Hidden gems in Chicago
Skip the tourist circuit. These Chicago spots are the ones locals actually send their out-of-town friends to.
Top spots in Chicago
Millennium Park
OutdoorsLoop
Anish Kapoor's Bean (Cloud Gate), free concerts at Pritzker Pavilion.
Chicago Riverwalk
OutdoorsLoop
Walk or kayak past the city's famous architecture on river level.
Art Institute of Chicago
CultureGrant Park
American Gothic, Nighthawks and one of the world's great impressionist collections.
Pilsen Mural Walk
CulturePilsen
Mexican-American street art along 16th and 18th Streets.
Where to eat
Alinea
$$$$Modernist tasting · Lincoln Park
Grant Achatz's three-star theater on a plate.
Pequod's Pizza
$$Deep-dish · Lincoln Park
Caramelized cheese crust — the locals' deep-dish pick.
Au Cheval
$$Diner / Burgers · West Loop
Two-hour wait for the country's most-talked-about cheeseburger.
Girl & The Goat
$$$Modern American · West Loop
Stephanie Izard's wood-fired plates, share everything.
Lou Mitchell's
$Diner · West Loop
Route 66 diner since 1923 — fluffy omelets and free Milk Duds.
Frequently asked
- Locals' under-the-radar picks include Millennium Park, Chicago Riverwalk, Art Institute of Chicago. These are the places that don't show up on the first page of mainstream travel guides.