By: Cleo Newton

1. The Art Institute of Chicago
This art museum is a great place to view many different artworks, writings, and is also a great place for research. The Art Institute of Chicago has artworks such as, “The Bedroom” made by Vincent Van Gogh in 1889, “Water Lilies” made by Claude Monet in 1906, and “The Old Guitarist” which was made in late 1903 and early 1903.

Tickets here are around $19 to $25. Last time I visited Chicago, my mom and I had planned on going here but we didn’t find time to do it.

2. Willis Tower
The Skydeck Experience is a fun activity to do here. It includes an interactive museum, and it’s both fun and educational. After that, you ride a huge elevator up to the 103rd floor. There you can take pictures in a glass ledge that overlooks the city and take pictures.

As fun as that last part sounds, I don’t recommend doing this on a rainy or cloudy day because the 103rd floor is pretty much in the sky and you won’t be able to see anything through clouds. Also, lots of people like getting their pictures taken here, so be prepared to wait in line for a while.

3. Buckingham Fountain
If you don’t want to spend money on anything, you should go see the Buckingham Fountain. It’s totally free and it’s very beautiful. This fountain is very large, and is located in Grant Park. I recommend visiting it at night because that’s when they turn on the lights to the fountain.

Last time I went, I didn’t have enough time to stay around until night time to see the lights, but next time I go, I’ll make sure to set aside time to do this.

4. Millennium Park
Millennium Park is near the Buckingham Fountain. It’s a great park for both kids and adults. According to Choosechicago.com, It has lots of green space and many activities such as ice skating, rock climbing, and it also has the Cloud Gate statue (a giant silver bean).

Although, last time I was there, that giant bean statue was closed, and I don’t know when it’s going to open or if it’s already opened again.

5. Chicago Children’s Museum
If you’re traveling to Chicago with a kid, Chicago Children’s Museum is a good place to visit. This museum has an art studio where you can make clay sculptures, a place called the Pritzker Playspace, and a tinkering lab where you can build buildings made of cardboard.

They are open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 10am-2pm and Friday through Sunday, 10am-5pm. I’ve never been there before but I think it would be fun, even if I’m not a little kid anymore.