Your insider's guide to the best things to do, see, and experience in Chicago.
2 MIN READ – The City of Chicago is happy to share that Grainger Plaza, the area surrounding Cloud Gate (aka “The Bean”) in Millennium Park, has completed construction and is now open to the public. Visitors can once again have full access to Chicago’s iconic Cloud Gate by Anish Kapoor.
4 MIN READ – NASCAR Chicago Street Race announced that it will partner with Chicago Loop Alliance and JoRand (founded by local restauranteurs Victor Love and Mark Rand) to expand this year’s NASCAR Village, the free, public experience in Butler Field throughout race weekend.
3 MIN READ — Juneteenth has long been celebrated by Black Americans across the country, including in Chicago. Officially declared a national holiday in 2021, the day marks the date when the news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached enslaved Blacks in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865. Chicago is built on the innovation and legacy of many Black people including Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable, Ida B. Wells, Gwendolyn Brooks, Harold Washington and many more. Commemorate the longest-running Black holiday in the Loop.
2 MIN READ — Big Bus Tours, the global leader in open-top bus sightseeing, is kicking off the summer season with the launch of an enhanced Sunset Live Tour experience in Chicago.
4 MIN READ – There’s no sweeter way to see the Chicago Loop than from a bicycle (or a scooter, or a skateboard, or any of those other crazy little things you see in the bike lane!). Whether you’re getting back to work, coming in for fun, or you’re already here and you need a quick way to get from A to B, here are some tips for biking to the Loop.
3 MIN READ – May marks the celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Commemorate the invaluable contributions of these communities in the Loop through special events and programming.
5 MIN READ – The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership (The Partnership) has announced the date of the much-anticipated 7th annual Hospitality Hires Chicago 2024 (HHC2024). The Partnership and event sponsors will host this in-person hiring event on Tuesday, April 16, from 9 am to 3 pm at the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago’s Loop neighborhood.
In the heart of the Loop, lies a place where the echoes of eerie whispers and ghostly apparitions roam freely—the Medieval Torture Museum. This immersive experience takes visitors on a journey through the darker realms of human imagination, where torture devices once stood as instruments of fear and power.
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…
