THE 10 BEST Tourist Spots in Chicago 2024: Things to Do & Places to Go - Tripadvisor
United States
Illinois (IL)
Chicago
Things to Do in Chicago

Top Things to Do in Chicago

Things to Do in Chicago

Grab a slice of deep dish pizza, snap a selfie with the Bean at Millennium Park, and take in the city by boat on Lake Michigan or the Chicago River.

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Ways to tour Chicago

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Top Attractions in Chicago

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These rankings are informed by traveler reviews—we consider the quality, quantity, recency, consistency of reviews, and the number of page views over time.
3. Chicago Architecture Center
5.0 of 5 bubbles3,399
Speciality Museums
When you hit the pavement on one of our 75+ walking tours through Chicago neighborhoods, set sail on our award-winning river cruise, gift a membership to friends and family, or visit the stunning riverfront Center, you’re helping fund CAC youth education initiatives like Girls Build!, Teen Fellows and the Newhouse Architecture + Design Competition. Or you may be helping to keep programs like Open House Chicago free for participants for years to come. As a certified nonprofit, all CAC ticket purchases directly support our education efforts and community engagement projects. • 1 walking tour ticket = transportation and lunch for a CAC summer program student. • 2 river cruise tickets = sketching materials and drafting tools for a student. • Sold out walking tour = tuition for a Teen Fellow to take a digital lab course at a local community college. EDUCATION • TOURS • EXHIBITIONS • CRUISES
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4. Museum of Science and Industry
4.5 of 5 bubbles11,207
Science Museums
The largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere! Housed in the only remaining building from the 1893 World’s Fair, MSI is a Chicago must-see. You’ll experience 14 acres of hands-on exhibits and have the chance to stand before a 40-foot tornado; climb aboard a World War II German submarine; take a run in a human-sized hamster wheel; descend into an Illinois coal mine; tour a fully functioning eco-friendly home; board a 727 hanging from the ceiling; transmit your pulse to a 13-foot, 3-D beating heart; and much more! MSI is not a place where you walk around quietly and observe. No way! You get involved in the fun—and learn—by doing. Just a few miles from downtown with convenient underground parking.
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6. Skydeck Chicago - Willis Tower
4.5 of 5 bubbles17,876
Points of Interest & Landmarks
Admission tickets from ₱2,520
Skydeck Chicago is the breathtaking, thrilling observatory atop the iconic Willis Tower. The highest observation deck in the United States, Skydeck provides views of the city spanning up to four states and 50 miles on a clear day. Skydeck features The Ledge; five glass floor balconies extending 4.3 feet from Willis Tower and made up of three layers of half-inch thick glass laminated into one seamless unit. After an extensive transformation, Skydeck offers a can’t miss, one-stop attraction to discover and see all that the city of Chicago offers from an incomparable vantage point. The revamped attraction features a brand-new, lower-level, museum-like interactive experience that celebrates the unique personality, history, neighborhoods, and sites of Chicago.
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Other Top Attractions around Chicago

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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

What travelers are saying

  • MojoLad
    Graton, CA321 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    One of America's finest art museums
    What an art museum! So much great stuff to see from ancient Greece all the way up to the modern world. Their regular collection is first-rate, particularly their impressionists, and every time I've been there the temporary shows have been excellent. I've visited three or four times, over the years, and I still haven't seen everything the place has to offer -- they should open earlier! This time my big surprise were the Miniature Rooms, exhibit after exhibit of mind-boggling 1:12 scale craftsmanship in a variety of (mostly American) period styles. It is to wow. We also treated ourselves to a really good meal in the café.
    Review of: The Art Institute of Chicago
    Written April 22, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Reeni01
    Washington DC, DC140 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Photo Op!
    It is crowded and a tourist thing, but that just makes it even more fun! Pick a spot get those cool reflecting photos, then move aside for someone else to get a spot. It is easily a 10min photo op but nothing much else.
    Review of: Millennium Park
    Written April 22, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Anna R
    5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Architecture Boat Tour - Fantastic!!!
    The architecture boat tour was fantastic! Alison our guide was very knowledgeable and charming - we learned so much! My teenage son (17) loved it too.
    Review of: Chicago Architecture Center
    Written April 27, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • MojoLad
    Graton, CA321 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Do not miss the U-505! It alone is worth the price of admission
    What a GREAT museum! So much to see, and so well presented. We were keen on touring the U-505, the only German U-Boat captured in WWII, and we were not the least bit disappointed by it. Other science exhibits were beautifully done and often breathtaking, like when the actual Boeing 727 directly overhead suddenly drops its landing gear. And as a fan of HO-scale model trains I was particularly pleased with their immense and gorgeous layout, which I could have stared at for an hour. We didn't even see a third of the other exhibits, and are keen to go back if we ever visit Chicago again.
    Review of: Museum of Science and Industry
    Written April 22, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Uccman39
    North Brunswick, NJ208 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    An underrated area to spend a day
    A wonderful place to visit on a nice day. I stopped in Chicago for the day on my way out west. Chicago is an underrated city for shopping and beautiful lake views. Didn’t have time for the restaurants but would like to return soon
    Review of: The Magnificent Mile
    Written April 3, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Orlando Airport Transportation MCO
    Orlando, FL7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Chicago
    The Best City,Great Chicago Fire of October 8-10, 1871, on the original flag. The points of the star signify transportation, labor, commerce, finance, populousness and salubrity (health).
    World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893, on the original flag. The points of the star signify religion, education, aesthetics, justice, beneficence and civic spirit.
    Century of Progress Exposition, added in 1933. The points of the star represent significant attributes of the city: world's third largest city (in 1933), Chicago’s motto "Urbs in Horto," the “I will" motto, Great Central Market, Wonder City