Start your adventure in Millennium Park, known for its iconic sculpture, the Cloud Gate "Bean", the Crown Fountain, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, and Lurie Garden. Stroll through the park, enjoy the art and nature, and stop for a picnic on the lawn or try out the restaurants nearby.
Ranked the #1 Museum in the World by TripAdvisor in 2020, the Art Institute of Chicago houses a vast collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, American art, and contemporary art. Don't miss out on the Thorne Miniature Rooms, the Medieval Tribune, and the Impressionism galleries.
End your trip at the Navy Pier, a pier with a Ferris Wheel, musical carousel, Children's Museum, IMAX cinema, and plenty of shopping and dining options. Catch a matinee at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater or enjoy a fireworks display at dusk being launched from the pier on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
If you have more time, check out the Willis Tower and its Skydeck, the Field Museum of Natural History, the Shedd Aquarium, or take a boat tour on the Chicago River. If you have less time, skip the Art Institute of Chicago and spend more time at the Navy Pier and explore the lakefront neighborhoods such as Streeterville or Gold Coast.