Chicago Attractions & Activities

Historic Sites

Address: 800 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

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The Chicago Water Tower is a landmark structure built in 1869 that survived the great fire of 1871. The limestone building looks more like a palace or a folly than a water tower and features well-executed stonework and several smaller towers in addition to its centerpiece. The main tower rises 154 feet high and now...

Address: 951 Chicago Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302

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Renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright began building this house in 1889. As his style developed, so did the home, and Wright continued to make unique additions to it to suit his personal needs. Today, guided tours showcase his studio and its chain-hung balcony, along with a playroom designed for his children that...

Address: 1800 S Prairie Ave, Chicago, IL 60616

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The Glessner House was built in 1887 and is the home of Henry Hobson Richardson Glessner, an architect whose work inspired Frank Lloyd Wright. The house has been painstakingly restored and preserved and includes an outstanding collection of 19th and 20th century furniture and decorative art. This home holds a vast...

Address: 4001 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60613

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Cemetery hours don't allow guests to verify whether a green-eyed ghoul really howls at the moon. The story of the statue of six-year old Inez Clark disappearing during storms also remains a legend, but a walk through the historical 1860 graveyard during the day is still a worthwhile experience. Inexpensive maps and...

Address: 800 S Halsted St, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607

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A quest for social reform and belief in equal opportunities for all community members were driving forces behind Jane Addams' establishment in 1889 of a settlement house in one of Chicago's immigrant neighborhoods. Now owned by the surrounding university, the restored structure houses a museum that honors Addams, her...

Address: 11141 S Cottage Grove Ave, 14 miles from downtown, Chicago, IL 60628

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Conceived of by George M. Pullman (of Pullman car fame) as a model neighborhood for his factory workers, this late 19th-century town originally featured residences, a school, a hotel, a bank, a church, and ahead-of-their-time conveniences like indoor plumbing. Having survived threats of redevelopment over the last...

Address: 5757 S Woodlawn Ave, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637

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One of the best examples of Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie-style architecture, Robie House boasts characteristic horizontal lines, stained-glass windows, and balconies. Wright designed the rooms to be energy efficient by keeping out direct sunlight and allowing enough light in to keep rooms from growing too dark. The...

Address: 210 S Canal St, Chicago, IL 60606

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Union Station's Great Hall has been photographed time and again by people seeking to capture the essence of America's past and the architectural beauty of a bygone era. In its heyday, the station hosted approximately 300 trains and 10,000 passengers each day. Today, long wooden benches still stand against a muted...

Address: 400-410 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

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The Wrigley Building is one of the city's (and the nation's) most notable corporate landmarks. Comprised of two towers connected by an open walkway, the building takes inspiration for its shape from the Seville Cathedral's Giralda Tower in Spain, and its design is an Americanized version of French Renaissance style....

Address: 1060 W Addison St, Chicago, IL 60613

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This cozy stadium's friendly atmosphere asserts strong appeal for Chicago Cubs fans. First opened in 1914, the facility boasts ivy-covered brick walls in the outfield and a manual scoreboard that helps promote a good-old-days ambience. The place is such a local legend that any visit to Chicago must include a day at...