Chicago is a popular destination for people coming to the United States, after all, it is one of the most populous cities in the state of Illinois, and is also very famous because of the achievements of Michael Jordan, who led the Chicago Bulls to several titles, putting basketball on the world's radar.
In addition, the city has many tourist attractions, - be it parks, museums, restaurants! The city is full of perfect spots to enjoy your trip.
To help you out, we've prepared some tips on what to do in Chicago so that you can put together an amazing travel itinerary when you go there! Stick around and enjoy the tips!
Check out the 12 best sights to see in Chicago!
Chicago is known as the land of the winds, so you can expect extremely pleasant weather if you decide to go there during the summer. The heat is intense, but the winds mitigate this feeling.
Now, if you prefer winter, get your coats ready, because the temperatures usually drop! Chicago only snows a few days a year, so you might get lucky and be able to catch them.
A travel itinerary depends a lot on how many days you intend to stay. For a stay of up to a week, it is best to separate the main tourist attractions. And we will list them for you!
1. Millennium Park
Millennium Park is always the first tourist attraction that comes to mind when Chicago is mentioned. The park is the city's calling card!
There you can enjoy the grandiose sculptures: Crown Fountain and Cloud Gate, as well as the amazing contemporary works in the Boeing Galleries. Take a sunny afternoon to enjoy it. It is well worth it!
2. Lake Lakefront Trail
One of the largest lakes in the United States, the Lakefront Trail is especially beautiful. Take the time to go for a walk and take pictures. Oh, and there are several spots like Navy Pier, the Chicago RiverWalk, and the Esplanade near the Dusable Bridge where you can buy tickets for a boat ride.
3. Navy Pier
This is considered by many to be one of the best spots in Chicago. There you will find museums, theaters, parks, and beautiful gardens! You can enjoy activities like riding the carousel, rock climbing, jumping off towers, and more!
Also, don't forget that you should enjoy the Centennial Wheel, the city's iconic Ferris wheel, and take in the view of Lake Michigan.
4. Willis Tower
For 25 years this was the tallest building in the world! And it is still the second tallest skyscraper in the United States. From it you get a breathtaking view of the entire city, a unique experience.
Especially if you go to the glass floor part, getting a very different view, - this is for the brave!
5. Adler Planetarium
The Adler Planetarium, meanwhile, is a public museum dedicated to the study of astronomy and astrophysics, - the museum has some truly stunning exhibits.
It is part of the Museum Campus cultural complex, along with the attractions of the Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum, which we will look at next.
Sports tourism: sports in the United States to get to know up close.
6. Shedd Aquarium
The Shedd Aquarium, a public aquarium with about 32,000 animals and 5,000,000 gallons of water. For a time, it was considered the largest indoor aquarium in the world.
There, you can enjoy a lot of knowledge, because you will see water paradises from many parts of the world, such as: Amazon River, Arctic sites, Caribbean coral reefs, and much more.
Besides enjoying all the marine elements, you also have the opportunity to see sharks, belugas, dolphins, otters, and sea lions!
7. Field Museum
This is the world's largest natural museum, with more than 20 million species inside. Here you will see the first recorded fossils, past cultures, and data from current cultures.
In addition, there are various programs on environmental conservation, as well as interaction in some parts of the route.
8. Beaches on Chicago Lake
While we're on the subject of beaches, although Chicago has no coastline on either ocean, it sits on the shores of Lake Michigan, one of the five great lakes of North America.
Because of this, it is home to several small beaches such as Oak Street Beach, North Avenue Beach, and Montrose Beach. If you have decided to go to the Windy City in summer, you can choose one of these to cool off on!
9. United Center
The United Center is the official gymnasium of the Chicago Bulls team that immortalized the name of Michael Jordan, known as the greatest basketball player of all time. By the way, there you can have your picture taken with the star! But relax, we are talking about the statue that stands in front of the gym.
10. Chicago Theatre
The evening's attraction is the Chicago Theater, the city's largest, famous for its rock, blues, and jazz performances by famous and local bands.
11. Museum of Science and Industry
Here we have one of the largest museums in the world, now focused on the science part. The Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) has industrial parts, equipment, and systems.
You can see more than 35,000 artifacts in the museum, with very different categories! From German submarines to space centers.
Besides this one, there are also other theater options to enjoy, such as the James M. Nederlander Theatre, the Cadillac Palace Theatre, the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, and the CIBC Theatre. All are close together near Millennium Park, so it is not difficult to find them.
12. The Art Institute of Chicago
The museum features many Impressionist arts, and contains American, European, and Asian collections. There you will enjoy many photographs, sculptures, and paintings.
Gastronomy in Chicago: see the typical dishes
The city's cuisine is very famous and varied. Among the typical dishes we have some options of new versions: the hot dog, which has tomato slices, pickles, pickled peppers, celery salt, bread made with poppy seeds and no ketchup in the snack!
Plus variations of pizzas all over town:
- the pie-shaped deep-dish, filled with lots of cheese and sauce;
- the stuffed with another layer of pasta and covered with a lot of sauce;
- thin-crus with a crispy dough and cut into squares.
Aside from these reinterpretations, the entire city has great restaurants, bars and cafes to enjoy, whether during the day or at night!
If you want to enjoy and travel even further, check out Route 66 from Chicago! Go there and see this adventure!
So, did you like our tips on Chicago's best sights? These places cannot be left out of your travel itinerary!
Want another suggestion to make your trip even better? Rent a car so you can get around with much more tranquility. Here at Happy Toursyou will always find the most advantageous prices in several car options. And the best thing is that you make your reservation and only pay when you pick up the vehicle! What are you waiting for?
We hope you enjoyed this content and for more information - follow our blog and check out other travel tips and amazing destinations to visit. See you next time!
Follow our blog and check out other travel tips and incredible destinations to visit!
