Basilica of St. Hyacinth
Church in Chicago, USA.
Step inside even for a short visit; the painted interior is the reason people cross the city to see it.
Morning · 45 minDay 1
Two churches, the Biograph, and a zoo evening
Holy Trinity Cathedral
Cathedral in Chicago, Illinois.
A generously ornamented Polish parish church; allow a few extra minutes to look up at the painted ceilings.
Morning · 45 min
Biograph Theater
Theater and former movie theater in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Now a working performance venue, its marquee marks the corner where John Dillinger was shot outside in 1934.
Afternoon · 1 hr
Lincoln Park Zoo
Zoo located in Lincoln Park in Chicago, Illinois.
Entry is free, so the evening slot can be as short or as long as the light allows.
Evening · 2 hr 30 minBiograph Theater and Lincoln Park Zoo sit within a walk of each other in Lincoln Park, so the afternoon and evening flow together.
Day 2
From Our Lady of Sorrows to Holy Name Cathedral
Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica
Catholic church in Chicago.
A Shrine of the Seven Sorrows and one of the few basilicas on the city's West Side; the chapels reward a slow walk.
Morning · 45 min
Civic Opera House
Opera house in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Lyric Opera's home sits inside a 45-storey office tower; look up at the building that rises above the auditorium.
Morning · 1 hr.jpg?width=800)
Chicago Temple Building
Church building in Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
The sanctuary of this Methodist congregation sits beneath a 22-storey spire, the tallest church building in the world.
Afternoon · 45 min
Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago
Catholic cathedral in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Rebuilt after the Great Chicago Fire and known for its dark, richly worked interior.
Evening · 45 minThe two Loop stops, the Civic Opera House and the Chicago Temple Building, sit close to the river; Our Lady of Sorrows is worth the ride west on its own.
Day 3
Millennium and Grant Parks, then the aquarium
Millennium Park
Public park in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Cloud Gate, the pavilion and the garden all sit a few minutes from each other, and the allotted hour and a quarter covers them.
Morning · 1 hr 15 min
Harris Theater
Theater in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
The building sits beneath the lawn of Millennium Park, with a rooftop that looks out over the park.
Morning · 1 hr
Grant Park
Urban park in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
The lakefront open ground between the Loop and the water; the central fountain anchors the view.
Afternoon · 1 hr 15 min
Shedd Aquarium
Public aquarium in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Evenings are the quietest time here, and coming over from Grant Park along the lakefront is part of the visit.
Evening · 2 hr 30 minMillennium Park, Harris Theater and Grant Park form one stretch of parkland, and Shedd Aquarium sits at its lakefront end.
Day 4
A mosque, Fountain of Time, and two South Side museums
Al-Sadiq Mosque
Mosque in United States.
One of the country's oldest mosques, opened in 1922 in a residential street; it remains a working place of worship.
Morning · 45 min
Fountain of Time
Sculpture by Lorado Taft in Chicago.
Lorado Taft's sculpture of Time watching a procession of human figures, set at the west end of the Midway Plaisance.
Morning · 45 min
Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, West Asia & North Africa
Chicago archaeology museum and research center.
Admission is free, and the Egypt, Mesopotamia and Iran galleries are compact enough to take in without rushing in two hours.
Afternoon · 2 hr.jpg?width=800)
Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
Museum in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Housed in the 1893 World's Fair's Palace of Fine Arts; the U-505 submarine is the stop most worth going straight to.
Evening · 2 hrAl-Sadiq Mosque is farther out, so the day starts there and works back toward the University of Chicago, where the remaining stops cluster.
Good to know
Is Lincoln Park Zoo free to visit?
Yes. It is one of the few remaining free zoos in the United States, which makes an unhurried evening visit easy to plan.
Where does this Chicago itinerary spend each day?
Day 1 stays in the northwest-side Polish village and Lincoln Park; Day 2 runs from the West Side through the Loop to the Near North Side; Day 3 is the central parkland; Day 4 covers the South Side around the University of Chicago.
What is the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures?
A compact museum on the University of Chicago campus, formerly the Oriental Institute, holding collections from Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia and beyond. Admission is free.
When is the best time to see the Shedd Aquarium?
This itinerary places it in the evening, when the day-visitor crowds have thinned and the lakefront walk from Grant Park is quiet.
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