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Highest-rated things to do in Chicago, according to Tripadvisor

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"For those who are lost, there will always be cities that feel like home," Simon Van Booy wrote in his 2011 novel "Everything Beautiful Began After," and what better way to find the cities that might feel like home than to get lost? Travel beckons, and there are many great cities to explore in the U.S. From New York to Los Angeles, Chicago to Miami, and Las Vegas to San Francisco, metro regions in the U.S. offer an incredible range of activities, attractions, and cultural monuments to enjoy.

Every city has its own unique history—stories of industry, immigration, and imagination. Plus, each city offers its own geographical specificity: San Francisco's gorgeous heights and quad-killing hills; the bustling boroughs of New York and how they wind around bodies of water; the flat desert of Las Vegas with its tremendous, wide-open sky (try stargazing at the nearby Red Rock Canyon for awe-inspiring views of the heavens).

Each city also has its own flavor. Some metros are practically a Baskin-Robbins of adventure, featuring all kinds of flavors, some of which might be complex, unfamiliar, or even new. Los Angeles, for example, can be experienced in so many ways, from its history as the motion picture and entertainment capital to its modern incarnation as one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world—there are many versions of LA to visit, just as there are many iterations of San Francisco, New York, and Las Vegas. Cities, after you scratch the surface, reveal even more treasures within—but first, you must know where to begin!

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated things to do in Chicago using data from Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor ranks places using a combination of metrics, including overall rating, reviews, and number of page views. As a result, an activity with a 5 out of 5 overall rating might rank lower than one with a 4 out of 5. Data is as of May 31, 2024.

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1 / 30

#30. Route 66

- Rating: 4.5/5 (1,256 reviews)
- Address: 198 South Michigan Ave. Chicago, Illinois
- Read more on Tripadvisor

4 / 30

#27. Lincoln Park Conservatory

- Rating: 4.5/5 (794 reviews)
- Address: 2391 North Stockton Drive Chicago, Illinois
- Read more on Tripadvisor

6 / 30

#25. Lincoln (Abraham) Park

- Rating: 4.5/5 (874 reviews)
- Address: 500-5700 North Lake Shore Drive Chicago, Illinois
- Read more on Tripadvisor

7 / 30

#24. American Writers Museum

- Rating: 5/5 (437 reviews)
- Address: 180 North Michigan Ave. 2nd Floor Chicago, Illinois
- Read more on Tripadvisor

8 / 30

#23. Holy Name Cathedral

- Rating: 4.5/5 (1,116 reviews)
- Address: 735 North State St. Chicago, Illinois
- Read more on Tripadvisor

9 / 30

#22. Lakefront Trail

- Rating: 4.5/5 (2,450 reviews)
- Address: 540 North Lake Shore Drive Chicago, Illinois
- Read more on Tripadvisor

11 / 30

#20. Garfield Park Conservatory

- Rating: 4.5/5 (862 reviews)
- Address: 300 North Central Park Ave. Chicago, Illinois
- Read more on Tripadvisor

12 / 30

#19. Shedd Aquarium

- Rating: 4/5 (9,909 reviews)
- Address: 1200 S. Lake Shore Drive Chicago, Illinois
- Read more on Tripadvisor

13 / 30

#18. Buckingham Fountain

- Rating: 4.5/5 (3,427 reviews)
- Address: 301 S. Columbus Dr. Chicago, Illinois
- Read more on Tripadvisor

14 / 30

#17. Navy Pier

- Rating: 4/5 (15,172 reviews)
- Address: 600 East Grand Ave. Chicago, Illinois
- Read more on Tripadvisor

17 / 30

#14. Medieval Torture Museum

- Rating: 5/5 (724 reviews)
- Address: 177 North State St. Chicago, Illinois
- Read more on Tripadvisor

18 / 30

#13. Chicago Cultural Center

- Rating: 4.5/5 (3,067 reviews)
- Address: 78 East Washington St. Chicago, Illinois
- Read more on Tripadvisor

19 / 30

#12. Lincoln Park Zoo

- Rating: 4.5/5 (5,983 reviews)
- Address: 2001 North Clark St. Chicago, Illinois
- Read more on Tripadvisor

21 / 30

#10. 360 Chicago Observation Deck

- Rating: 4.5/5 (11,126 reviews)
- Address: 875 North Michigan Ave. 94th Floor Chicago, Illinois
- Read more on Tripadvisor

22 / 30

#9. Field Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (8,957 reviews)
- Address: 1400 South Lake Shore Drive Chicago, Illinois
- Read more on Tripadvisor

23 / 30

#8. Cloud Gate

- Rating: 4.5/5 (18,287 reviews)
- Address: 201 E. Randolph St. Millenium Park Chicago, Illinois
- Read more on Tripadvisor

24 / 30

#7. Wrigley Field

- Rating: 4.5/5 (9,954 reviews)
- Address: 1060 W. Addison St. Chicago, Illinois
- Read more on Tripadvisor

26 / 30

#5. The Magnificent Mile

- Rating: 4.5/5 (15,804 reviews)
- Address: North Michigan Ave. Chicago, Illinois
- Read more on Tripadvisor

27 / 30

#4. Museum of Science and Industry

- Rating: 4.5/5 (11,213 reviews)
- Address: 5700 S. Lake Shore Drive Chicago, Illinois
- Read more on Tripadvisor

28 / 30

#3. Chicago Architecture Center

- Rating: 5/5 (3,425 reviews)
- Address: 111 East Wacker Drive Chicago, Illinois
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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