Spend a day at Chicago’s Museum Campus (337 East Randolph St.), a 57-acre lakefront park adjacent to Northerly Island. Here, you’ll find five of the city's most notable attractions: the Adler Planetarium, America's first; the Shedd Aquarium; the Field Museum, its origins traced to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition; Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears; and the Lakeside Center of McCormick Place, an exhibition space.
Escape the cold — or simply the outside world — at the stunning Garfield Park Conservatory (300 N. Central Park Ave., 773-638-1766, garfieldconservatory.org). This lush, 10-acre botanical landscape-under-glass is a year-round destination, with indoor display gardens in a variety of habitats.
Take time to stroll through the Art Institute of Chicago (111 S. Michigan Ave., 312-443-3600, artic.edu). Located in Chicago's Grant Park, just a short walk from the interactive Crown Fountain and The Bean, this Beaux Arts beauty — flanked by two bronze lions — houses a 300,000-strong, permanent collection of art. From Japanese prints to ancient Greek sculptures; Edward Hopper's Nighthawks; Georges Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte; and Grant Wood's American Gothic, it also houses the Renzo Piano-designed Modern Wing and destination-worthy restaurant Terzo Piano, with its breathtaking views of Millennium Park.
Set smack-dab in the heart of Lincoln Park, free, 35-acre Lincoln Park Zoo (2001 N. Clark St., 312-742-2000, lpzoo.org) is one of the oldest zoos in the nation. As you stroll through the scenic, park-like setting, glean big cats, penguins, gorillas, polar bears, reptiles and monkeys — not to mention long-legged Chilean flamingos.
Learn what makes Chicago Chicago at Lincoln Park’s Chicago History Museum (1601 N. Clark St., 312- 642-4600, chicagohistory.org). With a collection that ranges from dioramas to newsreels and artifacts, it offers insight into Chicago’s past, present and future. There’s also a diverse roaster or programming that’s worth a look-see.
No matter how long you’ve lived in Chicago, there’s always something new to discover. Walking tours and river cruises from the Chicago Architecture Center (111 E. Wacker Dr., 312-922-3432, architecture.org) are a great place to expand your knowledge, whether it’s about Art Deco structures or the mid-century architecture of Mies van der Rohe.
Located in the jaw-dropping, Art Deco Civic Opera House, the Lyric Opera of Chicago (20 N. Upper Wacker Dr., 312-827-5600, www.lyricopera.org) is among the country’s most respected opera venues, putting on lavish performances in a historic setting. Prefer classical music? The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (220 S. Michigan Ave., 312-294-3000, cso.org), housed in the Symphony Center, is among the world's leading orchestras. Trying to save bank? The Grant Park Symphony Orchestra (312-294-3000, www.grantparkmusicfestival.com) performs for free at the Grant Park Music Festival, a summer concert series, in Millennium Park.
Looking for more inspiration? You’ll find it here.
