Places to Go and Things to Do Chicago

This is, of course, a very limited list.

Many museums and other attractions occasionally offer free admission.

Make sure to double check information given here online before venturing out.

360 Chicago in the John Handcock Building: 875 N. Michigan Ave. (312) 751-3681. Observation area and/or the Signature Room at the 95th (restaurant) afford great views of the city by the lake. Cheesecake Factory Restaurant at the Garden Plaza level.

Adler Planetarium: 1300 S. Lake Shore Dr. (312) 322-0300. Multi-media sky shows “transport” audiences through space and time. Exhibits feature space exploration, telescopes, etc. Five new shows each year. Special Christmas show (Star of Wonder show) on the sky during the time of Christ’s birth.

Art Institute of Chicago: S. Michigan Ave. at Adams. (312) 443-3500. One of the country’s foremost art museums. Internationally renowned collection of Impressionist paintings. Frequent special exhibits. Free admission on certain days/times.

Chicago Children’s Museum: Located at Navy Pier, 700 East Grand Avenue Chicago, IL 60611-3428 (312) 527-1000. Three floors of awesome learning adventures for toddlers to 10-year olds.

Chicago HistoryMuseum: Clark at North Ave. (312) 642-4600. The city’s oldest cultural institution features exhibits on Chicago’s history and selected aspects of Illinois and American history. Highlights: Lincoln and the Civil War, decorative arts, daily craft demonstration, audiovisual presentation of the Great Chicago Fire and Chicago's first locomotive.

Field Museum of Natural History: S. Lake Shore Dr. at Roosevelt Rd. (312) 922-9410. One of the world’s four greatest natural history museums. Major exhibits include Ancient Egypt, dinosaurs, pre-historic man, and cultures of the North, Middle and South Americas.

Garfield Park Conservatory: 300 N. Central Park Blvd. (312) 533-1281. Four and a half acres of horticultural exhibits. More than 5,000 species and varieties.

Grant Park: 337 E. Randolph St. Chicago, IL 60601 (312) 742-7649. 319 acre park on Lake Michigan; formal gardens and free public programs.

John G. Shedd Aquarium and Oceanarium: 1200 South Lake Shore Drive on Chicago’s Museum Campus 312-939-2438. The world's largest indoor aquarium houses more than 8,000 aquatic animals of 819 species. Daily dolphin training presentations in the auditorium and hand feeding by divers of fish and sharks in the coral reef.

Lake Michigan Beaches: Several attractive beaches are located right in Chicago. The one at Fullerton Rd. across from Lincoln Park Zoo is a particularly nice, but doesn't have good parking. North Ave. beach is crowded but has bathrooms, restaurant, and parking for $10. Foster has free parking and bathrooms, but is furthest north. Oak Street near the heart of downtown is also well enjoyed.

Lincoln Park Conservatory: Stockton Dr. at Fullerton. (312) 294-4770. Provides a fine array of ever-changing floral exhibits plus a permanent collection of exotic plants and trees.

Lincoln Park Zoo: 2045 N. Lincoln Park West. (312) 294-4660. Visit world-class wildlife exhibits, children's zoo and farm in the zoo. FREE and open 365 days a year.

Maggie Daley Park: 337 E. Randloph St. Chicago. Open from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm 365 days a year, this magnificent recreation center offers a children's playground, a climbing wall, mini golf, picnic groves, a skating ribbon, tennis courts and a formal garden.

Millennium Park: : In the heart of downtown, bordered by Michigan Avenue to the west, Columbus Drive to the east, Randolph Street to the North and Monroe Street to the South. Open daily from 6am - 11pm. This 24.5 acre park is an award winning center for world-class art, music, and architecture where you can experience everything from interactive public art and ice skating to al fresco dining and free classical music presentations.

Museum of Science and Industry: 57th St. and Lake Shore Dr. (312) 684-1414. Chicago’s number one tourist attraction. Thousands of exhibits demonstrate scientific principles, technological advances and industrial applications. Highlights are an underground coal mine, the Apollo 8 Command Module, and an Omni-max Theater with a five-story domed screen.

Navy Pier: 700 East Grand Ave. Located on Lake Michigan, just east of downtown, the pier has been a landmark since it first opened in 1916 as a shipping facility. It now showcases a unique collection of restaurants and shops in addition to unequaled recreational and exhibition facilities. Attractions include Ferris wheel, carousel, mini-golf, wave swinger, ropes course, boats/cruises, IMAX theater, and many more. Seasonal entertainment, such as Winter Wonderland in December, is fabulous as well.

Oriental Institute Museum of the University of Chicago: Located on the University of Chicago campus, The Oriental Institute Museum is world-renowned for its collection focusing on the history, art, and archaeology of the ancient Near East. Admission is free, donations welcomed. 1155 East 58th Street Chicago, IL 60637 Ph: (773) 702-9514.

Wendellas Sky Line Boat Trips: Michigan Ave. at the Chicago River. No reservations needed. Chicago River Architecture Tour is fantastic!

Willis Tower (formerlySears Tower): Wacker Dr. and Adams St. (312) 875-9696. One of the world’s tallest buildings, it stands 1,454 feet high. The 103rd floor enclosed observation Skydeck, 1,353 feet above ground, offers a spectacular view. A moving wall sculpture, “Universe,” by American sculptor Alexander Calder, is located in the Wacker Lobby.