The key addresses in Chicago — verified and regularly updated. Clicking takes you straight to the location page.
One of the oldest and largest art museums in the USA: The Art Institute of Chicago in Grant Park houses a world-famous collection – from Monet's Water Lilies to Grant Wood's "American Gothic" to Hopper's "Nighthawks". The two bronze lions at the entrance are among the most famous landmarks of the city.
Arguably Chicago's most photographed landmark, Anish Kapoor's gleaming stainless steel sculpture in Millennium Park is affectionately known as "The Bean" because of its shape. In the reflective surface, the skyline and visitors distort into surreal images – a must-see for every selfie.
Chicago's most popular excursion destination directly on Lake Michigan: The Navy Pier, which is over a kilometer long, attracts visitors with the 60-meter-high Centennial Wheel, restaurants, gardens and boat tours. From the Ferris wheel you have a magnificent view of the skyline and the lake - especially atmospheric at sunset.
Fly high: From the Skydeck on the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower – once the tallest building in the world – you can enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view of Chicago. The thrill is the glass observation boxes "The Ledge", which hang freely above the city. On a clear day, you'll see up to four US states.
Gay sights in Chicago take you mainly through Northalsted, the neighborhood where queer history can be read directly in the streetscape. The most famous example is the Legacy Walk, the world's first open-air museum dedicated to LGBTQ history. Over half a kilometre along North Halsted Street between Belmont and Grace are large rainbow pylons to which bronze plaques are attached. They commemorate personalities and events that shaped the movement, including mathematician Alan Turing, writer James Baldwin, and the Stonewall riots. It is the largest collection of such biographical bronze plaques in public space in the world and can be explored on a walk.
A second important location is the Center on Halsted on North Halsted Street, a community center opened in 2007 that bundles social services, counseling and events for the queer community. If you want to understand the history of the city, you should know that Chicago is one of the pioneers: The city's first Pride demonstration, then called the Gay Liberation March, took place on June 27, 1970, one year after Stonewall, and is one of the first Pride marches in the country. The highlight of the year is still the Chicago Pride Parade at the end of June, which attracts large parts of the north side. The following locations will take you to the most important stations in the city's queer history.