Outdoor Activities in Chicago
- As the third largest city in the United States, Chicago, Illinois, serves as a center for culture and recreation. Visitors and native Chicagoans can find a variety of attractions to enjoy year-round in the city. Chicago offers a variety of outdoor activities, particularly during the warm weather of the spring and summer months. Among the spots that offer outdoor activities in Chicago are local zoos, public parks and entertainment complexes.
- Millennium Park is located at the intersection of North Michigan Avenue and East Randolph Street in the Loop area of downtown Chicago. Operated by the City of Chicago, the public park opened in 2004 and offers outdoor activities for visitors year-round. As of October 2010, the park held "Zagat" ratings of "very good to excellent" for its appeal and "good to very good" for its facilities.
During the winter months, Millennium Park offers an outdoor ice-skating rink with skate rentals available for visitors. In warm weather, the park's Jay Pritzker Pavilion hosts live, outdoor music concerts. Visitors can also stroll through Lurie Garden, which consists of 2.5 acres of landscaped grounds and fountains. Another attraction at the park is "The Cloud Gate," a 110-ton steel statue created by artist Anish Kapoor that towers 33 feet into the air.
Millennium Park is open daily year-round. The park is free for public use, and most events held there do not require admission. Parking is available on-site in pay garages. The nearest Metra subway station is Millennium Station, located at the north end of the park. - Lincoln Park Zoo is situated on North Cannon Drive between the Fullerton Parkway and North Lake Shore Drive in the Lincoln Park section of the city. The zoo has served as an appealing outdoor attraction for the city of Chicago since 1868. The attraction held "Zagat" ratings of "extraordinary to perfection" for its appeal and "very good to excellent" for its facilities and service as of October 2010.
At the Pritzker Family Children's Zoo, inside Lincoln Park Zoo, kids can view a variety of animals native to North America, such as turtles, black bears and red wolves. The Regenstein African Journey offers visitors glimpses of rhinoceroses, crocodiles, warthogs and other wildlife from the African biomes. The zoo also has a variety of other habitats, such as monkeys, lions and sea lions.
The Lincoln Park Zoo is open daily, year-round with hours of operation varying by season. Admission to the zoo is free every day, although some of the children's rides require a ticket purchase. On-site parking is available in the zoo's pay lot. The nearest public transportation is found at bus stops along North Stockton Drive. - Navy Pier is set along East Grand Avenue off Lake Shore Drive, overlooking Lake Michigan in the Streeterville neighborhood of northeast Chicago. This outdoor entertainment complex opened in its current form in 1995 and attracts more than 8 million visitors each year. "Zagat" rated Navy Pier "very good to excellent" for its facilities and appeal as of October 2010.
Among the outdoor activities at Navy Pier are rides like the 150-foot-tall ferris wheel and the carousel. An 18-hole miniature golf course is also located at the complex. The venue also hosts special events throughout the year, such as outdoor concerts and festivals. The location is also a well-known destination for fireworks on the Fourth of July.
Navy Pier is open daily. Admission to the area is free, although participating in attractions typically requires a fee. On-site parking is available in the complex's pay lot. A free trolley is available on special-event days and daily during the summer, providing access to Navy Pier from several places in the Chicago area. A public bus stop is located at the complex.
