Your insider's guide to the best things to do, see, and experience in Chicago.
2 MIN READ — Since July, Chicago Loop Alliance has been collecting monthly survey data from its member businesses and stakeholders to track operations during COVID-19, and today released its May report. View the full May report here. Some highlights include:
2 MIN READ – There’s even more to Chicago’s iconic skyline than what first meets the eye. Each building in and around the Loop has its own rich history, and there’s no better way to learn their stories than on a Chicago Architecture Foundation Center River Cruise aboard Chicago’s First Lady.
2 MIN READ — Since July, Chicago Loop Alliance has been collecting monthly survey data from its member businesses and stakeholders to track operations during COVID-19.
6 MIN READ – It’s no secret that 2020 was a rough year for the Chicago Loop in more ways than one—including for the residential market. Headlines about mass exodus from dense urban areas in favor of more space raised concerns for downtowns across the country. But there is recent data showing renewed interest in Loop living. Have you ever wondered what it’s like to live in the Loop? What current residents have to say might surprise you.
6 MIN READ – Over a year into the COVID-19 pandemic that rocked downtowns around the world, signs of a recovery in the Chicago Loop are beginning to emerge. As the weather warms, and the city and state continue administering thousands of COVID-19 vaccinations per day, Loop data like pedestrian activity, parking volumes, CTA ridership, office human occupancy, and hotel occupancy are all on the rise. The Loop’s Comeback was explored at Chicago Loop Alliance’s April 14 Downtown Futures Series webinar.
2 MIN READ — Since July, Chicago Loop Alliance has been collecting monthly survey data from its member businesses and stakeholders to track operations during COVID-19, and today released its March report. View the full March report here. Some highlights include:
3 MIN READ – Last summer, as the hotel industry scrambled against the hard hit of the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest, the Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel’s Property Accountant Estela Arias was performing the work of six full-time staff members—on a reduced work week. This month, Arias just returned to work after maternity leave to learn she’d been named Chicago Loop Alliance’s February Loop Employee of the Month.
3 MIN READ — The City of Chicago, in partnership with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), Chicago Park District (Parks) and Chicago Public Schools (CPS), today launched the Chicago Monuments Project website at chicagomonuments.org, kicking off the public engagement phase of the Chicago Monuments Project that will conclude in April.
March 14, 2026
Chicago’s top-rated architecture boat tour, 90 minutes with expert CAC guides, stunning skyline views, open-air seating, and onboard amenities.
March 20, 2026
Explore Chicago’s haunted past on a nighttime river cruise featuring ghost stories, mob history, and eerie secrets of the Windy City.
April 16, 2026
Chicago River & Lake Michigan cruise with skyline views, iconic landmarks, and engaging guides sharing the city’s history and stories.
April 16, 2026
Experience Chicago at night on a 90-minute river and lake cruise, featuring a glittering skyline, cool breezes, and lively, family-friendly commentary.
April 21, 2026
Directed by Andrew Scoville. Co-created by Academy, Grammy, and Tony Award-winning artist David Byrne* and writer Mala Gaonkar, Theater of the Mind is a new theatrical…
May 23, 2026 | 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Cruise from the Chicago Riverwalk to Lake Michigan for skyline views and a 3D-enhanced fireworks show with music and narration.
May 31, 2026
Let your creative potential shine this summer with a class at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, with options available for kids, teens and…
June 5, 2026
From June 6th until July 5th, the phenomenal Champions of Magic bring their acclaimed illusion spectacular to Chicago. Featuring their biggest illusions ever, experience the Broadway-scale…
June 19, 2026
MUSIC BY MARK HOLLMANNLYRICS BY MARK HOLLMANN AND JAY REISSBOOK BY ERIN QUINN PURCELL AND JAY REISSDIRECTED BY MARC BRUNISTARRING…
