A First-Timer's Guide to Chicago Activities
Between an art museum with 300,000 works and a zoo that has never charged admission since 1868, a first visit to Chicago fills up fast without needing to leave downtown. Here is what to prioritize.
Art, sculpture and a river
The Art Institute of Chicago, at 111 S Michigan Ave, holds Grant Wood’s American Gothic and the largest Impressionist collection outside Paris. It closes only on Tuesdays, staying open the rest of the week, including Wednesdays; non-resident adult admission is $32. Full hours and current exhibitions are at artic.edu . A few blocks away, Millennium Park is free and holds Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate, the polished steel sculpture known as the Bean, along with Crown Fountain’s video-face water jets, running May through October. Book Art Institute tickets on GetYourGuide to skip the line.
Lincoln Park Zoo
At 2001 N Clark St, Lincoln Park Zoo has been free 365 days a year since 1868, with grounds open 8am to 5pm and animal buildings until 4:30pm. The Walter Family Arctic Tundra exhibit holds three polar bears, Talini, Ash and Lexi, who arrived from Wisconsin’s Henry Vilas Zoo in late 2025. Sea otters are not here; those live at Shedd Aquarium across town on Museum Campus. Full hours are at lpzoo.org .
The Riverwalk
A free 1.25-mile promenade runs along the south bank of the Chicago River’s Main Branch, from Lake Shore Drive to Lake Street, split into six themed stretches with seasonal wine bars, kayak rentals and architecture cruise docks. It stays open until 11pm.
Wrigley Field
Home to the Cubs since 1914, Wrigley Field at 1060 W Addison St keeps its hand-turned scoreboard behind ivy-covered outfield walls. Non-gameday tours run 75 to 90 minutes through the clubhouse and press box for $30, bookable at mlb.com/cubs , and the Red Line drops you directly at Addison station. Check Cubs tickets and stadium tours on Viator if a game lines up with your dates.
Getting between it all
Chicago’s outer hubs, Wrigley Field in Lakeview, the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in Hyde Park, are 4 to 8 miles from downtown, too far to walk between; the L or an express bus is the way to cover that ground. Lake Michigan itself stays cold into July, so plan around the museums and the zoo before counting on lakefront swimming.
The verdict: put the Art Institute and Millennium Park on the same day since they sit three blocks apart, then give Lincoln Park Zoo its own slower afternoon. For a hotel near the Loop and the Riverwalk, compare Chicago hotels on Booking.com , and see the sightseeing guide for the observation decks that round out a first visit.