We visited Millennium Park during our weeklong stay in Chicago. We cut through the park a few days…read moreto get to the Art Institute and Symphony Center. However, we also spent a longer amount of time at Millennium Park for Chicago Blues Festival 2026. It's home of the Bean. I'd been telling my husband about Cloud Gate/the Bean for a while leading up to our trip. So it was a treat to point out the landmark to him on his first trip to Chicago. It's so nice that the city holds CBF there, what a great music fest experience with the Pavilion and all the other stages set up.

Cloud Gate aka The Bean & Millennium Park are some of my favorite things to do and see in Chicago…read more I try to swing by on each visit. There's just something so timeless and incredible about the sculpture by Anish Kapoor. The stainless steel structure is over 100 tons. It's a beauty and as you can imagine an extremely popular tourist attraction much like the park itself. Millennium Park is 25 acres and it includes other noteworthy sights: Crown Fountain-Created by Jaume Pensa. It's a water feature with two glass towers that projects faces of folks. Very cool thing to see. Lurie Garden-I love this space. It's close to 4 acres of flowers, shrubs, trees, and plants. An amazingly peaceful get away in the heart of a thriving metropolis. Pritzker Pavilion-This is one of my favorite Frank Gehry creations. It's magnificent. The design is impeccable. They have an incredible sound system so if you're there for a live music performance you're able to hear it from across the lawn. Great place to catch a movie in the park or a band. All-in-all it's a spectacular place to visit & wander whether a local or a tourist.

Urban Kayaks ended up being one of the highlights of our quick weekend trip and was such a fun…read morelast-minute decision. Their location right on the Riverwalk is incredibly convenient and surrounded by gorgeous architecture, bars, and restaurants, making it easy to turn into a full evening downtown. The check-in process and safety/education class were simple, informative, and very beginner friendly. Our tour guide, Drew, was absolutely phenomenal. He was kind, funny, incredibly knowledgeable, and did a fantastic job making sure everyone felt comfortable and had a great time. He kept the group moving at a pace that worked well for everyone, which made the experience feel relaxed and enjoyable. We chose the sunset tour and highly recommend it. Seeing the golden glow reflect off the Chicago buildings from the water was stunning and such a unique way to experience downtown Chicago. The tour lasted about two hours and covered roughly two miles, making it the perfect light workout before heading out for late-night sushi afterward. You should definitely expect to get a little wet from paddle splashes, but that's part of the fun. Overall, it doesn't require a ton of physical effort, just a willingness to laugh, paddle, and enjoy yourself!

Came here a few months back in the summer and it was a great experience! If you even remotely are…read moreinterested or enjoy kayaking, you should absolutely try with urban for their downtown river tour! Drew and Caroline gave an excellent tour, as they were friendly, funny and were enthusiastic about sharing the unique information about the architecture downtown. The requirements are pretty straightforward, as they teach you all you need to know and the kayaks are well kept. The tour is about 2 miles overall and 2 hours in total. A bit pricey but I would say it's more than worth it for the experience and I would rent with them again.

My son started coming here with his baseball team for winter training. Now he's taking group…read morelessons to help with his speed, agility and endurance. Brennan is great with him. He pushes him just enough out of his comfort zone but also makes sure Joey feels confident in the end. Brennan also talks about the importance of fuel for the body. He'll offer us suggestions on foods that might serve more purpose for a teenagers body vs what we eat. Without a doubt, Joey will be ahead in the game come season. Also, they have classes adults on the other side so you don't feel lazy watching your kid do planks and suicides.

From the owner: We are the industry leading, youth athletic performance system in the world. More athletes in the…read moreParisi system are reaching college athletics than any other performance based program in the country and now worldwide. From ages 7-22, come try out Parisi's signature, speed and strength training programs. Teams, athletes, and coaches alike will benefit from the programs in place.

A fun fitness day with the girls! We tried rock climbing at Brooklyn boulders and it was…read morechallenging but fun. S/O to Lamuna (I hope I'm spelling that correct) , she was such an amazing guide for our visit. We got to try different level climbs and then the tall wall for the finale. I really enjoyed this experience! I loved the challenge the tall wall gave me but forgot I had to come down and got nervous to jump lol all in all, 10/10 experience would go again!

A fun time with friendly staff. The place has several rooms and floors for bouldering and rock…read moreclimbing. They also offer student discounts which is a plus for anyone still in school. We did some bouldering for the first time and it wasn't bad/scary, so if you're on the fence I say just give it a try!

Great boat rental! Kelly was great and super informative. Wonderful experience and highly…read morerecommend. I grew up in Chicago and now live in California. It's nice to come back and do all the tourist things we have never done when living here.

We were greeted by Mo who was very knowledgeable and patient with the hiccups we experienced. We…read morewere then guided by the crew member, Joshua, who was very friendly and very detailed to ensure we knew everything we needed to know once we sailed off. We were able to navigate the downtown branch of the river, go to Chinatown and even go a bit north of our docking port. The boat itself was very clean. We were very happy that any questions or concerns we had were met promptly and professionally. We will be coming again soon!

One of my favorite things about visiting Chicago was all of the gorgeous gardens. In addition to…read moremaking the city beautiful they are free to visit. You can find the Daniel L. Flaherty Memorial Rose Garden in Grant Park. It is located just north of the Buckingham Fountain. In 1963 Daniel L. Flaherty with help of the Chicago Horticultural Society and the Chicago Central Area Committee planted the original rose garden with 8,000 roses of more than 120 varieties. Flaherty was the parks general superintendent at the time Mayor Richard J. Daley dedicated the garden on May 8, 1963, Although designed with the best intentions some of the roses were not best suited for Chicago winters. The Chicago Peace Rose was one such hybrid tea rose that could not tolerate the harsh winters and overcast days that allowed diseases to proliferate The garden dwindled down to 3,000 roses in 30 varieties. In 2002 the Chicago Park District dug up and gave away 250 rose bushes of the hard-to-manage, delicate hybrids and replaced them with 16 hardy varieties of shrub roses instead of the tea roses. Roses are even more difficult to grow in south Florida's tropical climate so it was a real treat to see so many lush and colorful flowers blooming. In addition to the roses there are four circular fountains with bronze figures installed in the center of each: Dove Girl, Turtle Boy, Crane Girl, Fisher Boy. The fountains were created by artist Leonard Crunelle (1872-1945), who was well known for sculpting figures of children. Crunelle was born in Pas de Calais, France in 1872. He emigrated to Brazil, Indiana, in 1882 before making his way to Chicago as a student and apprentice of famed sculptor Lorado Taft. He settled down in Chicago and lived here until his death in 1944, at the age of 72. I love how the nature of the flowers frames the art of the fountains. This was one of many places I enjoyed taking pictures of in the city.

Another great part of Grant Park is this small area north of Buckingham Fountain. Grant Park has a…read moreRose Garden. It may not be big but it still has lots of flowers to see and smell. Have a seat at one of the many benches. There's good views of the skyline from here. It conveniently is just north of Buckingham Fountain. Just walk north until you get to the white arches and you'll be here. The Rose Garden is very easy to overlook. Lots of other great things in this park get more attention. You have to remember to see this. Best time here is in the late spring when the roses bloom. The roses in the shaded areas look better in summer. Be sure to check this out when you're in Grant Park. It's easy to forget with all the other stuff. The park is nice for a hangout with someone because it looks and smells terrific.

Great facility open year around BUT CLOSED FOR SCHOOL…read moreHOLIDAYS! Spa and sauna are super nice. The rec app says there is a Pilates reformer but no classes to sign up. Testing to find out if true.

**UIC Swim Classes: A Budget-Friendly Option for Kids**…read more We enrolled in UIC Swim Classes for our 1.5-year-old and found it to be a solid, budget-friendly option. At $22 per session, the classes offer structured swim lessons at a more affordable rate compared to other local options. There is a chill vibe that works great for a 1st learner, but the level of rigor is lower than Goldfish so we switched there once we got off their wait list. Classes are sold in 5 week packages, and reschedules are not typically allowed. The class structure follows a set sequence of exercises. Instructors are friendly, but engagement is inconsistent. While they guide kids through various activities, the level of encouragement and feedback varies, with some instructors mentally checking out after providing initial directions. The UIC facility itself is quite nice - The water is comfortably warm and there are changing areas. Parking is available but paid for a few dollars. Note that your access is restricted to within 15 minutes of class time, so don't go too early. Though there are fewer opportunities for underwater practice and confidence-building dips, the parent/tot classes are primary about getting your kid comfortable in water. Overall, UIC Swim Classes deliver decent value for the price, though parents seeking a more intensive training that will get kids swimming faster may want to explore Goldfish.

Earlier this month, my husband and I were in Chicago for a week-long stay in the city. One of our…read morefirst memories of our time in Chicago together were the views from the Chicago Lakefront Trail. Gorgeous views of Lake Michigan. It stretches along Lake Shore Drive. This is a must visit when visiting Chicago. Plus, it's free!

The Chicago Lakefront Trail is a scenic walk alongside Lake Michigan. The lake is so large and…read moreexpansive, you forget it's a lake. It feels like you are looking out at the ocean, except that it's so filthy, with no sand. You're reminded it's freshwater because there are so many geese along the trail, on the grass, and in the water. Bird doo doo everywhere, too. The waters are choppy. I even saw a sunken boat. Someone's not going to be happy finding out that their boat sank. Since I visited during the fall season, even though it was cold and windy, the skies were blue with fluffy white clouds in the sky. Handful of joggers and a few tourists taking selfies by the water.