Edition: Summer Fun in Chicago
Chicago Entertainment & Attractions
Author: Amber Holst
In Chicago, the hard part isn't finding something to do, but rather narrowing the options down. Fortunately, you're in luck, because we've done the dirty work for you CP polled hundreds of area concierges in order to discern the best attractions and culture spots around town. Read on and start planning your day!
GET ON BOARD
Whether you want a boat tour highlighting the architecture, history, and sights that define Chicago or to cruise, dine, and dance the night away, Chicago has a boatload of options (pun intended) for everyone. The Chicago Architecture Foundation offers highly informative architectural tours aboard Chicago’s First Lady, which departs from the Michigan Ave. Bridge at Wacker Drive. For breathtaking views of Chicago’s skyline, hop aboard one of Navy Pier’s myriad watercraft—from cruisers like Mystic Blue, Odyssey, Spirit of Chicago, and Anita Dee to open air speedboats like the Seadog, which is perfect for kids. Prefer to say on dry land? Hop aboard one the Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Company’s fleet of rubber-wheeled “San Francisco-style” trolleys that stop at a number of hotspots around the city. Stay on for the full 1-1/2 hour ride or get on and off at each stop. We recommend staying on for the full tour, it’s one of the most entertaining in the city. Chicago Trolley also operates London-style, bilevel red buses that follow the same route.
HISTORY 101
From skyscrapers to bungalows, Chicago's architecture is as distinctive as it is attractive. Stop by the Chicago Architecture Foundation and pick a trip to suit your style: A walking tour of The Loop's early skyscrapers; a bus tour of Frank Lloyd Wright homes; a Devil in the White City tour based upon Erik Larsen’s best-selling book? Get a true appreciation of Chicago—and it’s past—at the Chicago History Museum. Home to over 22 million artifacts, the Museum truly has something for all ages. Bring the kids to the Sensing Chicago gallery where the tykes can learn about history using their five senses. They can catch a fly ball at the old Comiskey Park and ride a penny farthing down a cobblestone street.
CULTURE CORNER
The Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium (within walking distance of each other on the city's Museum Campus) can each easily fill a day, while the massive Museum of Science and Industry offers flash, fun, and interactive exhibits.
POST TIME
Home of the Arlington Million, Arlington Park, located in the northwest suburbs, looks as if it was handpicked from Kentucky. Arlington offers the ultimate setting to experience thoroughbred racing with a six-story grandstand, a lawn area, and lush landscaping, it’s a clean, family-friendly place to spend the day. Located in Cicero, just a short jog from Midway Airport is Hawthorne Race Course. Hosting racing since 1891—except from 1905 to ’22, when Chicago banned the sport—Hawthorne features spring and fall racing, daily simulcasts, and harness racing during the summer months.
CURTAIN CALL
Chicago's theater scene is especially lively, running the gamut of touring Broadway shows to small, independent troupes. From the Cadillac Palace Theatre to the Ford Center for Performing Arts to smaller theatre companies churning out though-provoking, wellproduced entertainment like the Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company (where stars such as Gary Sinise, Laurie Metcalf, John Malkovich, Joan Allen, and John Mahoney got their start), and the Lookingglass Theatre housed in the historic Water Tower Pumping Station.
PARTY ARTY
At the top of any visitor's must-see list are the city's top museums, many of which are internationally renowned. The Art Institute of Chicago is the reigning grand dame of fine art, known particularly for its collection of French Impressionist masterpieces, although you'll also spot some iconic works of modern art as you wander the halls (Hopper’s Nighthawks). To see up-and-coming artists head over the Museum of Contemporary Art, which also boasts a performing arts program that includes everything from experimental film to cutting-edge modern music.
THE WILD SIDE
One of the oldest zoos in the nation, Lincoln Park Zoo boasts 80-plus species of mammals, 75 species of birds and 70 species of fish, amphibians, and reptiles set amid gorgeous gardens. Added Bonus: It won’t cost you a thing. Head out to the western suburbs and explore the more than 200-acre Brookfield Zoo. One of the first zoos to exhibit animals in natural environments without cages, here you can amble down a raised catwalk overlooking a tropical rainforest complete with waterfalls and energetic primates or pet various “rays” in the new kid-friendly Stingray Bay exhibit.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
But some of Chicago's greatest attractions are natural rather than manmade. The shores of Lake Michigan, lined by miles of public parks, are Chicago's summer playground, the site of everything from family picnics to pickup beach volleyball games. From Grant Park and the stunning Millennium Park downtown to Lincoln Park and North Ave. Beach further north, Chicagoans fill these outdoors spaces come summer, so go native!
Chicago's First Lady Cruises
Southeast corner of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60605
Architectural cruises, corporate and social events, weddings and more. Runs daily through Oct. 2, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon-Thurs., 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Fri., 9 a.m.-3 p.m., 5 p.m. Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun.; Oct. 3-30, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon-Thurs., 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Fri.-Sun. Tickets $23-$25.>
Ideal for:
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Mystic Blue Cruises
Navy Pier, Chicago, IL 60605
Mystic Blue Cruises operates in Chicago on Lake Michigan, offering two-hour lunch, 90-minute mid-day skyline, three-hour dinner and two-hour moonlight cruises. Year-round, weather permitting. Tickets $30-$150. Private charters for 20 or more passengers.
Spirit of Chicago
Navy Pier, Chicago, IL 60605
Take in breathtaking views of the Chicago skyline aboard this luxury liner. Afternoon or evening, experience the city from the waters of Lake Michigan in a social setting.
Seadog Speedboat Rides
Navy Pier, Chicago, IL 60605
Take a thrilling cruise along the Chicago lakefront in a high-powered vessel from Seadog Speedboat Rides. Take either a 30-minute lakefront cruise or a 75-minute river architectural cruise on the 130-passenger speedboat. Lakefront cruise: every half hour.
Chicago Trolley and Double Decker Bus Co.
401 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60609
Daily tours of Chicago in San Fransisco-style trolleys and London-style buses, narrated by expert guides, are offered here. Take Chicago trolley tours as a worry-free way to get around the city of Chicago; it's "Hop On Hop Off".
Chicago History Museum
1601 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614
More than a century of Chicago history, including relics from the Great Chicago Fire and more. Admission $10-12.free admission for children 12 and younger. "Cross roads of America" (ongoing); "Children's Gallery" (ongoing).
Field Museum
1400 S. Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605
Shedd Aquarium
1200 S. Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605
Being the new museum in Grant Park (joining the Art Institute of Chicago and the Field Museum) when it opened in 1930, the Shedd Aquarium had its work cut out for it from the beginning. As with so many of Chicago 's great building projects, it was the citizenry (led by John G. Shedd, a retired president of Macy's on State Street) that rallied around what was billed as the world's largest aquarium. Today, it houses nearly 22,000 aquatic animals and 1,500 species, and more than two million people per year take it all in-without even getting wet.
Museum of Science and Industry
5700 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60637
The Museum of Science and Industry, one of the most beloved and visited museums in the world, has origins that are tied to two great World's Fairs and to civic spirit and imagination of Chicago businessman Julius Rosenwald.
Arlington Park Racetrack
2200 W. Euclid Ave., Arlington Heights, IL 60005
Spend a day at the races at Arlington Park Racetrack.
Hawthorne Race Course
3501 S. Laramie, Stickney/Cicero, IL 60804
Horse racing in Chicago finds a home at this historic horse racing track. It's a top Chicago betting institution where nature meets human intuition, resulting in tickets both lost and won.
Cadillac Palace Theatre
151 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60606
With an interior that was inspired by real palaces, the Cadillac Palace Theatre opened in 1926 with white marble, lush fabrics, and 2,500 seats.
Has been designated a:
Concierge favorite
Odyssey Cruises
Navy Pier, Chicago, IL 60611
Break free of the land and see the storied skyline of Chicago from out on Lake Michigan with a boat tour on the Odyssey. A Chicago tradition, this pleasant diversion works for business and pleasure, with the entire family or as a romantic exploit; a top Chicago boat tour.
The Field Museum
1400 S. Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605
Chicago's famed Field Museum, housed in the Fine Arts Building of the 1893 Columbian Exposition, is dedicated to the study of the naturial sciences.
Chicago Architecture Foundation
224 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60602
The Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) offers a 88 different tours in total. You can explore the city by bus, boat, bike on foot or even via a segway.
Get a glimpse of what's going on at the CAF in this great video!
Navy Pier
600 E. Grand Ave. , Chicago, IL 60605
Navy Pier, one of the top tourist attractions in Chicago and the country, is visited by almost nine million visitors per years. From dining to shopping, boat tours to countless entertainment options, Navy Pier in Chicago is a must-stop for a wide range of visitors--Chicago residents already know and love it!
Watch our latest video offering and take a quick, two-minute narrated tour through the highlights at Navy Pier, stern to bow.
