Travel Guides
Chicago Travel Guides
Free, independent Chicago travel guides — written for first-timers, families, and return visitors looking for something specific.
6 guides
Travel Guide
A First-Timer's Guide to Chicago
Everything you need for a first trip to Chicago — when to come, where to stay, the essential attractions, and how to balance downtown with the neighborhoods over three or four days.
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Chicago Architecture & Skyline: The Complete Guide
How to experience the birthplace of the skyscraper — the river cruise, the observation decks, walking tours, and the buildings and stories that made Chicago the world's great architecture city.
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Chicago for Foodies: Deep-Dish, Steakhouses & Fine Dining
A guide to eating in Chicago — from deep-dish pizza and the Italian beef to the city's legendary steakhouses, its Michelin-starred dining rooms, and the white-hot West Loop restaurant scene.
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The Lakefront & Museum Campus: A Chicago Day Guide
How to spend a day along Chicago's lakefront — the Museum Campus (Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium), the beaches, the trail, and the best skyline views in the city.
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Chicago Theater & Music: Blues, Jazz, Comedy & the Stage
A guide to Chicago's live-performance culture — the blues and jazz that shaped American music, the legendary improv-comedy scene, the downtown Theater District, and summer's free lakefront concerts.
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Chicago with Kids: A Family Guide
The best of family Chicago — the science and natural-history museums, the aquarium, the free zoo, Navy Pier, Millennium Park's splash fountain, and how to plan a trip that works for all ages.
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