Entertainment and Attractions guides
Chicago Music Live - Chicago Concert Scene
Choose from hundreds of live music shows to check out during your time in Chicago; a wide range of genres produce plenty of choice when it comes to what your ears are going to absorb musically of a given night.
Read MoreRavinia Festival
Music and entertainment have been on tap at Ravinia, an open-air amphitheatre hosting a wide range of musical acts throughout the summer, since its opening in 1904. Though owners have come and gone, this more-than-100-year-old festival (the oldest in the country) keeps plugging away to add sweet notes to summer on Chicago's North Shore. More than 600,000 listeners attend up to 160 events through a season that features classical, jazz, music theater, and bands you might not expect, like the Steve Miller Band.
Read MoreChicago Theaters-The Theater District
Big Broadway musicals, hard-hitting dramas, light comedies, and avant-garde experiments--Chicago theater has it all. And whether you're seeking a show in the Loop, heading off to Navy Pier, or checking out a production on Halsted Street, you're never far from a wealth of dining and shopping opportunities, making it a snap to fashion a full and satisfying itinerary for the day.
Read MoreChicago Dance: Local Companies
Chicago's home to over 150 dance companies. All of these Chicago dance companies dance, produce, and choreograph cutting-edge performances year-round. There's the heavy-hitter companies, like The Joffrey Ballet and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago to small- to mid-sized ones producing programs as diverse as the companies themselves. Whether it's jazz, tap, modern, ballet, and hip hop or traditional Irish dance and African rhythms—there's truly something for everyone.
Read MoreSt. Louis Wineries
The area just west and south of St. Louis is known as Missouri Wine Country, and is brimming with wineries and vineyards. Take a trip down the Weinstrasse, or "Wine Road", also known as Missouri Highway 94, to reach wine country and many of Missouri's wineries.
Read MoreNavy Pier Chicago
Navy Pier equals entertainment in Chicago, no matter the season. With more than 8.6 million visitors a year, Navy Pier Chicago is the Midwest’s number-one tourist destination. The Pier has 50 acres to explore and is overflowing with museums, restaurants, shops, rides and more. We dare you to get bored at Navy Pier; Chicago’s own entertainment oasis on Lake Michigan.
Read MoreJohn Hancock Observatory-Overview
Chicago is the birthplace of the skyscraper. Among the most well-known skyscrapers is the John Hancock Center, which towers more than 1,127-feet and is 100 stories high - enough aluminum in the building to cover 12 football fields! One very fast elevator ride to the top and you'll be in one of the world's most expansive and entertaining observatories, home to an open-air skywalk; a sky-high cafe; a free, multimedia tour; and spectacular bird's eye views.
Read MoreMuseums & More: Chicago Botanic Garden
Known for man-made landmarks like the gargantuan Willis Tower, Chicago is still a city that likes its nature. Natural life abounds here and nowhere more so than the grounds of the Chicago Botanic Garden. Plants of every kind are organized around the 385-acre property and the avian species (birds!) know a good thing when they see it.
Read MoreSt. Patrick's Day: Chicago-Style
Irishman Mike Austin recounts the eccentricities of St. Patrick's Day in Chicago.
Read MoreArt Galleries & Guides: ARTropolis
ARTropolis takes up three full floors of the city's Merchandise Mart from April 24-28. The centerpiece is Art Chicago, a 180-gallery art fair representing more than 2,000 artists.
Read MoreMuseums & More: John G. Shedd Aquarium
Chicago's John G. Shedd Aquarium not only houses more than 22,000 animals but it is one of Chicago's historic landmarks. Located on Lake Michigan with a breathtaking view of the city, it offers so much more than a traditional aquarium. They have sharks, penguins, dolphins and one of the oldest fish in the world.
Read MoreChicago Museums-Museum of Science and Industry
Visitors and locals alike flock to the Museum of Science and Industry to take in some of their permanent exhibits, as well as new, ground-breaking exhibits that have visitors of all ages excited to learn. Since opening in 1933, this Chicago museum has grown exponentially; it currently displays 35,000 artifacts and welcomes nearly two million visitors each year. Be sure to check out the brand new "You! The Experience" exhibit, and don't miss out on a tour of U-505, the only German submarine in the United States.
Read MoreTaste of Chicago 2009
The Taste of Chicago is where Chicago residents and visitors come and enjoy a variety of Chicago's restaurants in Grant Park. This 10 day festival starting June 26-July 5 will not only feed you, but entertain you with music performances and activities.
Read MoreTaste of Chicago: Music
The vaunted Taste of Chicago only comes around once a year, and if the chance to sample a range of chow from gourmet French cuisine to grandma's comfort food isn't enought to whet your appetite, the free concerts featuring musical powerhouses to an entire stage devoted to kids alike should be enough to coax you out of your kitchen and down to Grant Park for a day.
Read MoreTaste of Chicago: The Food
Food admirers everywhere have plenty to be excited about when it comes to the 2008 Taste of Chicago. With 65 participating restarants, there is something for any and all taste buds.
Read MoreChicago Zoos-Brookfield Zoo
The Brookfield Zoo has a collection of exotic animals from across the world and many aquatic species that you would expect to see in an aquarium. Interactive zoo classes and top of the line animal care make this Chicago zoo a family-friendly sight to be seen.
Read MoreChicago Zoos-Lincoln Park Zoo
For animals lovers in the Windy City, Lincoln Park Zoo is where you want to be. Admission is free and the family friendly exhibits are guaranteed to entertain.In a city that is continually becoming more busy--and costly--it is a relished treat to chill out for an afternoon at Lincoln Park Zoo and hang out with some of man’s best friends. Did we mention admission is free? With over 1,250 animals to love and observe, Lincoln Park Zoo will delight even the most fastidious of Chicago zoo-goers.
Read MoreMuseums & More: DuSable Museum of African American History
OverviewThe first museum of its kind in the U.S., the DuSable Museum of African American History shares the stories of the struggles and triumphs of African Americans throughout U.S. history. The museum focuses not only on the well known leaders, but also on those unsung heroes who paved the way for equality through history.
Read MoreJohn Hancock Observatory-Chicago Attractions
The John Hancock Observatory is one of the finest experiences Chicago has to offer. See all of Chicago--and why not a little of Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana while you’re up there?You will tower over Chicago’s Magnificent Mile at a dizzying 1,030 feet. The height really is a minor sacrifice for a sensational view. Here's nothing more breath-taking than watching the sunset across the city from the 94th floor. If a visit to the John Hancock Observatory isn’t on your bucket list, grab a pen and write it in!
Read MoreTheater Scene: Overview
Hit musicals, heart-stopping dramas, easy-going comedies, and avant-garde experiments--Chicago theater has it all. Home to hundreds of theaters, from small storefront operations to big, Broadway-style houses, the Windy City offers theater-lovers an almost dizzying array of options. From classics to the contemporary, local talent to touring stars, the Chicago theater scene is widely-recognized as one of the liveliest in the country.
Read MoreChicago Comedy
From world renowned theaters to tucked away stages in the back of neighborhood bars, Chicago harbors some of the most unique comedy today.
Read More
Editorial Questions
Buy Event/Theater Tickets
Buy Movie Tickets Online Now!
Print