You could live a hundred lifetimes and still not be able to check out every cool corner of Chicago. We’ve highlighted some fun spots below, but you can’t go wrong!

Architecture Boat Tour: If you can only do one thing on this list, let this be it. Our favorite is the Chicago Architecture Center cruise, but Wendella and Shoreline also offer great tours.

Art Institute: Right across from our venue, this museum features classics like American Gothic, Nighthawks, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, and Chagall’s America Windows.

Field Museum: Say hello to Sue, the most complete T. Rex skeleton ever discovered!

Museum of Science and Industry: Housed in an original White City building from the 1893 World’s Fair, this museum boasts trains, planes, automobiles, and a German submarine from World War II. Childhood visits to MSI sparked Christopher Nolan’s love of IMAX!

Driehaus Museum: A fully-restored Gilded Age mansion that is filled with an impressive collection of antique furniture, artwork, and Tiffany glass.

Other entertainment options: If you’re in town for a few nights, check out a show at The Second City, Buddy Guy’s Legends, or the Music Box Theatre!

Outdoor spots: Lincoln Park Zoo (free), Chicago Riverwalk, the lakefront trail, and Millennium Park (across the street from our venue! Yes, this is where the Bean is if you want a photo!)

Chicago food: If you're here for the first time, try the classics! Al's Beef and Portillo’s are popular spots for Italian beef sandwiches and Chicago dogs, while Lou Malnati's and Pequod’s are deep dish institutions.

Chicago reading/viewing: If you want to get in the Chicago spirit before your trip, some of our favorite Chicago books include The Devil in the White City, For the Thrill of It, and The Great Believers.

Our favorite Chicago movies include Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Blues Brothers, and The Fugitive. Anthony Bourdain’s visit to Chicago is worth checking out as well!

Finally, while they are not strictly Chicagoan, John Carpenter’s Halloween and Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes both spend Halloween in Illinois, as you soon will!