Top 10 Things To Do, Activities and Attractions in DuPage County

"A few of the highlights of your tour include the Museum Campus, Navy Pier, Water Tower Place Mall, Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), and more. You’ll be able to disembark at most landmarks, so it’s easy to use this your to further your itinerary (although traffic can be a factor, so don’t rely exclusively on this for transportation)."

"Probably the most iconic part of Navy Pier is the Centennial Wheel, a large ferris wheel. It’s open year round, weather permitting. Towards the end of the pier, you can also get a really good view of the city. It also holds several free events from time to time, so make sure to check the calendar before you go."

"In any case, there is something magical about having the Ferris wheel or the Pepsi Wave Swinger in the backdrop of a photo, even more so in the evening when the pier is fully lit up. As Chicago’s second-biggest tourist attraction it’s not just an iconic landmark but also full of photo opportunities."

"The park that gave the neighborhood its name is Chicago’s largest. Its 1200 acres stretch for 6 miles from North Ave north to Diversey Pkwy, where it narrows along the lake and continues on until the end of Lake Shore Dr. On sunny days locals come out to play in droves, taking advantage of the ponds, paths and playing fields or visiting the zoo and beaches. It's a fine spot to while away a morning or afternoon (or both)."

"Once you’ve gotten your fill of sky-high views, catch a ride up to Lincoln Park, one of North Side Chicago’s trendy residential neighborhoods, and named for the city’s largest park, which is the lakeside centerpiece of this part of town. The Lincoln Park Zoo and Lincoln Park Conservatory are both fun to wander through, but I love Lincoln Park for its cafes, boutiques, and adorable homes."

"If it’s warm enough when you visit, try one of the beaches in Lincoln Park. The park also houses a zoo and museums."

"While the Chicago Water Tower was really only built to hide a standpipe, its intricate design symbolizes the value of simple things; like water supply. The story behind this structure is the important solution designed by Chesbrough to save the city from the inadequate water supply for the growing population. It is built with a characteristic Gothic Revival style, almost fairytale-like."

"Who can resist the charm of this Gothic revival sandcastle tower in the middle of the Mag Mile?. Add to that its history and use, and this structure always gets a vote in our best-of lists. Built in 1869, following completion of the Pumping Station across the street, the Tower now houses a city-run art gallery."

"Located within Historic Water Tower, 806 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL. This free gallery inside the Historic Water Tower focuses on photography. The City Gallery is currently closed."

"With over 40,000 unobstructed-view seats, the White Sox stadium is a good spot to capture your ice cream cone, the crowd, AND the field in one shot. Unless you’re going for the 3lb ice cream sundae in a batting helmet… you’re probably gonna need two hands for that."

"A post shared by K.Cal (@therealkatiecal) on Nov 4, 2016 at 11:10pm PDT. The name of this establishment is quite apt, as it seems to take pains in bringing its brand of service and humor to another level. A buffet is served here and features a variety of food options."

"If you’re a big fan of stand-up, this just might be the club for you. Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Zanies was Chicago’s first establishment dedicated to stand-up, making it a mainstay on the city’s comedy scene. It features touring headline acts every night of the week, so no matter when you’re in town, you should be able to squeeze a show into your travel plans."

"Zanies has been a premiere location in Chicago for standup comedy since 1978. Local favorites, big stars, and newcomers all share the same stage for the purpose of making at least one of your two-drink minimum come shooting out of your nose. They have three locations to serve the Chicago area, and they provide standup shows on a nightly basis."

"Zanies has been a Chi-Town comedy staple since 1978 and have been the stage of many famous comedians throughout the years. It has excellent service, good grub, good drinks, and of course, some of Chi-Town’s finest comedians each evening. If you’re looking to get a good laugh, Zanies is among the better bars and clubs in Chicago."

"Restaurants Ice cream parlors Logan Square. The Freeze is a vintage time warp, and while there aren’t nearly as many locations of the fast food restaurant (formerly known as Tastee Freez) as once dotted Chicago (there were dozens), you can still find one in Logan Square. Waffle and sugar cones are filled with a high peak of soft serve and dipped in throwback flavors like butterscotch, cotton candy and peanut butter."

"Logan SquareSoft serve piled high and burgers served hot top the bill at this retro Logan Square drive-in. Formerly known as Tastee Freez and dating to 1950, The Freeze is a go-to spot that often draws long lines of customers encircling it during the warmer months. If you like your ice cream served velvety smooth and topped with a heaping dose of nostalgia, it’s hard to beat any order here."

"A Lincoln Park summer staple, the line at Annette’s Italian Ice is consistently longer than at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams down the street. Although they’re most famous for vegan-friendly house-made Italian ice, they also serve fat-free frozen yogurt and traditional ice cream by Ashby’s Sterling. Flavors and toppings are scrawled on a white board to choose from."

"Annette’s is a takeout window in Lincoln Park that does both Italian ice and ice cream. We prefer the Italian ice at Mario’s, but we like that you can also get ice cream at Annette’s. It’s a perfect neighborhood spot - the kind of place you might stroll by while walking your dog."

"This Lincoln Park staple only opens their outdoor window in the summer, so don’t miss out. While it has all your childhood favorite ice creams flavors, the Italian ice is the real star here. No bad flavors can be found here."

"Edgewater & Rogers ParkSpecializing in decadent custards, thick-as-thieves concretes, and sensational sundaes,Lickity Split is a veritable shrine to the sweet tooth. But it's their take on a banana split which stands in a league all its own. The ripened star of the show is topped with both vanilla and chocolate frozen custard before undergoing an onslaught of chocolate sauce, pineapples, strawberries, peanuts, and whipped cream.A dessert classic preserved for a new generation, whoever said, “They don’t make ‘em like they used to,” never got the scoop on this spot."

"Lickity Split is a retro-style sweets and ice cream shop in Edgewater that makes its own frozen custard fresh every day. There are only three flavors (chocolate, vanilla, and a specialty flavor that rotates every few weeks), all of which are fine on their own. But you need to order one of the concretes - i.e. custard blended with mix-ins."

"A post shared by Lickity Split Chicago (@lickitysplitchi) on Dec 28, 2018 at 11:11am PST. This old time ice cream shop in Melbourne serves coffee, locally sourced pastry, retro candy, and frozen custard. People with a sweet tooth should definitely come here to grab a creamy and delicious cupcake or a scoop of their favorite ice cream."

"Situated next to Millennium Park, Maggie Daley Park sits on over 20 acres next to the waterfront in downtown Chicago. The park's most popular kids' attraction is a mini-golf course, which has a series of the city's most iconic buildings and landmarks at each hole. The Play Garden is a big hit with younger kids, where they can play pirate on a huge land-bound ship complete with rope bridges and plenty of room to imagine."

"Maggie Daley Park is THE park I take my toddler to when we have a good block of time for some serious fun. The 20-acre park really is a spectacular playground for toddlers. With plenty of green space to run around on, the best part of this park is the play garden."

"You don’t have to choose because you can do all three at Maggie Daley Park. It features Chicago’s only outdoor climbing park. There are beginner and advanced places to climb with instruction from the park staff."

"Chicago’s Lakefront Trail I promised we’d do a lot of walking today, so next, head back towards Lake Michigan and enjoy the lakefront trail, a nearly 20-mile stretch of paved walkway that meanders down the city’s coastline. The views are spectacular and it’s a great way to see the city’s skyline from a distance. If you’d prefer to bike the trail (highly recommended!), check out the city’s bike-sharing system, Divvy, where you can grab a bike for a 24-hour rental period from one of the city’s many stations"

"For a big city, Chicago has a surprising number of places dedicated to all things green. For example, the Lincoln Park Conservatory, on the shores of Lake Michigan, has a botanical garden teeming with ferns, tropical flowers, and palms."

"Lincoln Park Conservatory has been a beautiful getaway since the 1890s. Inside, you’ll find tropical palms, ancient ferns, and plenty of other exotic plants."