101 Things to do in Chicago

 

1. go shopping at the Water Tower Place with over 100 popular stores

2. Amazing Chicago's Fun House Maze

3. Visit the Lincoln Park Zoo

4. Shedd Aquarium

5. Museums:

Museum of Science and Industry

Richard H. Driehaus Museum
Oriental Institute Museum
Chicago's Children's Museum
National Museum of Mexican Art
Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum
Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows
Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank
Field Museum

6. Art Institute of Chicago

7. Lake Michigan

8. Millenium Park hosts hundreds of free concerts annually

9. Lincoln Park Conservatory

10. Second City - has family friendly improv shows

11. Garfield Park Conservatory

12. Watch the Blue Man Group

13. food tours:

Chicago Food Planet food tours
Chicago Chocolate and Dessert Tours
Chicago Pizza Tours

14. Lincoln Park Conservatory

15. Request tickets to Conan here

16. Chicago Cultural Center

Christkindlmarket Source: GladeExplorers.com

17. Christkindlmarket is a "traditional German American Holiday market" which is open mid November to Christmas Eve. 

18. take a guided tour of Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio

19. take a cooking class celebrating Julia Childs at The Chopping Block

20. Kayak around Chicago you can take a guided tour with Kayak Chicago or Urban Kayaks

21. check out one of the many Sightseeing Tours including:

Bobby's Bike Hike

Absolutely Chicago Segway Tours

Chicago Greeter

 

22. Watch a Musical - like The Million Dollar Quartet

23. Buckingham Fountain

24. Visit Wrigley Field

25. Dinner Theatre: Tommy Gun's Garage, The Dinner Detective Murder Mystery Dinner Show,

26. Pump it Up - gigantic inflatables in an indoor arena 

27. bowling - Lucky Strikes, 10 Pin Bowling Lounge, Waveland Bowl

28. go public swimming at one of the many indoor or outdoor pools around Chicago

29. North Avenue Beach

30. Visit the Brookfield Zoo

31.  mini golf: Par-King, Navy Pier, Novelty Golf and Games, Hidden Cove Sportsplex or The Green at Grant Park

32. golfing - Harborside International Golfing Center, South Shore Golf Course or Diversey Driving Range

33. Halloween: pick a pumpkin at one of the many pumpkin patches around Chicago, find your way through the corn maze at Dollinger Family Farm (pictued below)  or visit a haunted house



Source: Dollinger Family Farm

34. Christmas Events: Festival of Lights and Trees, watch the McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade or ride the CTA Holiday Train

35. Visit a Farmer's Market: Near North Chicago Farmer's Market or Green City Market (Chicago's one year round farmer's market)

36.  Watch the 4th of July Fireworks

37. ride the ferris wheel and other amusement rides at Navy Pier, or check out the events such as Snow Days in January or Landshark Beer Garden

38. Visit the Chicago Botanic garden

39. visit your neighbourhood playground

40. Visit Skydeck Chicago located at the top of the Willis tower (formerly the Sears tower)

41. John Hancock Observatory - take an open air sky walk

42. Chicago Architecture Foundation

43. go shopping on The Magnificent Mile with a variety of shops, restaurants and boutiques to suite every need. And you can check out the Manificent Mile Shopping Festival - a two week festival at the end of the summer which features fashion shows, celebrity appearances, and outdoor performances

44. Check out Play Cafe's for when the little ones are feeling cooped up - The Chicago Treehouse  or The Family Grounds Cafe

45. The Rookery

46. Robie House

47. Grant Park

48. Oak Street Beach

49. The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

50. Northerly Island

51. go ice skating at the Midway Plaisance Ice Rink, Riis Park (free outdoor rink) or the Warren Park Ice Rink

52. Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool

53. Wicker Park

54.  Chicago Waterworks Visitor Center

55. Theatres - check out what's currently playing at TheatreinChicago

56. Neo-Futurists

57. Union Station

58. take a ride on a trolley

59. Raging Waves - Illinois' Largest Water Park

60. City Running Tours

61. Chicago Beer Experience Beer Tours

62. Chicago Horse and Carriage

63. Watson's Adventure's Scavenger's Hunt

64. Chicago Hauntings

65. The 900 Shops Mall

66. Beaches:

31st Street Beach

Calumet Beach
Columbia Beach
Fargo Beach
Lane Beach

67.  Paintball - The Grindhouse Paintball Field is an indoor paintball field located in Calumet City or Odyssey Fun Paintball Field in Naperville also offers laser tag and amusement park rides

68. American Girl Place

69. Check out a Chicago Bears game

70. Berger Park Cultural Center

71. Visit Bucktown Shopping District

72. Chase Park

73. Watch a Chicago Blackhawk's game

74. Chicago Cultural Center

75. Watch a Chicago Bulls game

76. ESPN Zone

77. Eli's Cheesecake World

78.  Lincoln Park Cultural Center

79. Oz Park

80. Piper's Alley

81. Blommer Chocolate Company

82. Check out Chinatown including Chinatown Square - a two story outdoor mall and the Chinatown Gate

83. Margate Park

84.  check out tradeshows or Conventions in Chicago - biztradeshows for a complete listing

85. Swap-o-rama - a huge outdoor flea makret

86. check out the sites where Transformers 3 was filmed

87.  horseback riding - Friesian Horse, Harriet's Business Service, Palmerosa Campgrounds, Dillion Ranch

88. petting farms - Farm in the Zoo (at the Lincoln Park Zoo) - you can feed the cows, pet the animals or watch a milking or butter churning demonstration

89. pick your own berries, fruit or vegetables near Chicago - pickyourown.org

90. go scuba diving - Windy City Diving 

Source: Prosthetic Aesthetics

91. Cloud Gate
92.  choose from a variety of art classes at Lillstreet for kids or adults

93. Plow in the dark mini putt -Putting Edge or Glow Putt Paradise Miniture Golf 

94. trampolines - visit Sky High Sports where the floors and walls are all trampolines or Extreme Trampolines

95. cross country skiing

96. go tobogganing at Soldier Field

97. check out an ice skating show

98. Check out a music festival like Chicago's Blues Festival, Chicago  Jazz Festival or World Music Festival Chicago

99. Watch the Chicago Air and Water Show - the largest free show of it's kind in the U.S.

100. Chicago Summerdance - an 11 week summer festival featuring free dance lessons and music

101 Taste of Chicago - outdoor food festival