Things to do in Algonquin
Explore top experiences
Top 10 attractions in Algonquin
Grant Park
Grant Park covers approx. 319 acres and is a core cultural landmark in Chicago. In the center of the park is the Clarence F. Buckingham Memorial Fountain, completed in 1927. Its design was inspired by the fountains at the Palace of Versailles but on a grander scale, and after dark, its lights and water jets create a stunning display. The park connects cultural facilities such as Millennium Park and The Art Institute of Chicago. To the south stands the cast-iron sculpture group "Agora" by Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz—featuring numerous headless figures scattered across the lawn, it is a signature public art installation in the park. The park is also the main venue for many large annual events in Chicago. Strolling along the lakeshore path, you will see the vast waters ofLake Michiganon one side and the magnificent silhouette of the Chicago skyline on the other, making it a daily destination shared by locals and tourists alike for jogging, picnicking, or just taking a walk.Chicago · 64.5km from Algonquin
Navy Pier
Located on the shore of Lake Michigan, Navy Pier has a history of nearly 100 years and is an iconic attraction in Chicago. Navy Pier is very large, it is U-shaped, with plazas and shops in the middle, and a walkway on the side, walking along the walkway, you can enjoy the view of Lake Michigan. At the end of the pier is the confluence of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. There is a plaza on which stands a large iron anchor, which was given to the Navy Pier by the cruiser Chicago as a memorial. 1. There is a sightseeing cruise at the entrance to the south side of the pier. You can buy a ticket here to get on the boat and enjoy the beautiful scenery of Lake Michigan on the boat. At night, there are many open-air bars and cafés along the promenade of the marina. When you are tired of playing, you can find a place to sit and enjoy the beautiful view of Lake Michigan, sip a cup of coffee or beer, and even look up at the brightly lit Ferris wheel in the night. 2. Surrounding attractions The large playground by the lake, covering an area of 50 hectares, has everything from parks, shops to restaurants and attractions. You can board the Ferris wheel for a panoramic view, or go for a merry-go-round, sky swing, mini golf, and more. The pier also has the Chicago Children's Museum (ChicagoChildren'sMuseum), Chicago Shakespeare Theater (ChicagoShakespeareTheater) and IMAX Theater. 3. Fireworks show From the end of May to the beginning of September, every Wednesday and Saturday, fireworks will be set off here to commemorate the people who once joined the army.Chicago · 64.5km from Algonquin
Millennium Park
Millennium Park is located in the Loop area of downtown Chicago, United States, and is a large urban park that integrates natural views, public art, and modern architectural design. Upon entering the park, one of the eye-catching views is the mirror sculpture Cloud Gate, designed by artist Anish Kapoor. This massive stainless steel sculpture resembles a bean, and its highly polished surface acts like a giant mirror, reflecting the surrounding skyscrapers, blue sky, clouds, and visitors. Another interactive view in the park is the Crown Fountain, designed by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa. This view consists of two glass brick towers approx. 15 m tall, with large screens on the exterior of the towers that continuously display the faces of Chicago residents, showcasing the diverse and friendly side of the city's inhabitants. Especially in the warmer seasons, the fountain area becomes a joyful space for children to play in the water and for citizens to relax, adding a lively atmosphere to the park.Chicago · 63.8km from Algonquin
Magnificent Mile
Magnificent Mileis located in downtown Chicago, Illinois, United States, and is one of the representative commercial districts on the northern section of Michigan Avenue. It extends north from the DuSable Bridge over the Chicago River to Oak Street, featuring a collection of large shopping centers, boutique shops, hotels, restaurants, and numerous historic buildings, serving as an important window into Chicago's city image. Strolling through this district, you can experience the unique charm created by the blend of modern urban commercial vitality and century-old architectural styles. The Wrigley Building, with its white clock tower, features an elegant exterior inspired by the Spanish Renaissance style, while the Gothic-style Tribune Tower appears solemn and imposing, with its walls embedded with important architectural fragments from around the world, each full of historical stories. Together, these two buildings form the iconic entrance view of the Magnificent Mile.Chicago · 63km from Algonquin
Chinatown
Chicago Chinatown is located in the Armor Plaza community on the north side of Chicago, with Shemai Road and Yonghu Street as the center. It is an ancient Chinese community in the United States. On the north side of the Yonghu Street neighborhood is a large Chinatown Plaza—a large Chinese market in the American Midwest. At the entrance, there is a Chinese-style building with carved beams and painted buildings with bright colors. The front is engraved with "The world is for the public", and the back is engraved with "Propriety, Righteousness and Honesty", which is the symbol of Chicago's Chinatown. Besides some restaurants, such as Tony Hu's Lao Sze Chuan, you will also find a lot of public art here, such as the Twin Towers. A rather iconic work in Chinatown is a large mosaic mural by two artists, Yan Dong and ZhouPing, representing the achievements of the Chinese in the United States. This mural quite poetically expresses the special significance of the Chinese community to the city of Chicago.Chicago · 64.8km from Algonquin
Lincoln Park Zoo
Lincoln Park Zoo is located on the south side of Lincoln Park and was established in 1868. All visits are free due to social sponsorship. Some 1,200 animals currently call it home, with monitor lizards, Galapagos sea turtles, bald weasels, fruit bats and spiders being particularly noticeable. Plus, the zoo is a world leader in gorilla farming, and if you're lucky, you can see chimps drawing on advertising boards with crayons. The zoo is divided into two parts, one is Pritzker Family Children's Zoo; the other is FarmintheZoo, where cows, horses and other animals can often be seen in this small zoo farm , children can also feed these animals directly here. There are geese, mallards, swans, wood mallards and many unknown birds in the pond to the north. There is also a Regenstein Africa tour venue, which is a combination of outdoor and indoor environments where elephants, giraffes, rhinos, and other large mammals live. And the large glass-sealed box lets you come face-to-face with swimming pygmy hippos and rocky reefs full of Madagascar cockroaches. There is also a sea lion pond at the center of the zoo, which is home to harbor seals, seals, grey seals and California sea lions. There is also a small reptile house. Of course, in addition to animals, there are also other facilities such as the Tropical Plant Museum, and a small pier where you can take a swan boat.Chicago · 60.9km from Algonquin
Begin Historic Route 66
Route 66 is affectionately called "Mother Road" by Americans. Route 66 runs diagonally from Chicago to Santa Monica, California. Route 66 total length: 2448 miles (about 3939 kilometers). Construction of Route 66 began on November 11, 1926, and was only announced as complete in 1938. It begins in Chicago, Illinois, and runs through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, and diagonally across the U.S. territory to Los Angeles, California (later extending to Santa Monica). ), spanning eight states, three time zones, and a total length of 2,450 miles, or about 3,943 kilometers. In John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath, this road is called the "Mother Road". So the name was used. Route 66 was informally named The Will Rogers Highway by the US Route 66 Organization in 1952. A sign honoring the humorist is still standing in Santa Monica, California.Chicago · 63.8km from Algonquin
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate, designed by Anish Kapoor, is located in Millennium Park and is often referred to as the "Silver Bean" because of its resemblance to a bean. It is a very popular photography location for tourists in Chicago. Cloud Gate is inspired by flowing mercury, its mirror-like surface can reflect the beautiful city skyline of Chicago, and the bottom of the streamlined arch known as the "belly button" can add more reflective surfaces, which tourists like A place to take selfies. When walking into the middle of the statue, the whole space presents a distorted feeling, which will make people have the illusion of solid turning into liquid, and this design also enhances its interesting experience. If you want to photograph a different cloud gate, you can come here at sunrise, and you will have the opportunity to photograph the red beans under the rising sun. Or come here at night, the lights on the square are lit up, shining on the cloud gate, and colorful beans will appear.Chicago · 63.7km from Algonquin
Chicago Botanic Garden
Chicago Botanic Garden is located on Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, Illinois, United States, and is part of the Cook County Forest Preserves, approximately 25 miles north of Chicago. Construction of the botanic garden began in 1965, and it opened to the public in 1972. It ranks second among botanic gardens in the United States in terms of annual visitors and currently has 45,000 members. The botanic garden covers 156 hectares and contains 26 different gardens, including an English garden and a Midwestern prairie. It consists of nine islands and four natural habitats. The garden features 24 display gardens surrounded by scenic waterfalls, a rose garden, natural prairies, and greenhouse display gardens. It also features a 30-hectare shallow lake, 9.6 km of shoreline, 9 islands, 6 hectares of North American prairie, and 40.5 hectares of forest.New Trier Township · 41.6km from Algonquin
Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park is located in the north of downtown Chicago, on the shore of Lake Michigan, and covers a very large area. The park consists of turquoise vast grasslands, rolling beaches, natural nature reserves, vast harbours and diverse recreational facilities. The Lincoln Park is more famous than the Zoo and the Garden of Lincoln Park.Chicago · 61.4km from Algonquin
Experiences you can't miss in Algonquin
Featured Cultural experiences in Algonquin
View all Cultural experiences
FromAED 522.85
FromAED 547.27
Free cancellation
Book now for today
20% off
Limited-time sale
FromAED 26.36AED 32.95
4.8/5
· 85 reviewsFree cancellation
Book now for tomorrow
91.8% of travelers recommend
5% off
Limited-time sale
FromAED 101.30AED 106.64
Featured Food & drink in Algonquin
View all Food & drink
4.8/5
· 2k reviewsFree cancellation
Book now for today
96.5% of travelers recommend
FromAED 312.16
4.9/5
· 19 reviewsFree cancellation
Book now for today
5% off
Limited-time sale
FromAED 296.93AED 312.56
Free cancellation
5% off
Limited-time sale
FromAED 275.38AED 289.88
Free cancellation
5% off
Limited-time sale
FromAED 345.10AED 363.27
5% off
Limited-time sale
FromAED 254.93AED 268.35
Featured Day tours in Algonquin
View all Day tours
4.9/5
· 4.7k reviewsFree cancellation
Book now for today
96.7% of travelers recommend
FromAED 143.25
4.8/5
· 18 reviewsFree cancellation
Book now for today
5% off
Limited-time sale
FromAED 122.02AED 128.45
4.9/5
· 4.7k reviews· 224 bookedFree cancellation
Book now for today
96.7% of travelers recommend
FromAED 143.25
4.7/5
· 1.4k reviews· 221 bookedFree cancellation
Book now for today
91.8% of travelers recommend
FromAED 102.85
4.7/5
· 4.3k reviews· 191 bookedFree cancellation
Book now for today
92.2% of travelers recommend
FromAED 165.29
More ways to travel from Algonquin
Private Tours in Algonquin
View More Private Tours in Algonquin
Free things to do in Algonquin
Grant Park
Chicago · 64.5km from AlgonquinNavy Pier
Chicago · 64.5km from AlgonquinMillennium Park
Chicago · 63.8km from AlgonquinMagnificent Mile
Chicago · 63km from AlgonquinChinatown
Chicago · 64.8km from AlgonquinLincoln Park Zoo
Chicago · 60.9km from AlgonquinBegin Historic Route 66
Chicago · 63.8km from AlgonquinCloud Gate
Chicago · 63.7km from AlgonquinChicago Botanic Garden
New Trier Township · 41.6km from AlgonquinLincoln Park
Chicago · 61.4km from Algonquin
What travellers say about Algonquin
YoYo_1I8Q7O5O1 June 2026
5.0
Grant Park was quite spacious. Buckingham Fountain sprayed water high into the air, and children ran around the pool, not caring that their pants were getting wet. Many people lay on the lawn, some sunbathing, some doing somersaults. Under that big tree, someone was playing guitar, the tune languidly playing. In the distance, you could see the rows of large columns of the museum. I sat on a bench and ate an apple, pigeons swarming around waiting for the crumbs to fall. A cool breeze blew by, making me want to stay put.
Grant Park
Sane7147 October 2022
5.0
Nice area to walk around, many things to look at, and the big silver jelly bean lol.. The city just gorgeous as well.. Must return one day
Millennium Park
?
16 October 2014
4.0
Magnificent Mile
Michigan Avenue crosses the Chicago River and passes through landmarks such as the Water Tower, the Art Institute of Chicago, and Millennium Park. It ends at the John Hancock Center in the north and is a famous commercial street.
Magnificent Mile
Shirley Liu6 March 2023
5.0
I haven’t been here for 4 years, but I still feel a sense of intimacy when I return to Chicago’s Chinatown after the epidemic. There are a few more shops, and there are quite a few tourists at 7pm. Dinner was at Phoenix Restaurant, one of the best options in Chicago. The food tastes very authentic and the human touch is deeply felt.
Chinatown
Alaine086 July 2023
4.0
Zoo during winter, what were we thinking?! 😂 Not so much to see during the season, nevertheless, i had a good time spending time with my friend and exploring that part of Chicago 😁
Lincoln Park Zoo
小思文9 December 2021
4.0
The starting point of Route 66 also seems to be a very good place for a self-driving tour. You can see a lot of Chicago's characteristics in this place. Route 66 is also an interstate highway that spans several major cities in the United States. Many vehicles travel here every day.
Begin Historic Route 66
Sabrina.Anna.MM12 January 2022
5.0
I’m not sure the meaning of it but it’s cooler than I anticipated. get there before 10 am and you should be able to get photos with no or very few people in it
Cloud Gate
泰宁根吴承恩15 September 2020
5.0
The botanical garden is fifty years old and covers a very large area. We only visited a small area, but we have to say that the scenery of the botanical garden is really good. There were very few people, probably because it was a little late when we came.
Chicago Botanic Garden
667***777 January 2020
5.0
Lincoln Zoo is very large and the areas are clearly divided. There are mammals, primates, reptiles, and an African area. There is also an area for children to play. Although there are not many animal species, there are still many knowledge points. Because of the large area, it does not seem particularly crowded.
Bus No. 151 goes to the door, and there are a lot of parking spaces. There are only two restaurants and snacks. The supporting facilities are not enough.
Lincoln Park
