CityPASS Chicago articles

The best way to spend one day in Chicago is to stay downtown and follow a walkable route through the Loop, Millennium Park, and the riverfront. Begin at Museum Campus, walk north through Grant Park to Cloud Gate, and stroll the Chicago Riverwalk for waterfront dining and skyline views. Top it all off by catching the sunset from Skydeck Chicago at Willis Tower before a deep-dish dinner across the street.

Adler Planetarium sits at the far tip of Chicago's Museum Campus, pairing immersive sky shows and historic space exploration exhibits with sweeping skyline views. The museum is also home to the Doane Observatory, which holds the largest public telescope in the Chicago area, plus interactive spaces like Planet Explorers that give young children room to climb and play.

Few museums offer the sheer breadth of world-class art found at the Art Institute of Chicago. With a permanent collection spanning roughly 300,000 works, from Impressionist masterworks to contemporary installations, this Michigan Avenue landmark consistently ranks among the top cultural stops in the country.

When the sun drops behind the skyline, Chicago doesn't wind down so much as change character. The street grid lights up in straight lines, the river turns into a mirror of glowing towers, and the lakefront glitters all the way out to the horizon.

The Chicago River once served strictly as a shipping route, but today its south bank holds one of the most rewarding walks in the city. Stretching 1.25 miles from Lake Shore Drive to Lake Street, this pedestrian promenade links a string of open-air spaces, public art, restaurants, and river-level viewpoints, all just steps below the downtown streets.

The search for the best observation deck in Chicago will take you over 1,000 feet above the street, where the skyline unfolds in every direction.