Free Things to do in Chicago

MICHIGAN AVENUE

Walk North on Michigan Avenue from Lake Street to Water Tower Place.  This is Chicago's fanciest street with hundreds of shops, restaurants and plenty of  window shopping. 

LINCOLN PARK ZOO (2200 N. CANNON DRIVE) 

As one of only a few free zoos in the country, Lincoln Park Zoo covers over 35 acres and features tigers, polar bears, lions and more than 230 other species of animals. The Farm in the Zoo and Nature Boardwalk bring you up close and personal with the animal world.

MILLENNIUM PARK (201 E. RANDOLPH STREET) 

One of the state's most popular tourist attractions features larger-than-life public art (don't miss Cloud Gate for a mirrored look at the skyline or splashing in Crown Fountain during warm weather months); a cutting edge performance stage (the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Prizker Pavilion) featuring free concerts all summer; and the all-seasons beauty Lurie Garden. Be sure to check the Millennium Park schedule for a listing of upcoming events.

CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE FOUNDATION PROGRAMS (224 S. MICHIGAN AVENUE)

The Chicago Architecture Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring people to discover why design matters. In addition to their popular architecture river boat cruises and docent-led tours, CAF pursues this mission through free exhibitions, special events and youth/adult education programs. Visit their Loop headquarters to see their impressive 3D model of the city, try to catch a lunchtime seminar, or plan your trip around their marquee event Open House Chicago each September.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MEXICAN ART (1852 W. 19TH STREET) 

Located in the cultural epicenter of the colorful Pilsen neighborhood, this museum is focused on celebrating Mexican culture and is the largest of its kind in the nation.

NAVY PIER (600 E. GRAND AVENUE) 

One of Chicago's most recognizable landmarks boasts gorgeous lakefront views — take a stroll and enjoy the breezes, admission is free to the pier's boardwalk. Summer features free weekly fireworks Wednesday and Saturday evenings as well as free outdoor concerts in the LandShark Beer Garden.

CHINATOWN

Take the red line train to Chinatown for the sights, sounds and wonderful smells of Chinatown.

THE 606 (BLOOMINGDALE AVENUE FROM ASHLAND TO RIDGEWAY)

Trek this stunning new 2.7 mile elevated park trail set above city streets and explore its five interconnected neighborhoods. With its linear walking/bicycle/jogging paths, as well as ample green space, it boasts scenic lookout points, public art murals and an outdoor observatory. 

THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY (60 W. WALTON STREET) 

This stunning library contains more than 1.5 million published works and often features special exhibitions. 

THE ORIENTAL INSTITUTE MUSEUM (1155 E. 59TH STREET) 

Focusing on the rich history of the ancient Near East, this museum displays artifacts recovered during Oriental Institute excavations. 

CHICAGO CULTURAL CENTER (77 E. RANDOLPH STREET)

This historical landmark hosts hundreds of free programs year-round. The building has two unbelievable stained-glass domes, which you can see on your own or on a free building tour. The many halls regularly hosts free events, from weekly classical music concerts to blues, jazz and more. Also look on the daily Chicago Cultural Center schedule for free dance performances, film screenings, seminars and theater events.

CHICAGO PARKS & BEACHES (VARIOUS LOCATIONS)

Chicago has hundreds of free public parks that cover over 8,000 acres of Chicago. Many feature wildlife havens like Northerly Island and North Pond Nature Sanctuary; incredible landscape designs such as Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool and Jackson Park's Osaka Garden; and athletic facilities such as the kayak boat house in Ping Tom Memorial Park. Hit the Lakefront Trail for some free outdoor recreation with a view or spend the day at one of the free public beaches, open Memorial Day to Labor Day.

CITY GALLERY AT THE HISTORIC WATER TOWER (806 N. MICHIGAN AVENUE)

The treasured landmark on The Magnificent Mile has been turned into a beautiful showcase for rotating art exhibits from local photographers and artists.

Aurora Fashion Outlet

The Aurora Fashion Outlet is a large factory outlet outdoor mall.  Not easy to get to using public transportation but if you have a car it is well worth the effort to go visit this outlet mall for the large selection of stores selling clothing and household items at factory prices.  You can find the website link here for more information: Click here

Places to Eat for Visitors to Downtown Chicago

Here is a quick list of places to eat for visitors who want to stay downtown and don't have a lot of days to visit Chicago.  By no means does this represent all that Chicago has to offer (you name the cuisine and we have it here). 

Must Eat when you visit Chicago

 

First up is for dinner try Chicago's deep dish pizza.  Order less than you think you can eat.  Yes it is that filling.  Giordano is one of the better places for it:

https://giordanos.com

 

Traditional diner breakfast

In the morning you have the option of going to Lou Mitchell's for breakfast.  Its a traditional diner style breakfast place.  Here you get large portions served by old school waitresses.  Don't be surprised to see politicians during campaign season stopping by for a photo opportunity here. 

http://www.loumitchellsrestaurant.com
 

 

Newer breakfast option

Yolk is a fusion breakfast place serving creative breakfast options. 

 

http://eatyolk.com
 

 

Sunda

Fusion Sushi place By seamlessly melding most of the cooking techniques and flavors found throughout the entirety of Asia, Sunda creates a menu that allows customers to choose the dining experience they desire Sunda’s extensive cross-cultural Asian menu spans many cultures and price points. An eclectic menu of Asian-inspired desserts round out the dining experience. Sunda also provides a progressive list of premium sakes, an assembly of Asian beers and a well-rounded list of champagnes, sparkling wines, white wines and red wines to complement the cuisine.

http://sundachicago.com
 

 

The better steak house is the Chicago Chop House

Try out the Chicago Chop House for some steak in a classic setting.  One of the highest ranked restaurants in Chicago.

http://chicagochophouse.com

 
Review of Chicago Chop House

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/November-2013/best-steak-house-chicago-chop-house-mishima/

 

Humboldt Park Boat House

An interesting little resturant sitting in the middle of Humboldt Park is the Humboldt Park Boathouse.  It is located over a small pond with an outdoor patio and indoor eat in area. They serve American and Puerto Rican cusine with an ever changing menu.  

Salvage Shops - Looking for Reclaimed Items from Chicago?

An alterative to museums is shopping in antique stores especially building recycling places.  Imagine walking through a warehouse full of old architectural items pulled from Chicago's long gone oldest buildings.  There you will find old furniture, large mirrors, statues, chandeliers, window, columns and more.  Its an opportunity to be creative wit old items and give them new life in your home or garden.

Here are a couple of popular places:

Salvage One - http://www.salvageone.com/home.php

• A good choice for a wedding

Architectural Artifacts - http://architecturalartifacts.com/

• A good choice for a wedding

Interesting Places in Chicago

Downtown

• River walk

Ravenswood

• Architectural Artifacts - a salvage shop of old architectural items: 4325 N. Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60613

Ukrainian Village:

• Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church - 1121 N. Leavitt
• St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Church - 2250 Cortez

Lakeview

• Music Box Theater - 3733 N. Southport

Chinatown

Chinatown Square, : 2100 S Wentworth Ave, : +1 312 225-0088. This shopping center is a bit of a Chinatown landmark, with some cheesy pagoda-like structures as well as animal sculptures of the Chinese zodiac. Be sure to check out the Chinatown Mural—a mosaic of painted tiles depicting the migration of Chinese-Americans from China to, ultimately, Chicago's Chinatown.

Chinese-American Museum of Chicago, : 238 W 23rd St, : +1 312 949-1000, : office@ccamuseum.org, Website: http://www.ccamuseum.org. F 9:30AM-1:30PM, Sa-Su 10AM-5PM. A museum of Chinese-American culture and history $1-2

Dr Sun Yat Sen Museum, : 2245 S Wentworth Ave (3rd floor, above the Chicago Food Market), : +1 312 842-5462. A one-room museum good for some Kuomintang nostalgia. Free admission

Nine Dragon Wall (just across Wentworth Ave from 200 W Cermak Rd). A smaller semblance of the ancient glazed tile Nine Dragon Wall located in [[Beijing]]'s Behai Park.

Ping Tom Memorial Park, : 300 W 19th St, Website:

Café 53 - cute coffee shop

When your in the University of Chicago area, visit Café 53 at 1369 E. 53rd St. in Chicago.It's a relaxed coffee shop with good coffee and very interesting food options.  There is WiFi, relaxed mellow french music and good conversation.  Nothing fancy but nice.