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Things to Do

Discover the best things to do in Chicago, including popular events, festivals, attractions, tours and free activities

The best Oktoberfest events in Chicago
Things to do

The best Oktoberfest events in Chicago

Grab a beer and a sausage to celebrate the arrival of autumn during Oktoberfest

9 Chicago secrets you should know about
Things to do

9 Chicago secrets you should know about

Secrets, secrets are no fun? More like secrets, secrets are so fun.

The 21 most beautiful Chicago parks
Things to do

The 21 most beautiful Chicago parks

These pockets of green space are filled with fun things to do—like playgrounds, programming and walking paths.

31 best Chicago breweries and taprooms
Bars

31 best Chicago breweries and taprooms

Need a drink? We've got a few suggestions...

The 10 best Chicago museums
Museums

The 10 best Chicago museums

There's an abundance of world-class institutions throughout the city.

The best things to do in Chicago

The 25 best Chicago attractions
Attractions

The 25 best Chicago attractions

We’ve assembled the city's must-see attractions for your touring convenience.

Best things to do in Chicago that locals and tourists will love
Things to do

Best things to do in Chicago that locals and tourists will love

We've searched the city to assemble this list of the best things to do in Chicago.

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The 17 best cheap eats in Chicago
Restaurants

The 17 best cheap eats in Chicago

We searched high and low to find awesomely inexpensive culinary delights.

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Free museum days at the best Chicago museums
Things to do

Free museum days at the best Chicago museums

You don't have to spend a fortune in order to visit some of Chicago's best museums and cultural institutions.

Events and festivals

Riot Fest music festival
Music

Riot Fest music festival

What better way to send off summer music festival season than with a weekend of rock, metal and punk?

The best Chicago summer festivals
Things to do

The best Chicago summer festivals

Start making weekend plans filled with food, music and art with our guide to Chicago summer festivals and street parties.

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Every free event happening in Millennium Park this summer
News

Every free event happening in Millennium Park this summer

We're so ready for picnic season.

The best Chicago beer festivals
Bars

The best Chicago beer festivals

Here's where you can try a bunch of new beers in the span of a few hours

The complete Ravinia Festival lineup
Music

The complete Ravinia Festival lineup

Pack a picnic for sets from Weird Al, Kesha, Steely Dan and more

See more Chicago events & festivals

Deals & Giveaways

Win a beachfront vacation in Miami

Win a beachfront vacation in Miami

Enter for a chance to win a two-night stay at Nautilus by Arlo.

Win the ultimate Chicago staycation

Win the ultimate Chicago staycation

Enjoy a $150 Time Out Market card and a two-night stay at The Hoxton Chicago.

Hamilton
Theater Buy tickets

Hamilton

Don't miss your chance to see the smash hit Broadway musical in Chicago

Time Out says
5 out of 5 stars
Users say
5 out of 5 stars
Buy
Gangsters and Ghosts Tour
Things to do Buy tickets

Gangsters and Ghosts Tour

This tour visits the locations frequented by some of Chicago's most notorious gangsters along with many of the most haunted locations in Chicago

Buy

Things to do in Chicago every day

Today

Today
This week

This week
This weekend

This weekend
This month

This month

The latest Chicago news

Red Bull Music Festival Chicago is back with Lupe Fiasco, Saba, Jamila Woods and more local acts

Red Bull Music Festival Chicago is back with Lupe Fiasco, Saba, Jamila Woods and more local acts

Entering its third consecutive year, Red Bull Music Festival Chicago will return in November, presenting a lineup of concerts at venues throughout the city....

Whoa! A Good Burger pop-up restaurant is coming to Chicago in 2020
News

Whoa! A Good Burger pop-up restaurant is coming to Chicago in 2020

You'll soon be able to visit the home of the Good Burger, drink an orange soda and live out your ’90s kid dreams at a new Chicago pop-up restaurant. After a...

Score free (and cheap!) popcorn during Garrett’s 70th anniversary celebration
News

Score free (and cheap!) popcorn during Garrett’s 70th anniversary celebration

If you've lived in Chicago long enough, you're probably accustomed to Garrett Popcorn's annual birthday festivities, which mark the company's anniversary...

The world’s largest Starbucks will debut on Michigan Avenue in November
News

The world’s largest Starbucks will debut on Michigan Avenue in November

Starbucks Reserve Roastery Chicago—the coffee empire's colossal new outpost at 646 N Michigan Ave—is slated to open its doors on Friday, November 15, as...

See all the latest news

Things to do with kids

Rockin' Jump

Rockin' Jump

Check out Rockin' Jump at the Buffalo Grove. It's perfect for birthday's and more. 

Book Now
The best indoor activities for kids
Kids

The best indoor activities for kids

Whether your tot’s an artist, an adventurer or an aspiring scientist

Kid-friendly restaurants in Chicago
Kids

Kid-friendly restaurants in Chicago

Move over, chicken fingers and hot dogs

Amazing Mirror Maze

Amazing Mirror Maze

Explore a maze with 1,800-square-foot stretch of wall-to-wall reflective surfaces

Book Now
See more things to do with kids

Chicago museums

The 10 best Chicago museums
Museums

The 10 best Chicago museums

Learn something new while having a bit of fun at some of the most interesting Chicago museums.

Free museum days at the best Chicago museums
Things to do

Free museum days at the best Chicago museums

Give your wallet a rest with these free days at Chicago's top institutions. 

The best contemporary art galleries in Chicago
Art

The best contemporary art galleries in Chicago

There's so much more than the Art Institute and the MCA

Chicago's top children's museums
Kids

Chicago's top children's museums

Chicago has some of the best museums in the country, and many feature exhibits specifically for little ones.

See more Chicago museums

Chicago attractions

Where to find the best skyline views in Chicago
Things to do

Where to find the best skyline views in Chicago

Our photogenic skyline boasts a surplus of beautiful buildings.

The best Chicago boat tours
Things to do

The best Chicago boat tours

Take it all in from Chicago's beautiful waterways.

Nine alternatives to the most touristy Chicago attractions
Attractions

Nine alternatives to the most touristy Chicago attractions

Don't get stuck in a tourist trap. 

The best Chicago food tours
Things to do

The best Chicago food tours

Try Chicago's best pizza in a single afternoon

See more Chicago attractions

Things to do in Chicago neighborhoods

Irving Park
Things to do

Irving Park

Irving Park boasts an array of dive bars and coffee shops that are worth searching out

Portage Park
Things to do

Portage Park

Explore Portage Park's ornate movie theaters and classic bungalow homes

Roscoe Village
Things to do

Roscoe Village

  Find live jazz, vintage theads and great eats in this classic Chicago 'hood

Edgewater
Things to do

Edgewater

Kick back on the shores of Lake Michigan in this architecturally historic neighborhood

See more Chicago neighborhood guides

More great things to do near Chicago

The 10 best things to do in Wisconsin Dells
Things to do

The 10 best things to do in Wisconsin Dells

If you fully embrace the city’s cheesy side, the water park capital of the world won’t disappoint.  

The 20 best things to do in Detroit
Things to do

The 20 best things to do in Detroit

The list of the best things to do in Detroit is exhaustive, in all the best ways. 

The 15 best things to do in Milwaukee
Things to do

The 15 best things to do in Milwaukee

Milwaukee today boasts big city amenities without the headaches of a metropolis.

The 10 best things to do in Ann Arbor
Things to do

The 10 best things to do in Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor is a humble yet sophisticated slice of Southeast Michigan.

See more