The city of Chicago is famous for its incredible skyscrapers, restaurants and amazing nightlife. It is located on the beautiful Lake Michigan in Illinois and is the send largest city in the USA. This city is popular for its architectural beauty. Some of US top architecture building is located in Chicago. The John Hancock Center, Willis Tower, the Tribune Tower, etc. are few of them. For tourists the attractions are plenty. There are many renowned museums, art institute and park in the city to entertain tourists. There are lots of sightseeing, tours and activities for tourists visiting Chicago. Over here is a list of the best things to do in Chicago for first-time visitors.
The best things to do in Chicago
Go for river and lake cruise
The river and lake cruise tours are probably the best way to enjoy Chicago once you land. You get a nice feeling of this great city and its famous skylines. The cruise begins right from Lake Michigan and passes through the Chicago River. Just sit back on the beautiful open airboat and enjoy breathtaking views of the surrounding city skyscrapers. You can also enjoy this lake tour in a speedboat as it’s more thrilling. This sightseeing trip lasts for approximately forty minutes. If you decide to book the speedboat cruise, it lasts for seventy-five minutes. You need to get on to the speedboat from the Navy Pier. The speedboat cruise covers around forty important landmarks in Chicago. It starts on the lake and ends at the Willis Tower. An expert guide accompanies you giving live commentary about these important landmarks.
Visit Skydeck
Viewing this great city from the top of the skyscrapers is a great experience. Chicago’s Willis Tower is an iconic landmark. This building is over 442 meters tall and was initially recognized as the world’s tallest tower before the construction of Burj Khalifa. Last year over 58 million tourists visited Chicago. The Skydeck received a massive number of enthusiastic visitors topping the list. Once you book Skydeck skip-the-like ticket, you can head straight to the building’s observation deck without any waiting. This observation deck is located at a soaring height of above 412.4 meters from the ground. A high-speed elevator takes you at the top. From the observation deck, you get a breathtaking panoramic view of the city’s skylines that stretches up to 50 miles. On the way to the elevator, you can also enjoy a short movie featuring The Willis Tower 45 year’s enriched history.
Visit the Art Institute of Chicago
Tours to The Art Institute of Chicago are extremely popular among tourists as it is one of the city’s most popular attraction. This art institute houses three of the world’s most heritage paintings which are over 150 years old. With the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painting outside Paris, the art institute of Chicago holds its importance. The legendary works of Edward Hopper, Grant Wood, Seurat and others all form a part of the large art collection you find over here. You can also find the works of Monet, Cézanne, Renoir, van Gogh and other renowned painters. Once you visit the art institute of Chicago, don’t forget to marvel around the ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian artifacts. It includes mosaics, coins, pottery and other items of historical significance. Throughout the year this is a crowded place to visit. Book Skip-the-line tickets in advance and save time.
Spend time strolling at the Grant Park
The Grand Park is a beautiful open-air park located in the heart of this cosmopolitan city. It is spread across an area of over 129 hectares looping around Lake Michigan. This is a beautiful lush boulevard to stroll around and enjoy the natural beauty. Chicago’s biggest Food Festival ‘Taste of Chicago’ is organized here each year during the month of July. Grant, Park, also serves as a point for the start and finish line of the Chicago Marathon.
Millennium Park
The Millennium Park is one of the pioneer attractions to visit in Chicago. It is located in the heart of Grant, Park. The park has lots of attractions to marvel around like the Crown Fountain, The Bean, Maggie Daley Park, etc. You can also watch music and dance show at the Harris Theater. Spend a day exploring the park with family and enjoy your visit.
Buckingham Fountain
The Buckingham Fountain is a beautiful water fountain located at the center of Grant, Park. It was constructed in 1927 and is one of the world’s largest fountain. This is an eight-meter-tall fountain with over 200 water jets. The water-pool surrounding the fountain measures around 85 meters. The fountain holds around 5.7 million liters of water and every hour there is a water show for 20 minutes. Once you are in Chicago, you cannot miss the opportunity to enjoy the water fountain show.
Visit the Museum of Science and Industry
The Museum of Science and Industry is a popular kid’s friendly attraction in Chicago. It holds a large number of exhibits like the German U-505 submarine, the Pioneer Zephyr, the first Boeing 727 and others. You can also find relics from the Apollo missions, a replica of a deep-shaft coal mine and many such amazing exhibits. Visit here with your kids and spend an entire day marveling around the attractions.
Final Verdict
The great city of Chicago has so many beautiful places to visit. A lot of tours and activities waits for you to unwind as you travel to Chicago. The list of attractions is large, but the most exciting one is discussed over here. Book tours to visit these attractions and places. These are definitely the best things to do in Chicago. If you want to explore all exciting tours and activities in Chicago, Click Here!