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 25–35 of 35 places

City guide section

Top picks in Chicago

Showing 25–35 of 35 places

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

Oriental Institute Museum

The orient generally refers to East Asia, but the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute is dedicated to the Middle East.

Smart Museum of Art

The Smart Museum of Art is named for David and Alfred Smart, the founders of Esquire Magazine and the museum's benefactor. It was founded in 1974 and is the art museum of the University of Chicago.

Wrigley Field

Nothing's more American than baseball, and Wrigley Field, named for the chewing gum company, is one of the sport's holiest sites.

Oak Park

Oak Park is a suburb just to the northwest of Chicago. After the Great Chicago Fire the area grew rapidly because of its location along the railroad.

United Center

The United Center is hallowed ground for basketball fans. It was here that the legendary Michael Jordan finished his career.

Chicago History Museum

The Chicago History Museum is one of the oldest institutions in Chicago, founded in 1856. The original building and collection was destroyed in the 1871 Great Chicago Fire.

Wicker Park

It was built up after the Great Chicago Fire, as displaced residents and immigrants from Scandinavia and Germany streamed in.

Astor Street

Astor Street is located in the heart of Chicago's Gold Coast district, the city's most opulent neighborhood. It is one of the most expensive addresses in the United States outside New York City.

Northwestern University

Sharing Chicago's northern border along Lake Michigan is the pleasant suburb of Evanston, home to Northwestern University.

Magnificent Mile

The Magnificent Mile is Chicago's answer to the Champs Elysees. This tower-lined stretch of Michigan Avenue runs from the Loop to the Gold Coast, Chicago's ritziest neighborhood.

Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago started as the Chicago Academy of Design and was founded by a group of 35 artists in 1866. The academy was profitable, but struggled with financing.