The best things to do in Chicago today

The oldest music festival in North America plays host to more than 90 shows throughout summer, featuring big-name headliners like Paul Simon, Alabama Shakes and Chance the Rapper. Check out the full schedule of artists coming to Highland Park this year, and don't forget to pack a picnic.

Escape the planet with exhibits about the first lunar missions, the solar system and more, plus immersive shows in the dome theater. Stationed just a stone's throw away from the Adler, the Doane Observatory is also home to the largest public telescope in the area and gathers 7,000 times more light than the human eye. Every Wednesday, the Adler stays open late from 4pm-10pm so that folks can visit after work or school. And best of all, admission is free on those nights for Illinois residents.

The Shedd Aquarium's weekly summer concert series presents a rotating lineup of jazz bands on its scenic lakeside terrace, where attendees can dance, have a drink and get a great view of the Navy Pier fireworks. Guests also get access to the Shedd's exhibitions, meaning that you can gaze at the creatures that inhabit the Caribbean Reef, snap a picture of a cute sea otter or touch a sea star.

International interior design trade show NeoCon returns to The Mart this summer. More than 400 major manufacturers and on-the-rise brands across furniture and fabrics to flooring and tech, will showcase their latest innovations and services. Plus, a lineup of educational programming, like workshops and talks from industry leaders, provides an insightful look at the future of design. Even if you aren't an industry pro, NeoCon offers a haven of design eye candy that everyone can appreciate.

How are some of the most iconic costumes of the past century made? Costume designer Paul Tazewell pulls back the curtain in this behind-the-scenes exhibition. Highlights include costumes from Wicked, Janelle Monáe’s MET Gala looks and Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story. Sketches, videos and narration reveal how imagination becomes wearable art.

Whether you’re parenting a pint-sized Pokémon devotee or a nostalgic millennial still clinging to a holographic Charizard card for its “possible resale value” (guilty), the Pokémon Fossil Museum is designed to surprise and delight. Making its U.S. debut at the Field Museum in spring 2026, the international exhibition invites visitors to compare Fossil Pokémon like Tyrantrum and Archeops with real-world fossils—including SUE the T. rex. Expect Pokémon models, real fossil excavation tools and immersive soundscapes throughout.

Chicago Dance Month highlights the diversity of the city’s dance scene with four weeks of activations from nearly 35 dance artists and companies across a dozen free events throughout Chicago. The slate includes programming such as dance classes at Navy Pier's Wave Wall Platform on Wednesdays, pop-up performances at the Wave Wall stage on Saturdays, workshops, panels, film screenings and more. 

Celebrate Humboldt Park's vibrant Puerto Rican culture and history at this annual fest, which returns to the park of the same name this year with music, food, carnival rides and other community-centric festivities. You'll find attractions like a dominoes tournament, music stage, merengue dance performances, a shopping market, street food stands and more.

During the summer, the Chicago attraction hosts twice-weekly fireworks shows (on Wednesdays at 9pm and Saturdays at 10pm) from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, with stunning views available from across the pier's public spaces. During the winter months, the pyrotechnics return for a much-needed encore. If you're feeling weary of crowds, you can also take in the show from nearby beaches or while cruising along the Lakefront Trail.

In June 2026, the Chicago Symphony Center commemorates the United States’ 250th anniversary with a curated season reflecting the nation’s rich and evolving cultural landscape. Featuring the Chicago Symphony Orchestra alongside elite guest artists and jazz ensembles, these performances honor American resilience and creativity. From the seminal works of Copland, Gershwin and Ives to the cinematic grandeur of John Williams’ Star Wars: A New Hope score performed live to film, the season celebrates the enduring spirit of American music.

For classical music lovers who enjoy taking in a show set beneath Chicago's skyline, the annual Grant Park Music Festival is perennial favorite summer event. This year's series of classical concerts runs from June 10–August 15 with performances ranging from world premiere works and performances of symphonies by Mozart, Mendelssohn and Shostakovich to an evening of classic Broadway arrangements and the annual Independence Day salute. Take a look at the complete schedule of events below and find more information on the Grant Park Music Festival website.

With soundstage-sized pieces like horned sculptures emitting soap bubbles, inflated spheres bedecked in abstract squiggles and surreal faceless figures hovering in space, “EmotionAir” reimagines the humble balloon as any other artistic medium—a conduit for creativity and emotion. 

Ready to explore Chicago's amazing architecture while floating on the river? The Chicago Architecture Center River Cruise takes place aboard a First Lady boat, transporting guests on a 90-minute tour that traverses three branches of the Chicago River and explores the stories behind more than 50 buildings that make up the city's iconic skyline. What separates the Chicago Architecture Center River Cruise from similar tours are the knowledgeable Chicago Architecture Center docents that lead each excursion. You'll be able to chat with experts who know the nitty-gritty details of Chicago architecture and are eager to help you learn more about the structures surrounding you—something that makes this attraction appealing to tourists and longtime residents. All tours depart from the First Lady dock on the Chicago Riverwalk, located just down the stairs from the northeast corner of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive. If you want to continue learning about Chicago's buildings after your tour, you can add a Chicago Architecture Center ticket for just $5—and it's good for seven days after you board the boat.

Looking for free concerts near Chicago? Hop on the Blue Line to Rosemont's Parkway Bank Park for Thursday night performances—with a few holiday and weekend dates sprinkled through the summer—including performances by Atomic Punks, Live the Who and Rhythm of the Rocketman, complete with a fireworks show at the end of the night. Beverage tents will be located on site, but we won't fault you if you prefer to pre-game with a fishbowl-sized spiked punch from nearby Sugar Factory. For a full schedule of shows, visit the Parkway Bank Park website. 

This immersive exhibition recreates the Secret Annex where Anne Frank, her family and four others hid during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. Chicago is only the second U.S. city—and the first in the Midwest—to host the experience, which includes rarely seen artifacts from Frank’s life. Visitors can walk through the reconstructed hiding place while learning about Anne’s childhood, the rise of Nazi Germany and the Frank family’s years in Amsterdam. The exhibition offers a powerful look at the risks, courage and daily realities of those who lived in hiding.

Thanks to a landmark donation from the family of Lee Kun-Hee, the late chairman of Samsung Group, Chicagoans will be able to view extraordinary Korean artworks once held in private collections. Spanning painting, ceramics and Buddhist sculpture, the exhibition includes 140 works that trace two millennia of artistic legacy—22 of which are officially designated National Treasures or Treasures by the Korean government.

Intuit Art Museum joins the national Handwork 2026 celebration with an exhibition investigating Henry Darger’s relationship to traditional American paper crafts. Drawing on research by art historian Dr. Mary Trent, the exhibition demonstrates how Darger adapted common practices—such as making paper dolls and scrapbooks—into a complex, mixed-media narrative style. By showcasing Darger’s source materials alongside his final works, the exhibition highlights how he reclaimed these institutionalized hobbies to express the interior lives and struggles of the marginalized.

Part art installation, part psychological gauntlet, Theater of the Mind is David Byrne and Mala Gaonkar’s newest exploration of the self. Tucked inside a 15,000-square-foot office, the experience invites small groups of 16 or less to navigate a sensory-bending labyrinth. But the real variable isn't the set design; it’s the audience. Group participation is a central element of the show, which can be exhilarating but also sometimes awkward; the instructions are sometimes muddled, and the responses of the group can affect the narrative in ways that don’t always cohere. Ultimately, your enjoyment of Theater of the Mind may hinge on the group you’re there with—and on your own state of mind.

This first-of-its-kind exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago explores the visual, political and spiritual histories of dancehall and reggaetón through contemporary art. Once grassroots scenes, both genres have become globally influential movements tied closely to sexual and political liberation. The show features works by more than 35 artists, including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Edra Soto, supakid and Lee “Scratch” Perry.

Just when you thought the state's largest mall couldn't surprise you anymore, Woodfield Mall announces WONDRA, a sprawling new immersive experience. Inside, you’ll wander through enchanted meadows that respond to the sound of your voice, stumble across bioluminescent landscapes and drift into crystal caves and celestial gardens that blur the line between digital spectacle and raw wonder. Every corner is crafted to ignite curiosity and inspire a sense of awe we, whether you’re a kid seeing it all for the first time or an adult who forgot what it feels like to play.

Spanning two distinct periods of Alberto Aguilar’s career, “I just really want to tell you this one thing” explores the delicate themes of communication and translation. Rather than a static display, the exhibition serves as a collective offering by Aguilar and his collaborators for viewers seeking an active creative conversation. Mirroring Aguilar’s broader practice, this collection prioritizes the unique meaning that emerges only through exchange. 

To celebrate A Red Orchid Theatre’s 33rd season, join the Solidarity and Truth Summit—a gathering of the most “persecuted” and “misunderstood” people on earth. These self-identified Targeted Individuals believe they are victims of a vast, covert program of systematic surveillance and harassment by global powers. Over one whirlwind weekend in the woods, they will attempt to expose the Deep State, raise awareness for their plight and—despite their immense suffering—reclaim their humanity.

You’ve probably seen a Shakespeare play before, but never like this. Five professional actors come together for each performance of Drunk Shakespeare. The twist? One of them has had five shots before the show and is trying to stay on track while the other four actors do their best to hold the performance together.

Every Wednesday, the Old Town School of Folk Music hosts a showcase of world music and dance. Featuring both local and touring talent, you're sure to hear something new and exciting at this long-running series. Before the show, be sure to peruse the Old Town School of Folk Music Store, where you can rent instruments, learn about lessons and peruse a wide selection of books.

DePaul Art Museum will be unfortunately closing this June, and they're going out with some of their finest curatorial work yet. Since the 1960s, Barbara Nessim has built a distinctive visual language that challenges traditional ideas about femininity and representation. One of the first women to gain prominence in the male-dominated world of commercial illustration, Nessim later became a pioneer of computer art in the 1980s. This exhibition—her first in Chicago—features paintings, drawings, digital works and a site-specific installation. It also highlights her famed sketchbooks, which the artist calls her “forever books,” a raw and unfiltered record of her creative process.

Experience Chicago through the eyes of artist Marvin Young at Intuit Art Museum’s latest exhibition. Since joining the Arts of Life studio in 2024, the lifelong South Sider has used vibrant mixed media to capture both imagined and remembered urban scenes. From large-scale portraits to detailed architectural landscapes, Young’s work brings the city to life with vintage walk-ups, classic cars and the energy of the streets. 

As the Driehaus Museum’s first artist-in-residence, Brendan Fernandes will transform the Murphy Auditorium into a dynamic site for sculpture, movement and sound. Inspired by the Judson Dance Theater, Fernandes’ Scores for the Murphy Auditorium will unfold as an episodic residency throughout 2026, with performances and public programs announced over time.

The Whistler’s monthly lit series pops up on the second Wednesday of every month, bringing an evening of readings, workshopping and discussion to the Logan Square cocktail bar. Each show is followed by an installment of the Relax Attack Jazz Series, a free event with a constantly rotating bill.

Located inside The Den, a 1920s greystone-turned-hotel in Lakeview, the Blind Wolf Speakeasy is an intimate, approachable bar, event venue and home to a free weekly comedy show. Blind Wolf Comedy hosts a rotating roster of Chicago comics each Wednesday at 8pm, as well as open mic nights on Thursdays at 7:30pm. There's no cost to attend, but you can reserve a seat through their Instagram page.