You’re going to have a great time in Chicago! Visitors from across the nation and around the world agree that Chicago is a best-kept travel secret. Whether your taste inspires you to take an architectural boat ride down the river, secure a great seat and a cold beer in a blues club, or work out by climbing the escalators in Bloomingdale’s, Chicago has activities and sights to suit everyone. After a family-fun afternoon of excitement on Navy Pier, the kids can enjoy extra cheese from one of Chicago’s great pizzerias while their parents relax with more sophisticated fare in one of the city’s fine restaurants.

Sears Tower and the John Hancock Center offer celestial views from their top decks, while the Shedd Aquarium will shows you what goes on at the bottom of the sea. Baseball, basketball, hockey, football, and soccer take their turn on center stage in the city’s parks and stadiums; if you don’t have a favorite team when you arrive in town, you may have a new one by the time you leave. If you’d like to get some exercise yourself, gear up for running, biking, and rollerblading along the lakefront. Take a swim at one of the city’s lifeguard-supervised beaches, where all summer long, teams compete for volleyball championships. Check out our funky bowling alleys, like Southport Lanes, where real, live, human pinsetters bring a touch of nostalgia to the game.

Museums abound, and they’re conveniently located in clusters so you can spend a few hours in one, rest up over lunch, and take an afternoon spin through another.

Pair the Art Institute with the Museum of Contemporary Photography on Michigan Avenue, the Shedd with the Field Museum of Natural History, or the Museum of Contemporary Art with the Chicago Historical Society. Plan to take the elevated train if you can: it’s a thrilling trip for those who’ve never ridden high in the sky.

What are you waiting for? Let’s get started!