Fun things to do in Chicago?

-

toolmanmike

Moderator and forum fixer
Staff member
FABO Gold Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Messages
99,052
Reaction score
127,056
Location
Office
Might make a family trip to Chicago this next week. I know the Windy City is a big place with lots of things to do but what are some fun things to do that you recommend? tmm
 
My wife and I took the train to Chicago last summer for a Neil Young concert. Lots of fun things to do. We walked around downtown just to check things out. Museum of Science and Industry is cool, Navy Pier is fun too. Tons of great stuff.
 

Attachments

Museum of Science & Industry, Shedd Aquarium, Chicago Art Museum, Field Museum of Natural History and about 100 bars on Rush Street.
 
My wife and I took the train to Chicago last summer for a Neil Young concert. Lots of fun things to do. We walked around downtown just to check things out. Museum of Science and Industry is cool, Navy Pier is fun too. Tons of great stuff.
Navy Pier looks like fun.

Museum of Science & Industry, Shedd Aquarium, Chicago Art Museum, Field Museum of Natural History and about 100 bars on Rush Street.
Been to the Science museum but not the rest. I'll put them on the list.

sears tower
forgot about that one.

Thanks guys. Keep em' comin' tmm
 
Don't come, these greedy bastards will ticket, fine and gouge every last dime out of you.If you do come ,don't drive. Can't talk on a cell or nextel or anything but handsfree, If you blink at a yellow light you'll get a ticket for blowin a redlight in the mail. Yes there are a lot of wonderful attractions, but for Christ's sake 10.75 % tax plus I forgot how much more for entertainment tax. This state doesn't need gravity cuz it sucks so bad. Please , for your own sanity and piece of mind stay away from the Peoples Republic of Illinois. Especially Chicago. I tell you this to protect you and your family. The police can't protect you but they are right there to ticket and fine you for anything you can imagine. Parking, looking, breathing, driving while talking on a phone , no seat belt you name it , there's a code against it.
Visit like Great America , Brookfield Zoo or travel rte 66 vs visiting chicago.
Good Luck.
 
If the weather's nice take one of the boat tours on the Chicago river. Make sure you have deep-dish pizza and a Chicago Dog.
 
My wife and I took the train to Chicago last summer for a Neil Young concert. Lots of fun things to do. We walked around downtown just to check things out. Museum of Science and Industry is cool, Navy Pier is fun too. Tons of great stuff.

Museum of Science & Industry, Shedd Aquarium, Chicago Art Museum, Field Museum of Natural History and about 100 bars on Rush Street.

If the weather's nice take one of the boat tours on the Chicago river. Make sure you have deep-dish pizza and a Chicago Dog.


Hi Toolmanmike,

All of the above choices are nice. The weather suposed to be pretty nice this week, so anything on the lakefront will be very nice.

Have fun and welcome to Chi-Town, :blob:
Pat
 
Ron White will be at the Genessee theater on friday at 8 PM. If you go downtown, take a train from the burbs and then walk around downtown. Parking downtown sucks and is expensive if you can find it.

The Sears tower tours are like $40 bucks and there is usually a wait to go up.

The house of blues is also good if there is a performer that you like there. There are also ways to get to the front of the pack to get in. If you are interested let me know and I can fill you in.

Don't forget about Second City.


Tons of malls in the burbs to go shopping in.

The Museum of Science and Industry is always good. Also the Shedd Aquarium or Adler Planetarium.

Many places for barbecue ribs, chicken, deep dish pizza, burritos, and gyros.

Yeah, be careful of the red light camera intersections. A passport 9500ix will alert you to those.

There is gambling in casinos in Joliet. And a few in town like near Rosemont by O'hare airport.
 
Don't come, these greedy bastards will ticket, fine and gouge every last dime out of you.If you do come ,don't drive. Can't talk on a cell or nextel or anything but handsfree, If you blink at a yellow light you'll get a ticket for blowin a redlight in the mail. Yes there are a lot of wonderful attractions, but for Christ's sake 10.75 % tax plus I forgot how much more for entertainment tax. This state doesn't need gravity cuz it sucks so bad. Please , for your own sanity and piece of mind stay away from the Peoples Republic of Illinois. Especially Chicago. I tell you this to protect you and your family. The police can't protect you but they are right there to ticket and fine you for anything you can imagine. Parking, looking, breathing, driving while talking on a phone , no seat belt you name it , there's a code against it.
Visit like Great America , Brookfield Zoo or travel rte 66 vs visiting chicago.
Good Luck.

Funny. I can guess you dont like Chicago.
 
Oh and if you get a chance have a cabbie named Hakmed Allajallalabad take you on a cab ride from Union Station across the river downtown, you will **** your pants and prey to God you make it out alive... it's good to face death once in awhile. :)
 
67 DART--LMAO--I have experienced that a couple times you are not lying--THanks
 
Don't come, these greedy bastards will ticket, fine and gouge every last dime out of you.If you do come ,don't drive. Can't talk on a cell or nextel or anything but handsfree, If you blink at a yellow light you'll get a ticket for blowin a redlight in the mail. Yes there are a lot of wonderful attractions, but for Christ's sake 10.75 % tax plus I forgot how much more for entertainment tax. This state doesn't need gravity cuz it sucks so bad. Please , for your own sanity and piece of mind stay away from the Peoples Republic of Illinois. Especially Chicago. I tell you this to protect you and your family. The police can't protect you but they are right there to ticket and fine you for anything you can imagine. Parking, looking, breathing, driving while talking on a phone , no seat belt you name it , there's a code against it.
Visit like Great America , Brookfield Zoo or travel rte 66 vs visiting chicago.
Good Luck.


Yep, isn't parking like $40--$50 a night ? I would take Megabus in and out if it goes to a city close to your home. If you gotta drive you need to pay full attention all the time and many times traffic won't even be moving that quickly

But lots of good tips on what to do

Me, I'm 4 1/2 hours away from either Chicago or Toronto, seems like I always end up back in Toronto :D
 
Oh and if you get a chance have a cabbie named Hakmed Allajallalabad take you on a cab ride from Union Station across the river downtown, you will **** your pants and prey to God you make it out alive... it's good to face death once in awhile. :)
:

OMG that is so true, had a cabbie who seemed to nod off/jerk awake every few seconds.

If you are driving in Chicago, I believe the 'unofficial' rule at the many 4-way stops is: the two cars facing each other cross the intersection at the same time...
 
Yep, isn't parking like $40--$50 a night ? I would take Megabus in and out if it goes to a city close to your home. If you gotta drive you need to pay full attention all the time and many times traffic won't even be moving that quickly

But lots of good tips on what to do

Me, I'm 4 1/2 hours away from either Chicago or Toronto, seems like I always end up back in Toronto :D


And how much are those taxes in Toronto??? :wave:
 
I visited both state capitals, the one in Indy for Indiana and in Springfield for the state of Illinois. The city of Springfield had awful pothole filled roads, the Capitol tour was so--so and there wasn't that much to see or do other then the tour.

Indy was great, the tour, the city and the shape the place was in.

The state of Illinois road signs are a joke, they assume you got a good idea where to go, its been 3 years but I just recall too often having to get over too quickly for the right ramps-exits. Other places would not have many streets names posted.

Now Indiana state cops seem very aggressive the few times I drove though the state, Illinois were like Michigan, you didn't see them too often and you didn't see other cars pulled over every 10--20 mins like in Indiana

When you travel out of town, best not to speed much at all, why get a ticket that you have to travel hours to fight it if you wish. I've never been pulled over while on a holiday, yet I do drive a few miles over the limit, even when the radar detectors are on and you are coming up on cars that were going 80 mph a ways back--just have your left foot ready to tap the brakes lightly if you do spot them
 
And how much are those taxes in Toronto??? :wave:

Go on Hotwire or Priceline name your own price and get a room for around $80 US a night pre paid. Take Greyhound bus in to avoid parking charges of $30--$35 a night.

Once in the town the city is really cool. All types of clubs and massage spas--which never get raided and been in business for years. Same with the vapor lounge which many college kids hangout at--no medical id needed, lol

Cops don't hassle you unless you are a problem to others, no city likes speeders or red light runners.

I walked the streets anytime day or night, no problems in Toronto. Sure I would had been mugged least once in Chicago if I took as many chances as I do in Toronto. The ladies do have it rougher but that is true in every large city

Now our weak US dollar, ugh but that isn't Canada's fault
 
Don't come, these greedy bastards will ticket, fine and gouge every last dime out of you.If you do come ,don't drive. Can't talk on a cell or nextel or anything but handsfree, If you blink at a yellow light you'll get a ticket for blowin a redlight in the mail. Yes there are a lot of wonderful attractions, but for Christ's sake 10.75 % tax plus I forgot how much more for entertainment tax. This state doesn't need gravity cuz it sucks so bad. Please , for your own sanity and piece of mind stay away from the Peoples Republic of Illinois. Especially Chicago. I tell you this to protect you and your family. The police can't protect you but they are right there to ticket and fine you for anything you can imagine. Parking, looking, breathing, driving while talking on a phone , no seat belt you name it , there's a code against it.
Visit like Great America , Brookfield Zoo or travel rte 66 vs visiting chicago.
Good Luck.
WOW that is about the best commnetary I have ever heard, I was born in Libertyville, Illinois, grew up in Waukegan, and I have one brother that lives in Wadsworth and 1 in Waukegan, and to a point funwithfuel is 100% correct, that being said IF you really are going to spend time in Chitown, check out Hardrock Cafe and the downtown 2 or maybe 3 stroy Mcdonalds, we went to see Robin Trower at the hard rock, spent a crapload of $$$$ but we had fun.
 
Taste of Chicago, July 11-15 or go see a baseball game..just dont get stuck there with $26 bucks and a bus ticket that leaves the next day at 11:00 AM and you cant crash at union station because they kick everyone out at midnight...a little scary, but that was back in '89...
 
Chicago + great food!!!
Italian beef sandwiches
Deep dish pizza
Great beef if just you and the wife go out to dinner:
Chop House
Morton's
Gibson's
Gene & Giorgetti's
etc.
 
Hey Chicagoans. Down south on Halstead I believe Harvey there used to be a place called the Blue Ribbon Pizzaria. Had the best roast beef sandwich I have ever had in my life. I was a kid back then.Wondering if its still there.
 
My wife and I walked from the Shedd Aquarium, through Grant Park, and all the way down Michigan Ave. Had a great day. Didn't get hassled by any "dangerous" types, didn't get hassled by the cops, and had no problems driving in the city.

All of the suggestions given here are great ideas. Ton's of stuff to do and see.

Like any other big city Chicago has it's dangerous neighborhoods. Stay out of those and all will be well.
 
I walked the streets anytime day or night, no problems in Toronto. Sure I would had been mugged least once in Chicago if I took as many chances as I do in Toronto.

Now our weak US dollar, ugh but that isn't Canada's fault

Ok, still haven't discussed the Canada 18% or more taxes.

And - I can't believe that someone from DETROIT is complaining about POTHOLES and GETTING MUGGED??? Have you actually walked and driven in the city limits of Detroit? How many years running has Detroit been in the top 3 for the nations highest murder per capita? (Battling it out with St. Louis and Benton Harbor) People that live in glass houses....

I lived in the city limits of Detroit for 18+ years. My area code was 313 - not 248 or 734... I have bent more rims from potholes in Detroit than Chicago. You can actually WALK in most downtown places in Chicago (How about Detroit?) without fear of getting mugged.

Ok, I guess you can compare Chicago to Toronto as Detroit is not even in the same league.
 
Last summer a good friend of mine went with me to Detroit to pick up my 440 for the Dart, he wanted to go to the pawn shop on 8 mile... Mind you he is Puerto Rican and Italian.... as we get down 8 mile he says, hey I just realized something..... you're the only white dude within a 20 mile radius LOL obviously we were just kidding but it kinda caught me off guard lol
 

Attachments

Last summer a good friend of mine went with me to Detroit to pick up my 440 for the Dart, he wanted to go to the pawn shop on 8 mile... Mind you he is Puerto Rican and Italian.... as we get down 8 mile he says, hey I just realized something..... you're the only white dude within a 20 mile radius LOL obviously we were just kidding but it kinda caught me off guard lol

Yes, 8 Mile is the border between Detroit and the suburbs. You can tell when you cross it that something has changed. (you don't hear any more gunshots)
 

-
Back
Top Bottom