Top 10 Tourist Attractions in Chicago
Chicago featuring excellent entertaining avenues is a popular tourist’s destination in the world. This city that is home to various museums and arts center draws a significant number of visitors to the city. The top 10 tourist attractions in this city feature an extensive range of options. Be it the parks or the museum, the cultural centers or the spectacular architectural constructions, the city has it all. Chicago is also home to fascinating attractions for the kids.Chicago is best known for its parks and museums. These museums provide the tourists with a learning experience about the city’s cultural past. Here is a look at the top 10 attractions in Chicago that are highly popular among the tourists.
- Navy Pier
The Navy Pier located to the east of downtown on Lake Michigan is one of the top Chicago attractions. Navy Pier is famous for offering the tourist with the best of dining and entertainment choices. The attraction that was originally constructed in the year 1919 was redesigned during the period of early 90’s to attracting tourists to Chicago. Navy Pier is a popular kid’s attraction for the kids and hosts an equal appeal with the older generation. This attraction presently has a 150-feet tall Ferris wheel, an IMAX theater, and a children’s museum. Navy Pier also features an indoor botanical garden along with other attractions like, cliff climbing, funhouse, miniature golf, and a carousel.
Contact details
600 East Grand Avenue
Tel: 800-595-PIER (7437)
Hours of operation – The hours of Operation varies according to the season. The general timings are as follows:
- Sunday - Thursday: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
- Friday & Saturday: 10:00 am - 10:00 .m
- Lincoln Park Zoo
The Lincoln Park Zoo is one of the most popular kid’s attractions in Chicago. This zoo is not only famous for featuring excellent wildlife exhibits but also conventional design. The Regenstein Center that has newly opened is one of the most popular attractions in the zoo. The center that is home to African Apes tries to feature a natural environment with excellent facilities for the chimps and the gorillas. The zoo is situated to the west of Lake Shore driveway in the Fullerton Parkway.
Contact details
2001 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60614
Tel - 312-742-2000
Hours of Operation
Memorial Day–Labor Day - May 29–September 6- Weekdays - 10 am–5 pm (gates open until 6 pm)
- Weekends - 10 am–6:30 pm (gates open until 7 pm)
- September–October - 10 am–5 pm
- November–March - 10 am–4:30 pm
- April–May - 10 am–5 pm
Admission Rates - Free
- The Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago is the biggest and finest Fine Art museum in the state of Illinois. The museum is famous for its collection of the American, Impressionist, and Post-Impressionist paintings. The museum also holds special exhibitions throughout the year displaying the rare collection of Monet paintings. This art museum brings for you the best art ages that includes the historical dark age to the present age. This attraction located on Michigan Avenue is quite close to Millennium Park.
Contact details
111 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois
Tel - 60603-6404
Hours of operation –- Monday–Wednesday - 10:30–5:00
- Thursday - 10:30–8:00 (Free Admission 5:00–8:00)
- Friday - 10:30–8:00
- Saturday–Sunday - 10:30–5:00
Admission Rates –- Adults: USD18
- Children, Students, and Seniors (65 and up): USD12
- Children under 14: Free
- Millennium Park
The Millennium Park is one of the newest attractions in Chicago. The park was established in the year 2004. This park featuring the popular Juame Plensa’s Crown Fountain is highly acclaimed among the tourists. The millennium Park also has other attractions like, the Lurie Gardens and Jay Pritzger Pavillion that is home to the Grant Park Orchestra.
Contact details
103 N. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL - 60602
Hours of operation –
- Date – open daily
- Time– 6 am – 11 pm
Admission Rates - Free
- Hancock Observatory
The Hancock Observatory might not cover the views of four states but at the height of 1,000 feet, the observatory offers wonderful sights of Chicago and Lake Michigan. This observatory is famous for offering the tourists with great entertainment. The skywalk, an open-air viewing area is the most popular attraction of this observatory. This tourist destination also offers sky tours, an audio tour around the observatory.
Contact details
875 N. Michigan Avenue
Tel - 1-888-875-8439
Hours of operation: 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 pm
Admission Rates:
- Adults (age 13 - 61): USD15
- Seniors (62+): USD13
- Children (age 5-12): USD9
- Children 4 and under: Free
- Buckingham Fountain
The Buckingham Fountain founded on May 26, 1927 is one of the famous Chicago attractions. This fountain is considered as one of the iconic structure of the city. The fountain water display of this attraction is one of the most popular attractions of this tourist destination. The Fountain light show also draws significant number of visitors to this famous site in Chicago.
Contact details
Congress Parkway & Columbus Drive
Chicago, IL 60605
Tel: (312) 747-2474
Hours of operation - Mid April – Mid October - 8:00 am to 11:00 pm
- Museum of Science and Industry
The Museum Science and Industry is another top-rated tourist attraction in Chicago. The museum is famous for offering a great learning experience through its interactive sessions. Popular exhibits of this museum include Zephyr, a train that once had set a land speed record and Idea Factory, a learning exhibit for the kids. The Omnimax Theater presenting the visitors with a virtual journey to outer space or under sea is another popular attraction of this museum.
Contact details
5700 S Lake Shore Dr
Chicago, IL 60637-2093
Tel: 773-684-1414
Hours of operation –- Monday – Saturday - 9:30am-4pm
- Sunday - 11am-4pm
Admission Rates –
For Museum - Adult USD13 - USD15
- Senior (65+) USD12 - USD14
- Child (3-11) USD9 - USD10
For Museum and Omnimax - Adult USD21 - USD23
- Senior (65+) USD19 - USD21
- Child (3-11) USD15 - USD16
U-505 Submarine Optional On-Board Tour - Adult USD8
- Senior (65+) USD8
- Child (3-11) USD6
- Sears Tower Skydeck
The Willis Tower previously known as the Sears Tower is a popular Chicago tourist attraction. This tower is one of the tallest buildings in North America. The popularity of this tower lies in its offering of spectacular views of the Chicago skyline. The view on a clear day covers the skyline of four USA states - Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illionis.
Contact details
233 S. Wacker Drive
Tel - 877-SKY-DECK (759-3325)
Hours of operation:
- April - September: 10am - 10pm
- October - March: 10am - 8pm
Admission Rates - - Adults (age 12 - 64): USD14.95
- Youth (age 3-11): USD10.50
- Children under 3: Free
- Shedd Aquarium
ThE Shedd Aquarium established in 1930 boasts of being one of the oldest Chicago attraction. This aquarium features an excellent collection of marine –life. The popular attraction of this aquarium includes Caribbean reef that is home to sharks, stingrays, sea turtle, and eels, Oceanarium replicating the rainforests of North Pacific. Other attraction includes a wild reef featuring a display of wild corals and sharks and Amazon Rising that brings for you almost one-third of the animal life. Waters of the World hosts the display of the marine life.
Contact details
1200 South Lake Shore Drive
Tel - 312-939-2426
Hours of operation –- Weekdays 9 a.m. - 5 pm
- Weekends 9 a.m. - 6 pm
Admission Rates
Including aquarium, Amazon rising, Oceanarium, Wild Reef - Adults - 23 USD
- Children (ages 3-11) - USD16
Aquarium Only: - Adults USD8
- Children (ages 3-11) - USD6
- Wrigley Field
The Wrigley Field declaring a strong demand for the ChicagoCubs fans is another Chicago attraction. This stadium established in 1914 features a friendly ambience along with ivy-covered brick walls and manual scoreboard. A visit to this attraction will surely offer you with a feel of the good old days. Tours are conducted in this attraction that are scheduled on select dates from 9:30am till 4:30pm.
Contact details
1060 W Addison St
Chicago, IL 60613
Tel: 773-404-2827
Admission Rates –- Game tickets - USD8 - USD315
- Tour tickets - USD25
