THE 10 BEST Hidden Gem Attractions in Chicago
Best Chicago Hidden Gem Attractions
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Awards
Travellers' Choice Awards winners (including the "Best of the Best" title) are among the top 10% of listings on Tripadvisor, according to the reviews and opinions of travellers across the globe.
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Architectural Buildings • Civic Centres
Downtown / The Loop
Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks
Downtown / The Loop
Speciality Museums • History Museums
Downtown / The Loop
Admission tickets from $27
Historic Sites • Architectural Buildings
Hyde Park
Admission tickets from $45
Speciality Museums • Science Museums
Gold Coast
Bodies of Water • Nature & Wildlife Areas
Lincoln Park
Escape Games • Game & Entertainment Centres
Downtown / The Loop
•
Open now
Bars & Clubs • Theatre & Performances
Ravenswood
•
Open now
What travellers are saying
- Betty3,067 contributionsThe conservatory has so many variety of plants and it is so nicely maintained. We like to walk around and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and hear the waterfall. It is free to visit although a donation would help maintain the place.Written 19 November 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- The_Gallagher_7Cornelius, NC85 contributionsAmazing that such beauty and history are free for the observer. We enjoyed our walk through the building to see the treasures.Written 5 November 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- SBRochester, NY143 contributionsThe Dreihaus is a lavish and elegant monument to the Gilded Age. I have wanted to visit the last few times I have been in Chicago, but its limited visiting days have precluded this until now. A guided tour provides the intricate details of each room’s construction, purpose, and history, and the extremely knowledgeable guides are well worth the extra $5. This museum is a compact jewel in the heart of the Magnificent Mile area, full of Tiffany glass, exotic woods, expensive and extensive tiles, and much more. On the day of my tour, the holiday decorations (week after Thanksgiving) and solid Frank Lloyd Wright exhibit on the second floor were icing on the cake.Written 3 December 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Amilcar GuzmanHarwood Heights, IL1,065 contributionsTop notch museum in the heart of downtown Chicago. Also a hidden gem in terms of historical greatness in the city. Amazing vibes!Written 20 October 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- xcschlrMilwaukee, WI925 contributionsWe stopped at this building on our way to the train station and spent about 10 minutes in the building. The interior is indeed pretty and worth taking a look. Plus, it’s free to enter the building and talk around on the 1st floor and 2nd floor where businesses are located.Written 31 August 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Potomac_11Potomac, MD472 contributionsWe took the short, pleasant walk here from the Lincoln Park Zoo and it was well worth it. Many exotic and interesting plants to see, and free admission.Written 11 July 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- PJA070413Arlington, VA158 contributionsThe Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (ISAC) seems like a "hidden gem" of a museum if you have any interest in ancient history and culture. I came here a day after I visited the Field Museum, which is amazing and has far more extensive collections than ISAC, but was very crowded and harder to navigate. The ISAC is much smaller and more focused in its exhibits, and I found it to be a much more pleasant and interesting place to learn about the earliest days of civilization. So if this area of history interests you, I recommend you consider a visit to ISAC. Be aware that this museum is away from the main tourist areas of downtown Chicago (about 8 miles south of Millennium Park) and is located on the campus of the University of Chicago. There is also Museum of Science and Industry nearby. Chicago's electric commuter rail line (which is called the Metra or "M" train) has a stop not too far from the university campus, but I recommend that you take a taxi or ride share to go directly to and from the museum in this area of south Chicago. The campus is close to Lake Shore Drive and it is about a 20-30 minute drive from Millennium Park by that route.Written 19 August 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- MaddyLondon, UK21 contributionsWe had a lovely visit to the museum. It has a range of interesting exhibits and interactive activities. We spent 2 hours there and could have spent longer! The staff were also lovely.Written 24 July 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- DisneybusPittsgrove, NJ984 contributionsThis was an excellent tour of one of Wright's best prairie homes. Our docent was outstanding, guiding us through the rooms and embellishing the classic Wright designs with the flow of the home. This is our ninetieth Wright structure, and have become familiar with his work. Just as fascinating as the design is the history of these homes, normally ending with a Historic preservation trust. Wright designed the house for the entrepreneur and inventor Fredrick Robbie in 1910. This house might better be called and The Wilbur home, as in 1911 Robbie fell into financial trouble and sold it to David Lee Taylor, who died a year later then passing it to the Wilbur family. The Wilbur family sold the property in 1926 to the Chicago Theological Seminary for use as married-student housing. They twice proposed tearing down the house leading to grassroots protests that included Wright himself. The building was saved and transferred to the University of Chicago until 1997, when it executed a lease with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Photos are permitted and you're not required to cover up footwear. Most of the furnishings were lost during the transitions and the house is now mostly empty. Tours are busy so reservations are a must. In 2019, Robbie House was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Written 12 June 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Jackie EMinneapolis, MN34 contributionsIt is so fun to see how beer is made and try the new and existing ones. Johnny was a really fun Tour Guide and the group was a good size. The Pina Colada IPA is wonderful!Written 13 November 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Potomac_11Potomac, MD472 contributionsWe enjoyed walking around the University of Chicago campus, enjoying the gothic buildings and beautiful grounds. Worth a visit if in the area.Written 17 November 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- breggieAsheville, NC961 contributionsSo wonderfully positive and educative to me. A combination of art, history and assimilation of cultures made it satisfying and worthwhile to me.
And it is free and did not even have the obligatory “donate please” stuff of such places.
Set in Pilsen in a Latino area and fun to stroll the area, see the street murals and eat great food nearby!Written 30 November 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - JPatti1Chicago, IL267 contributionsJust the most beautiful cemetery around and full of so many important figures from Chicago history, US architecture and even sports. We all should be so lucky as to spend perpetuity in a place such as this.Written 5 October 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Tawnee CRockford, IL11 contributionsThis is a charming and quirky little museum just south of Lincoln Park. It's not very big, but the admission price is very affordable. If you have any interest in health sciences or medicine, this is a must see. I most enjoyed the different skulls in the cabinet of curiosities, but the jars of gallstones and kidney stones was also quite something to behold. Definitely recommend. You will come away having learned quite a bit about the history of medicine and the surgical sciences.Written 30 May 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Adam KScottsdale, AZ28 contributionsThis was a pleasant way to spend an hour. The parking lot is on Hayes, just east of Cornell drive. There aren’t many signs to the garden until after you park and start walking toward it. Parking was like $2 per hour. Cross the bridge to Wooded Island, for a nice nature walk and the real jewel is the Garden of the Phoenix. Kids had fun walking around.Written 7 July 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
