Our Picks

Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum

The wonder of our galaxy is brought into focus at the Adler Planetarium. This is the perfect place to bring your son or daughter with a keen interest in astronomy. Explore the latest in space discoveries, view exciting exhibits and films, and get a chance to sit back in the Sky Theatre and watch the mapped heavens above while all the constellations and the planets are revealed in magnificent detail.

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Buckingham Fountain

Clarence F. Buckingham Memorial Fountain, one of the largest in the world, is located at Columbus Drive (301 East) and Congress Parkway (500 South) in Grant Park and runs from 8 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily, typically from April to mid-October, depending on weather. Times are subject to change when large events take place in or around Grant Park.

While in operation, every hour on the hour for 20 minutes the Fountain produces a major water display and the center jet shoots 150 feet into the air. The initial major display begins at 9:00 a.m. and thereafter, is every hour on the hour. Beginning at dusk, every hour on the hour for 20 minutes the Fountain's major water display is accompanied by a major light and music display. The final display of the evening begins at 10:35 p.m.

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Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF)

Architecture is Life, or at least it is life itself taking form and therefore it is the truest record of life as it was lived in the world yesterday, as it is lived today or ever will be lived."

Frank Lloyd Wright

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John G. Shedd Aquarium

Chicago's classic Greek-inspired Beaux-Arts style aquarium is a glorious sight on the shores of Lake Michigan - on of the world's best indoor aquariums.
The Shedd Aquarium, which recently celebrated its seventy-fifth anniversary, continues to dazzle children and adults alike with a spectacular population of sea life both beautiful and bizarre from near and far. This is a must-do on most tourist lists, and it should be. You will be thrilled to step into a world that will educate and satisfy the most curious observer.

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Navy Pier

Over 90 years old, this longtime landmark is a favorite spot any time of the year and is considered the greatest outdoor walkway with indoor excitement anywhere on the Great Lakes. This world famous pier is right out of a storybook, complete with a Ferris wheel, breathtaking views of the lake, boat cruises, international crowds and a gigantic venue of things to see and do.

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Volo Auto Museum

Now in it’s 48th year, the Volo Auto Museum draws International attention to Volo, Illinois.
The Volo Auto Museum has over 300 classic cars on display and is home to the world’s largest Muscle Car Collection and the George Barris TV & Movie Car Collection.

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Black Hawk State Historic Site

Wonderful for families and friends, this wooded, steeply rolling 208-acre tract, borders the Rock River in the city of Rock Island. Prehistoric Indians and 19th-Century settlers made homes here, but the area is most closely identified with the Sauk nation and its great warrior, Black Hawk. Voted one of the "7 Wonders of Illinois," this pristine park offers beautiful trails for hiking and walking only. Picnic areas are also available. While at the park be sure to visit the Watch Tower Lodge that houses the John Hauberg Indian Museum.

The museum features Sauk and Meskwaki Native American Indian artifacts and displays depicting the four seasons and life of these tribes. A new exhibit tells the story of the Sauk and Meskwaki—how they came to live in the Quad City area, why they no longer live here, and, as the piece de resistance, a four-by-eight-foot scale model of the city of Saukenuk one of the largest Native American Indian settlements in the United States.


Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site

Illinois' only United Nations World Heritage Site. This 2,200-acre site preserves the central section of the largest prehistoric Indian city north of Mexico. An Interpretive Center presents a coherent account of this sophisticated prehistoric culture. Climb Monk's Mound, see the film and life-size village. Don't miss annual events that focus on Native American culture.


Lincoln Home National Historic Site

Get an intimate look at Lincoln during a tour of the Lincoln Home, the only house he ever owned. The Lincoln family lived here from 1844 until they left for Washington. The Lincoln Home is located in a historic four-block neighborhood that looks much as it did in the mid-1800s, complete with wooden sidewalks. A visitor center and restored neighboring homes display exhibits that tell the story of Lincoln’s time spent with his wife, children and friends in Springfield.


MB Financial Park at Rosemont

Free Outdoor Music Festival All Summer Long June 6-August 15, 2013
All shows are from 7:00 p.m. - 9:45 p.m.

Throughout June, July, and August, there will be a variety of live music including 7th Heaven, Hi Infidelity, Kashmir, Spazmatics, Arra, Libido, Funk Circus, 16 Candles, American English, Modern Day Romeos, Infinity and Breakfast Club. On June 6, July 3, and August 8, a spectacular fireworks show will directly follow the accompanying music act. Admission is free, parking is free with validation and outside coolers cannot be brought into the park.


Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum

The wonder of our galaxy is brought into focus at the Adler Planetarium. This is the perfect place to bring your son or daughter with a keen interest in astronomy. Explore the latest in space discoveries, view exciting exhibits and films, and get a chance to sit back in the Sky Theatre and watch the mapped heavens above while all the constellations and the planets are revealed in magnificent detail.


Amazing Chicago's Funhouse Maze

Squeezing, stomping, spinning, double over laughing, delightfully dizzy, twisting and turning -can you find your way out?
Navigate your way through 4000 square feet of exhilarating sensory experiences. Lose yourself in the Mirror Maze, stumble your way through the Spinning Tunnel, stomp out the Great Chicago Fire and much more! Find out for yourself why over 1 million guests have gotten lost here.

American Girl Place

For the moms who gave THE Doll and the daughters who got THE Doll, this cafe offers another memorable mother-daughter experience. It’s on the second floor of the American Girl Place right across from Chicago’s historic Water Tower on Chicago Avenue. The New York Times calls it "the destination of choice for 4-to-12-year-old girls from all over the United States." And make sure your little girl brings her Doll along because there’s a Treat Seat at the table where the Doll can sit while you and your daughter enjoy your meal.

Arlington Park

Arlington Park, long known as a family-friendly venue for horse-racing in the summer, now has the perfect escape from cabin fever and the dead of winter with the all-new KidKarnival, to be held on weekends and holidays from January 13 to January 28, 2007

Art Institute of Chicago

The Lions standing tall at the stairway of the Art Institute are two of the most recognized pieces of sculpture in America. And just past the stairway is one of the most recognized and acclaimed art collections on the entire planet. The finest works from the greatest of the great artists from yesterday and today are on display. The museum's collection hosts such a dazzling display of paintings, carvings, jewelry and statues that you will want to come back every day.


Aurora Area Visitors Bureau - e-Brochure

Only 37 miles west of Chicago, the Aurora Area stretches out to parts of Kane, Kendall, Will and DuPage counties and offers savory dining, unique architecture, the coolest attractions, extreme shopping and hundreds of other options for a truly unique visitor experience. As the crossroads of big-city action and country charm, it is also one of Illinois' most vibrant regions

Bronzeville Visitor Information Center

The Bronzeville Visitor Information Center is located at the historic gateway to the Black Metropolis Historic District and will serve as an orientation point of information access for tourists, residents and researchers. Visitors will be welcomed to Bronzeville and directed to multiple sites and attractions that make the community an internationally significant African-American heritage tourism destination.

 


Buckingham Fountain

Clarence F. Buckingham Memorial Fountain, one of the largest in the world, is located at Columbus Drive (301 East) and Congress Parkway (500 South) in Grant Park and runs from 8 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily, typically from April to mid-October, depending on weather. Times are subject to change when large events take place in or around Grant Park.

While in operation, every hour on the hour for 20 minutes the Fountain produces a major water display and the center jet shoots 150 feet into the air. The initial major display begins at 9:00 a.m. and thereafter, is every hour on the hour. Beginning at dusk, every hour on the hour for 20 minutes the Fountain's major water display is accompanied by a major light and music display. The final display of the evening begins at 10:35 p.m.


Centennial Fountain and Water Arc Chicago

 Nicholas J Melas Centennial Fountain is located on the north bank of the Chicago River at McClurg Court in Near North Side, Chicago.[1] It was dedicated in 1989, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, perhaps best known for its major achievement in reversing the flow of the Chicago River in 1900, and in 1999, this system was named a "Civil Engineering Monument of the Millennium" by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).


Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF)

Architecture is Life, or at least it is life itself taking form and therefore it is the truest record of life as it was lived in the world yesterday, as it is lived today or ever will be lived."

Frank Lloyd Wright


Chicago Botanic Garden

The Chicago Horticultural Society was founded in 1890. At its heart was the understanding that the city of Chicago was incorporated with the Latin words Urbs in Horto, meaning "City In A Garden."

 
The Chicago Botanic Garden, with its world-renowned plant collections and displays, is one of the country's most visited public gardens and a preeminent center for learning and scientific research.
 
The 385-acre Garden features 23 display gardens and three native habitats, uniquely situated on nine islands surrounded by lakes.

Chicago Botanic Garden - eBrochure

Just One Look and to think, they've got 22 other gardens you haven’t seen here.

Chicago Cultural Center

Come for the beauty, stay for the programs.
The beautiful, landmark Chicago Cultural Center is one of the city’s ten most popular attractions and is considered one of the most comprehensive arts showcases in the United States, presenting more than 800 free cultural programs a year.

Chicago Cultural Center - Visitor Information Center

Come for the beauty, stay for the programs.
The beautiful, landmark Chicago Cultural Center is one of the city’s ten most popular attractions and is considered one of the most comprehensive arts showcases in the United States, presenting more than 800 free cultural programs a year.

Chicago Cultural Center's Dance

Dance is a monthly series that features performance excerpts by acclaimed local companies and choreographers, along with a discussion of their artistic process with dance critic, Lucia Mauro.


Chicago Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America, and the only one located entirely within the United States. The second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest of the Great Lakes by surface area (behind Lake Superior and Lake Huron), it is bounded, from west to east, by the U.S. states of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. The word "Michigan" was originally used to refer to the lake itself, and is believed to come from the Ojibwa Indian word mishigami, meaning "great water."


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