When are you going? If soon, you’d better find out about the NATO conference there. It’s apparently rewriting the city. If you’re waiting until fall, take a coat.

I think Chicago has the world’s largest aquarium.

In the summer? Rent bikes at Navy Pier and ride the lakefront north!

I bike commute and the lakefront path adds about 4 miles to my trip but I usually go that way in the evening and I never get tired of it.

Bike rental

The view!!

@jaytkay

Do they have surfboard rentals at Lake Michigan? ;-p

@Brian1946 Do they have surfboard rentals at Lake Michigan?

People actually surf here, but October or November would be best, but you gotta be brave and cold-resistant.

They do rent jetskis at North Avenue beach. I was there yesterday and the concession is not open yet. Probably a Memorial-Day-to-Labor-Day thing.

Don’t scoff at our beaches. They stretch for miles!

We visited Chicago in April 2011, and enjoyed the city. We’d love to go back.

Chicago has lots of beautiful buildings, and I recommend an architectural boat tour. We also went to see a couple Frank Lloyd Wright exhibits – but I’m not sure if you like architecture that much.

“Chicago DeTours” offers off-the-beaten-path walking tours. I’m on mobile, so getting links is a pain, sorry.

Check out the schedule at the pavilion to see if there will be any free concerts during your stay there.

The Zoo is supposed to be very nice. Navy Pier might be fun in the summer.

It would help if you tell us just how old you are an what your interests and hobbies are.

I would make a beeline for the Art Institute of Chicago.

There are wonderful museums in Chicago. I recommend the Museum of Science and Industry.

Go to the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower), the tallest building in the Western hemisphere, and see the view.

Eat some good Chicago food: sausages or hot dogs, deep dish pizza.

As i’m sure you’re all aware, Chicago is named the “windy city”, but I heard it’s nothing to do with the weather. Can anyone enlighten me as to the reason why, i’d be very grateful…..no really I would.

Never mind, googled it….interesting.

Of course you’ll want to sample the famous deep dish Chigago-style pizza. Here’s a list of some favorite places on Yelp

Go up to the skydeck at the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower). It’s the tallest building in the Western hemisphere.

If you’re interested in history, you might enjoy visiting the oldest house in Chicago, The Henry Clarke House Museum

The Field Museum of Natural History, is supposed to be one of the best in the country.

You might enjoy a view of Chicago from the water with a Boat Tour or a Water Taxi

Here’s a list of Delis in Chicago to find the 6 Best Italian Submarine Sandwiches

If you like Guy Fieri’s Diner’s Drive-ins and Dives here’s a list of some of the Places He Ate in Chicago.

This sounds like fun, a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater

If you have an interest in one of the most famous modern architects of all time, you might enjoy a Frank Lloyd Wright Tour

If you like movies, you might enjoy a Chicago Film Tour that showcases sites around town where various movies were filmed like The Dark Knight and Ferris Bueller.

In addition to the Art Institute of Chicago, there is tons of outdoor Public Art all over Chicago.

If you are interested in architecture, art, or Christianity, or history, you might enjoy visiting some of the beautiful churches in Chicago, like St. Michael’s or St. Mary of the Angels or Old St. Patrick’s

I hope you have a marvelous trip!

@jaytkay

Don’t scoff at our beaches.

I admit that I was scoffing at what I might mistakenly perceive to be Great Lakes waves, but I’d love to go to a relatively pristine GL beach some summer day.

My preferred wave heights for body surfing are in the 3’-4’ range. Do they get that high on Lake Michigan during the summer?

Waves can be fun, but I prefer fresh water swimming anyway.

So far: Thanks! But I forgot to add, this will be during Summer, if you haven’t realized yet…

@blueberry_kid

If I’m not mistaken, if you drive north up Lakeshore Drive, you can see the house where they filmed Home Alone

@Brian194 Lake Michigan waves are usually pretty tame tame in the warm months. But I used to live in LA and that was true there, too.

Honestly the best Lake Michigan beaches are in Michigan, with clear blue-green water. It’s almost Caribbean, I kid you not. It’s because of the way the prevailing winds blow the sand around.

But for social recreation, Chicago beaches are the best! Boating and kids and volleyball and sunbathing and splashing and dogs and bikinis and softball and street hockey and basketball and soccer and kites and tennis and bikes and runners and skates and triathletes and more and more and more…Lincoln Park along the lakefront is unbelievable!

Well, I was going to suggest you go to some of the jazz clubs; Chicago is a great jazz town, but I just checked your profile and you’re 15, so that’s out. :-)

So, without having much an idea what you’re interests are, which makes it difficult to recommend things, I am going to agree with @marinelife and suggest the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.

These current exhibits look like a lot of fun.

Tour a German Submarine, the U-505

There’s a 45 minute Imax film about storm chasers and tornadoes

There’s MythBusters exhibit that looks fun, if you like that show

And the Networld exhibit looks pretty cool

And I have a half a mind to go there myself so I can see this train, _The Pioneer Zephyr. I am crazy about vintage railroad cars. I would love to see that train.

And if you’re into “creepy” here’s a list of places if you want to take a creepy tour of Chicago. ” A “haunted” house and a “haunted” cemetery, the Biograph Theatre where John Dillenger was shot and killed, that sort of thing.

And if you like baseball … I would suggest a Cubs game at Wrigley Field. Wrigley Field is one the only two remaining “classic” ballparks left in the U.S., Fenway Park being the other. You didn’t mention the exact dates of your trip but here’s a link to the Cubs’ schedule.. If that’s something you’d like to do you can see if they have a home game when you’re going to be there.

And last but maybe not least, on your profile I think you said you liked musicals so here’s a link to some plays/shows that will be in Chicago this summer. That might be a lot of fun, to see some live theatre. Some on the list are musicals.

The Brookfield Zoo is good. Marshall Field’s with lunch in the Walnut Room and don’t miss the toy department, which is fun, no matter how old you are. If you go to the Art Institute, and I recommend it, don’t miss the miniature rooms or the Chagall window.