetarium was built in 1930 by philanthropist Max Adler and is part of Chicago's Museum Campus. It was the first modern planetarium in the western hemisphere.

One of the world’s largest fountains, the Buckingham Fountain is located in the middle of Grant Park. It was a gift to the city from Kate Sturges Buckingham, in memory of her brother Clarence Buckingham.

Field Museum

It was moved to its current location in 1921 and is named for Marshall Field, the museum's first benefactor and retail giant Marshall Field.

Grant Park

The park was built after the 1871 Great Chicago Fire on landfill and the 1893 Columbian Exhibition was held here.

Millennium Park

Millennium Park is one of Chicago's newest attractions. 5 acre park was built between 1997 and 2004 over what had been a rail yard.

Museum of Contemporary Art

Founded in 1967, Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art features a large collection of modern art from World War II to the present.

Shedd Aquarium

The Shedd Aquarium is one of the world's largest, with more than 32,000 fish from 1,500 different species. It is the most visited attraction in Chicago with more than 2,000,000 guests annually.

John Hancock Center

The John Hancock Center is the third tallest building in Chicago at 344m. It is one of the signature elements of Chicago's skyline, with its tapered design, twin spires, and criss-crossing trusses.

Navy Pier

Navy Pier is Chicago's most visited attraction, attracting more than 8,000,000 visitors per year. It was built between 1914 and 1916 and at the time was the largest pier in the world, at more than 1,000m long.

Museum of Science & Industry

Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry is housed in the Palace of FIne Arts, built for the Columbian Exhibition.

Lincoln Park Zoo

The Lincoln Park Zoo was founded in 1868 and is one of the oldest zoos in America. Its beginnings were humble enough, with a donation of swans from New York's Central Park.

Little Italy

Like most major cities, Chicago experienced a large influx of Italian immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Italian immigrant population went from 1,357 in 1880 to a peak of 74,000 in 1930.

Andersonville

This neighborhood displays the diversity of a mixture of people of Middle Eastern/Swedish origins. You can find hummus here as well as lingonberry pancakes!

Chinatown

Chicago's Chinatown is the largest in America's Midwest and second largest in the US, home to about 10,000 people. The city's Chinese population has been concentrated here since before World War I.

Devon Ave

Indian and Pakistani culture is represented through several clothing and jewelry shops, as well as restaurants.

Pilsen/Little Village

Mexican restaurants as well as Pilsen's famous murals can be found here. There is also the National Museum of Mexican Art for those who seek a deeper understanding of Mexican culture.

Jackson Park

It was the main site for the 1893 Columbian Exhibition, but little evidence remains as all the buildings have been demolished since.

Baha'i House of Worship

Technically located just north of Evanston in Wilmette, the Bahai House of Worship is the oldest Bahai house of worship in the world, and the only one in North America.

University of Chicago

The University of Chicago is one of the best universities in the world. It was founded in 1890 thanks to a donation from oil magnate John D. Rockefeller. The university and its reputation quickly grew.