The WalL
join:2004-08-14
Aurora, IL
4 edits | What To Do In Chicago? FAQ
Chicago is the 3rd larest city in the US. It has a diverse ethnic and cultural footage. From the old Europeans to the newest Asians, immigrants and natives have been living in this town for centuries.
Here is a short list of what to do in this great city and places to visit. Note that the links on the left provide valuable info on some things mentioned below.
How to get around:
CTA chicago buses and trains - www.yourcta.com
Pace suburban bus service - www.pacebus.com
Metra regional train service - www.metrarail.com
Places to visit in and around the city (by sections of the city):
Downtown
1. Shedd Aquarium
2. Field Museum
3. Art Institute
4. Museum of Contemporary Art
5. Adler Planetarium
6. Sears Tower Observatory
7. Hancock Building Observatory/Signature Room
8. Millenium Park. Website: »www.millenniumpark.org/
9. Grant Park
North side
1. Wrigley Field - Home of Chicago Cubs and neighboring Wrigleyville for the bars and pubs.
Located at: Addison Ave and Shieffield.
Accessible by CTA Red Line and CTA Buses.
2. Devon Avenue for Indian/Pakistani restaurants and grocers and everything else that is South Asian.
Located at: Devon Ave (6400 N) and Western Ave (2400 W).
Accessible by CTA Red Line and CTA Buses.
South side
1. US Cellular Field - Home of the World Champion Chicago White Sox for enjoying baseball
Located at: 35th St and Shields Ave.
Accessible by CTA Red Line.
2. Museum of Science and Industry
Located at: 57th Street and Lake Shore Drive.
Accessible by CTA buses and Metra Electric (57th St. Station)
3. Oriental Institute
Accessible by CTA buses. Its located on U of Chicago campus
4. Checkerboard Lounge (Blues)
Located at: 52nd St & Harper
Accessible by CTA buses or Metra Electric (53rd St. stop)
5. Smart Museum of Art
6. Robie House
West side
1. United Center - Home of Chicago Bulls
Located at: Damen Ave and Jackson Blvd.
Accessible by CTA Damen bus and CTA Blue Line.
2. China Town - For ethnic Chinese, Malaysian and Mongolian cuisine and everything Chinese. This place is a must visit.
Located at: Cermak Ave and Wentworth St.
Accessible by CTA Red Line.
3. Korea Town
North Suburbs
1. Gurnee Mills Shopping - One big shopping mall near the Illinois/Wisconsin border.
Website: »www.gurneemillsmall.com/static/n···GhJoVXwY
2. Volo Auto Museum and Antiques
Website: »www.volocars.com/
3. Six Flags Great America - Rides for everyone in the family. Look for special sales at colleges and schools for half-off tickets.
Website: »www.sixflags.com/parks/greatamer···ndex.asp
4. Chicago Botanical Garden
Website: »www.chicago-botanic.org/
NorthWest Suburbs
1. Allstate Arena- Home of the Chicago Rush of AFL. Chicago Wolves also call Allstate Arena their home. They are arguably the most successful pro-sports franchise in Chicago history having made playoffs for over 10 straight years and winning championships.
Located at: North of Mannheim (IL Rt 45) and Higgins (IL Rt 72).
Accessible by roads and Metra.
Website: »www.allstatearena.com
2. Rosemont Theater has many good shows. Reserve in advance or you'll lose out on the best shows/seats.
Located at: 5400 N. River Rd in Rosemont
Accesible by roads and Metra (with a cab from the station?)
Website: »www.rosemont.com/visiting/theatre.shtml
3. Museum of Hummels (Yep Hummels...we've got that too)
Website: »www.stephenshummelmuseum.com/
4. Many good restaurants
Website: »www.rosemont.com/restaurants/ind···ts.shtml
5. Kiddieland in Melrose Park
Website: »www.kiddieland.com/
South Suburbs
1. Joliet Jackhammers - Minor League baseball action.
2. Windy City Thunderbolts
3. Gary SouthShore Railcats
West Suburbs
1. Kane County Cougars - AAA affiliate of Oakland A's. You can always be assured of a great pitching effort on the mound with this team.
2. Schaumburg Flyers - This is one team that will stop at nothing to make it fun for the fans. Be it signing 'Leon' of Budweiser ads or playing the first few innings on the big scoreboard using a video game, they make it fun for the fan.
3. Chicago Bandits - Chicago's professional softball team plays at Benedictine University's grounds in Lisle, IL. And they have some top notch talent on their roster including Olympic Gold medalist Jennie Finch.
Located at: Benedictine University, Lisle IL.
Accessible by Metrarail and cabs.
4. Naperville Riverwalk in downtown Naperville
5. Morton Arboretum in Lisle
6. Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield
7. Fabyan Forest Preserve (Batavia)- Windmill and Japanese garden
8. Paramount Arts Center in Aurora
9. Chicago Premium Outlets in Aurora
10. BNSF Railroad Museum in Aurora
11. Farnsworth House in Plano
12. SciTech Museum in Aurora
13. Naper Settlement
Some good restaurants:
Portillos
Sullivan's (for steaks) in Naperville
Walter Payton's Roundhouse in Aurora
Hollywood Casino in Aurora (I think all the boats should be in here)
Magianos, Uncle Julio's in Oak Brook
Rosebud, Catch 35, Heaven on Seven, etc. in Downtown Naperville
----- |
|
Bulldawg
join:2001-02-14
Harwood Heights, IL
3 edits | NorthWest Suburbs
Rosemont
Allstate Arena-Chicago Rush Arena Football (Seasonal)
North of Mannheim (RT45) and Higgins (RT72)
»www.allstatearena.com/
Rosemont Theater
Many Good Shows
5400 N. River Rd.
»www.rosemont.com/visiting/theatre.shtml
Museum of Hummels (Yep Hummels)
»www.stephenshummelmuseum.com/
Many Good Eats in the area too
»www.rosemont.com/restaurants/ind···ts.shtml
Melrose Park
Kiddieland
»www.kiddieland.com/
Just to help get this started  |
|
cbrigante2
Cubs 20??
Premium
join:2002-11-22
North Aurora, IL | reply to The WalL
West Burbs:
A couple of ideas:
Portillos
Sullivan's (for steaks) in Naperville
Walter Payton's Roundhouse in Aurora
Hollywood Casino in Aurora (I think all the boats should be in here)
Uncle Julio's in Oak Brook? |
|
insomniac
Oh Yeah
Premium
join:2002-09-22
Naperville, IL
clubs:
 ·AT&T Midwest
1 edit | reply to The WalL
Western suburbs:
Rosebud, Catch 35, Heaven on Seven, etc. in downtown Naperville
Naper Settlement
SciTech Museum in Aurora
Also, the Museum of Science and Industry is hardly "downtown." I'd put it in the South Side section.
--
If everything seems to be going well, you've obviously overlooked something. |
|
jsinaiko
Premium
join:2001-04-25
Chicago, IL
·AT&T Midwest
| reply to The WalL
South Side:
Museum of Science and Industry (already listed)
Accessible via CTA and Metra Electric (57th St. Station)
Oriental Institute
Accessible via CTA - on U of Chicago campus
Checkerboard Lounge (blues) 52nd & Harper
Accessible via CTA or Metra Electric (53rd St. stop)
--
Illegitimati non carborundum
|
|
insomniac
Oh Yeah
Premium
join:2002-09-22
Naperville, IL
clubs:
·AT&T Midwest
| reply to The WalL
Couple more additions.
South Side:
Smart Museum of Art
Robie House
West suburbs:
Kane County Cougars
Schaumburg Flyers
South suburbs:
Joliet Jackhammers
Windy City Thunderbolts
Gary SouthShore Railcats
--
If everything seems to be going well, you've obviously overlooked something. |
|
gdm
Premium,MVM
join:2001-06-15
Mchenry, IL
clubs:
 ·AT&T U-Verse
 ·AT&T CallVantage
·Comcast Digital Vo..
 ·Comcast
1 edit | reply to The WalL
Far North/Northwest Suburbs
Gurnee Mills Shopping - »www.gurneemillsmall.com/static/n···GhJoVXwY
Six Flags Great America
Volo Auto Museum and Antiques »www.volocars.com/ |
|
Bulldawg
join:2001-02-14
Harwood Heights, IL
| Just adding a Link
Six Flags Great America
»www.sixflags.com/parks/greatamer···ndex.asp |
|
Darek
Premium
join:2000-12-04
Chicago, IL | reply to The WalL
Downtown
-> »www.millenniumpark.org/
North Suburbs
-> »www.chicago-botanic.org/ |
|
jmdomini
Premium
join:2000-05-04
Sycamore, IL | reply to The WalL
Western Suburbs:
Naperville Riverwalk
Morton Arboretum
Brookfield Zoo
Fabyan Forest Preserve (Batavia)- Windmill and Japanese garden
Paramount Arts Center (Aurora)
Farnsworth House (Plano)
Chicago Premium Outlets (Aurora) |
|
The WalL
join:2004-08-14
Aurora, IL | Updated with all replies so far and added a couple more places. |
|
lskohn
join:2000-08-17
Chicago, IL
| All-around information source: The Chicago Visitors' Center at the Cultural Center, Randolph and Michigan -- lots of brochures, maps and volunteers to answer questions
Great architectural tours (by boat, foot, segway or bus!): Chicago Architectural Foundation, 224 South Michigan Avenue, www.architecture.org
Not well-enough known - Neighborhood Tours by the City of Chicago's Office of Cultural Affairs, see www.chgocitytours.com for schedule |
|
djdanska
Premium,MVM
join:2001-04-21
Glen Ellyn, IL
clubs:
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·T-Mobile US
·A + Net
·Mediacom
·RCN CABLE
| reply to The WalL
West suburbs. Downers grove. The tivoli theater. across the street from the main st. metra station.
»www.organman.com/tivoli.sht
»www.classiccinemas.com/History/tivoli.asp
--
When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all. |
|
StepR
Code Warrior
join:2000-11-06
Elgin, IL
| reply to The WalL
West- In Oak Park, the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio
»www.oprf.com/flw/
West- In Winfield, Cantigny Park, a museum of the First infantry Division, with walk-through diaramas of battlefields; outside, visitors can climb on WWI, WWII, Korean War and other tanks. Adjacent is the McCormick House tour and formal gardens.
»www.rrmtf.org/cantigny/ |
|
SuperNet33
Go Ninja,Go Ninja Go..
Premium
join:2002-10-08
Harwood Heights, IL
clubs:  | reply to The WalL
this should b a sticky! |
|
dddane
join:2002-01-10
Chicago, IL
| reply to The WalL
Downtown...
-Magnificant Mile Shopping on Michigan Avenue
-Navy Pier (sadly, the #2 tourist attraction in IL?)
North side...
-Lincoln Park Zoo
-Boystown
-Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
South side
-by most people's accounts, china town is on the south side, not west side...
-Pilsen - Mexican neighborhood
North Suburbs
-Ravinia Festival - »www.ravinia.org
Tripsweb for public transit planning »tripsweb.rtachicago.com/ |
|
horatiub
join:2002-01-24
Chicago, IL | reply to The WalL
did you guys forget about Greek Town?  |
|
StepR
Code Warrior
join:2000-11-06
Elgin, IL | reply to The WalL
Just ate at the World-Famous Billy Goat Restaurant.
»www.billygoattavern.com/history.html |
|
Bulldawg
join:2001-02-14
Harwood Heights, IL
| reply to The WalL
Not sure how long this will stay around or if it will be much help to anyone. But here's a little info »www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14014246/ posted today 08/07/2006 that gives a day of activities to do in the Windy City. |
|
Bulldawg
join:2001-02-14
Harwood Heights, IL
1 edit | reply to The WalL
We didn't get a Sticky made outta this??
Thanks! |
|
