The Best Things to Do in Chicago With Other People

Museums, one gallery at a time

Art Institute of Chicago

Neighborhood: the Loop · Cost: $32 general, $27 Illinois residents, $20 Chicago residents; kids under 14 don't pay · Open: 11am–5pm, Thursdays until 8pm, closed Tuesdays

One of the great art museums anywhere, steps from Millennium Park. The local way is to go often and stay short: pick one wing, give it an hour, then talk it over somewhere warm. Thursday's late hours make it an easy after-work plan with someone who likes the same kind of art you do.

Field Museum

Neighborhood: Museum Campus · Cost: from $30, from $21 for Chicago residents; Illinois residents don't pay admission on Wednesdays through March 31, 2027 · Open: daily 9am–5pm

Dinosaurs, ancient Egypt and plenty of quiet galleries most visitors walk straight past. Explore one hall with someone who shares your curiosity. Reserve ahead for resident Wednesdays.

Adler Planetarium

Neighborhood: Museum Campus · Cost: from $25 · Open: hours vary by day, with a late Wednesday evening until 10pm

A sky show and the skyline across the water from the end of the peninsula. The Wednesday evening hours suit a midweek plan.

Griffin Museum of Science and Industry

Neighborhood: Hyde Park · Cost: varies by date, $9 off for Chicago residents · Open: daily 9:30am–4pm, longer on many November and December days

You may still know it as the Museum of Science and Industry. Pair one exhibit, like the coal mine or the U-505 submarine tour (both paid add-ons), with a walk around Hyde Park.

Neighborhood afternoons

Every Chicago neighborhood has its own main street, and wandering one with someone who knows it (or wants to) is one of the best things to do here.

• Pilsen: murals, the National Museum of Mexican Art (open Tuesday to Sunday, no admission) and lunch on 18th Street.
• Wicker Park and Bucktown: a stretch of the 606, the 2.7-mile elevated trail, then shops and cafés along Milwaukee Avenue.
• Lincoln Park: a morning at Lincoln Park Zoo (open daily) and the glass conservatory next door.
• Chinatown: dim sum and a wander, an easy ride on the Red Line.

For more short plans like these, see our guide to easy things to do in Chicago this weekend.

Weeknight plans

• The Riverwalk at dusk: open 6am–11pm every day, and the easiest after-work walk downtown.
• iO Theater (near Lincoln Park): improv, sketch and stand-up six nights a week, with a walk-in bar.
• Metro (Wrigleyville): the classic rock and indie club, with shows announced through the winter.
• Thalia Hall (Pilsen): a restored 1892 hall with three bars and mostly all-ages shows.

When friends visit: the skyline

Saving the big views for visiting friends? One of these is plenty.

• Architecture river cruise: the Chicago Architecture Center's 90-minute cruise leaves from the Michigan Avenue bridge, from $57. The 2026 season ends November 22.
• Skydeck at Willis Tower: from $32, open every day of the year. Winter hours are 9am–8pm, until 9pm on Saturdays.
• 360 CHICAGO: the observation deck at 875 N. Michigan, from $27 online, open 9am–11pm, with TILT as an add-on.
• Navy Pier: no admission to the pier itself, with Winter WonderFest (ticketed) from late November and fireworks on New Year's Eve.

Three easy plans to suggest

1. One gallery, then coffee. The Art Institute on a Thursday evening: one wing, an hour, then coffee nearby.
2. A neighborhood walk and lunch. Pilsen's murals and the National Museum of Mexican Art, then lunch on 18th Street.
3. A walk and a show. The Riverwalk at dusk, then improv at iO.

Heading into the holidays? See things to do in Chicago in December, and what's open on Christmas Day. For cold nights, our guide to indoor activities in Chicago has more.

A few tips

• Tuesdays at the Art Institute. It's closed. Thursday's late hours, until 8pm, make a good alternative.
• Bring an ID. Many museums have resident prices or resident days for Illinois and Chicago residents.
• Hyde Park is its own trip. Griffin MSI is well south of Museum Campus, so pair it with the neighborhood rather than the Field.
• The river cruise season. The architecture cruise stops after November 22 and returns in spring.

Make it a plan with someone nearby

Planning a museum afternoon or a neighborhood walk? Lighthouse is a social app for meeting people nearby who share your interests. You can see who's around and what you have in common, start an activity for the plan you have in mind, or join one someone in your neighborhood has posted. Each activity has its own group chat, so you can say hi and agree on the details before you meet.

Good to know

• Check before you go: hours and prices change, especially around holidays. That goes for anything in this post, too. Each listing links to its official source below.
• Getting around: the CTA 'L' and buses reach everything here. The Loop, Museum Campus and Navy Pier are walkable from one another on a nice day.
• Closed days: besides the Art Institute's Tuesdays, most museums close on Thanksgiving and Christmas.