Top 10 Things to do in Chicago
Find all Chicago Concerts 2012, popular concert tours and fun events.
1. Millennium Park
Millennium Park is an award-winning center for art, music, architecture and landscape design.The result of a unique partnership between the City of Chicago and the philanthropic community, the 24.5-acre Park features the work of world-renowned architects, planners, artists and designers.
Features
Among Millennium Park's prominent features are the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the most sophisticated outdoor concert venue of its kind in the United States; the interactive Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa; the contemporary Lurie Garden designed by the team of Gustafson Guthrie Nichol Ltd, Piet Oudolf and Robert Israel; and Anish Kapoors hugely popular Cloud Gate sculpture.
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2. Navy Pier
Navy Pier is a 3,300-foot long pier on the Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan.There is always something happening at Navy Pier, Chicago's lakefront playground. Offering visitors more than 50 acres of parks, promenades, gardens, shops, restaurants and attractions, Navy Pier is host to an unparalleled array of family-oriented events and entertainment.
Chicago Children's Museum
Chicago Children's Museum is the place where play and learning connect! The museum's family-friendly blend of interactive exhibits and innovative educational programs make learning about math, science, reading, the arts, and diverse cultures come alive for kids through age 10 and their families. At CCM, visitors can build a dam in WaterWays, create a flying machine in Inventing Lab, enjoy an "outdoor" adventure in Treehouse Trails, build a skyscraper in Skyline, or create collaboratively in daily Kraft Artabounds Studio workshops. The museum also hosts a range of traveling exhibits and special performances throughout the year.
AeroBalloon
Float in silence 35 stories into the air on the Navy Pier AeroBalloon, an anchored, helium-filled, state of the art balloon. The balloon will carry up to 17 passengers at a time for spectacular 360-degree panoramas of a bustling downtown Chicago and a horizon-bending view of Lake Michigan. Fun for the whole family!
3. Shedd Aquarium
Strap a mask and flippers onto your imagination and chart a course to Shedd Aquarium.Have you ever gotten eye-to-eye with a dolphin? Or met a penguin on a stroll to the South Pole? Or immersed yourself in an Amazon flooded forest? At Shedd, it's all possible.
4. Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum
The Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum in Chicago was the first planetarium built in the Western Hemisphere and is the oldest in existence today.The Adler has three full-size theaters. Since the museum's opening in 1930, visitors view representations of the night sky in the historic Sky Theater planetarium, the outer protective dome of which is visible from the exterior of the building. The Zeiss Planetarium projector is capable of accurately reproducing the movement of every aspect of the night sky.
5. Field Museum
The museum collections contain over 21 million specimens
Exhibits
Sue, the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus currently known.
A comprehensive set of human cultural anthropology exhibits, including artifacts from ancient Egypt, the Pacific Northwest and Tibet.
A large and diverse taxidermy collection, featuring many large animals, including two prized African elephants and the infamous Lions of Tsavo.
A large collection of dinosaurs in the Evolving Planet exhibit (formerly Life Over Time).
A large collection of Native American artifacts. The main exhibit with these artifacts reopened as Ancient Americas in March 2007.
6. North Avenue Beach
The North Avenue Beach, located at 1600 north, is considered by many to be Chicago's premier beach. North Avenue Beach is characterized by its piers which hold the sand in place and create a scalloped shoreline, terminating in a Cape Cod-like hook.
Activities
The beach hosts international volleyball tournaments as well as millions of sun worshippers every year. Chicago Park District lines the beach with poles for individuals and leagues to hang volleyball nets. These nets and this portion of the lakefront bike/running/blading path attract large numbers of people on weekends and weeknights.
7. Sears Tower
If you want to watch a beautiful view of modern Chicago, Sears Tower is a must-go place for you.The buulding was the tallest tower in the world for a long time.
You’ll see the best view and best overview of Chicago. At 1,353 feet (412 meters), the Skydeck is the highest observatory in Chicago.
The view is amazing! You can see 40 – 50 miles (65 - 80 kilometers) on a clear day. Imagine seeing Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin, just by walking around the Skydeck. And there’s no finer view of Chicago architecture.
Museum-quality exhibits
Now the view isn’t just out the window. Visitors will see interactive, museum-quality exhibits on the inside of the Skydeck presenting Chicago’s past and present. At every turn, your guests will see more of Chicago’s history and historic characters.
Multi-language interactive kiosks
Visitors can take a hands-on trip on these state-of-the-art computer information terminals. Each tap will guide them to a new place on a quick tour of Chicago's landmarks. Now in 6 languages. (English, French, German, Japanese, Polish, Spanish)
