Don’t let cold weather rain on your parade. From museums and attractions to shopping destinations and wellness retreats, these offerings are perfect for your rainy-day itinerary and will keep you coming back—long after the clouds have cleared.
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600 E. Grand Ave. / Website
Visit Navy Pier to try Flyover Chicago, a newly debuted immersive virtual reality experience that captures the feeling of flight through motion seats, sounds, music, mist, screens and videos. This concept allows guests to see the city from a new perspective as they soar above the skyline and dip through the streets, taking in the sights and sounds—all from a bird’s-eye view.
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111 E. Wacker Drive / Website
The nexus of the city’s famous architecture boat, bus and walking tours is the Chicago Architecture Center (formerly known as the Chicago Architecture Foundation). The nonprofit was founded in 1966 to save the historic Glessner House, and its impact on the city has been profound.
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875 N. Michigan Ave., 94th Floor / Website
Formerly the John Hancock Observatory, this landmark offers 360-degree views from 1,000 feet above Lake Michigan and the city’s famed Mag Mile. Visitors can stand on a glass platform that extends over Michigan Avenue.
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111 S. Michigan Ave. / Website
The museum’s extensive collection specializes in art across the centuries, from diverse civilizations to French impressionist paintings. The Modern Wing, designed by Renzo Piano, features world-renowned art from the 20th and 21st centuries.
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1601 N. Clark St. / Website
This museum is devoted to the rich multicultural history of Chicago and Illinois. The museum's galleries honor the life and work of Abraham Lincoln, local authors, journalists, fashion designers and the architects who rebuilt the city after the 1871 Great Chicago Fire.
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40 E. Erie St. / Website
Steps from the Magnificent Mile, the Driehaus Museum offers visitors a fascinating glimpse into one of the few remaining examples of palatial homes erected by the wealthy people of America’s Gilded Age. The galleries, elegantly furnished with period pieces selected from the Driehaus Collection, are presented in harmony with the interiors and surviving furnishings, immersing visitors in the original splendor of this late 19th-century home.
See more: The 14 Best Hotels In Chicago
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220 E. Chicago Ave. / Website
One of the nation’s most extensive facilities devoted to the risk-taking art of our times, MCA offers exhibitions that document visual culture through painting, sculpture, photography, video and film, and performance. One of the building’s most iconic features is its outdoor staircase, inspired by the original gateway to the Acropolis. Among its greatest strengths are surrealist works from the 1940s and ’50s; minimalist works from the ’60s, and conceptual art and photography from the ’60s to the present.
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1400 S. Lake Shore Drive / Website
Founded to house the biological and anthropological collections from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, the museum contains more than 20 million specimens. “Sue,” the world’s largest, most complete Tyrannosaurus rex, finds a permanent home in the main lobby.
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951 Chicago Ave., Oak Park / Website
This beautifully preserved Oak Park landmark served as Frank Lloyd Wright’s private residence and workplace from 1889 to 1909, the first 20 years of his career. Here, he and his associates developed a new American architecture—the prairie style. Trained interpreters offer insights into Wright’s family life and architectural career through various tours, including interior views and neighborhood walking tours, Unity Temple, Robie House and more.
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820 N. Orleans St. / Website
Founded on the therapeutic power of sensory engagement, the institute is an interactive vibrant experience, satisfying to all. The contemporary art and experiential space features its signature handcrafted artisanal slime, providing vivid scents and captivating ASMR experiences. And, if you choose, you can get drenched head to toe in slime (protective ponchos provided, of course).
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300 N. Central Park Ave. / Website
On Chicago’s Near West Side, the golden dome of Garfield Park’s field house points the way to expansive landscape art under glass. Designed by Jens Jensen in 1906, this 4 ½-acre plant haven was conceived as a series of naturalistic landscapes.
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600 S. Michigan Ave. / Website
Based at Columbia College Chicago, the MoCP showcases exhibitions and programming throughout the year that reflect photography’s multiple societal roles. Founded in 1976, the museum has a collection of over 17,000 works created by more than 1,950 artists from across the globe.
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1130 W. Monroe St. / Website
Pronounced “Wonder,” this museum is a contemporary art stop that features works from some of the biggest contemporary names in art, including Keith Haring and Yayoi Kusama. What really makes this museum stand out, however, is the amount of “interactive” exhibits the museum features, including an “Infinity Mirror Room,” Light Floor, Flux Room and a virtual data choir humming Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” together. WNDR recently announced its year-long collaboration with The New Vanguard, a Chicago-based creative coalition dedicated to supporting and uplifting BIPOC creatives.
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435 N. Michigan Ave. / Website
This museum is a delicious, thrilling, multi-sensory playground for all ages and a perfect place to release your inner child. The unlimited desserts and vibrant interactive exhibits are sites to indulge, connect and play!
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25 E. Washington St. / Website
This mind-bending museum offers a sensory immersive experience that will transfix those of all ages. Rooms such as the Vortex Tunnel and the Rotated Room make for a thrilling walk-through and are complimented by various psychedelic installations.
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2430 N. Cannon Dr. / Website
This natural history museum has remained a Chicago staple for over 165 years. The exhibits range from live animals to nature-inspired design and artwork, including interactive spaces for all age groups. Among the museum’s many ethereal exhibits is The Judy Istock Butterfly Haven, an internationally renowned exhibit of the world’s most rare butterfly species. Step out of the city and into Eden.
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900 N. Michigan Ave. / Website
The 900 North Michigan Shops are hard to miss, anchored by Bloomingdale’s. Not only do they prove to be a one-stop destination for everything from designer brands like Gucci and Ippolita to multiple spas, but Aster Hall adds outposts of some of the city’s favorite restaurants that complement the luxury lifestyle shops found within the six-level shopping paradise.
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520 N. Michigan Ave. / Website
Covering six city blocks, The Shops at North Bridge include over 50 stores, with all the top brands in clothing, jewelry and cosmetics. While casual, quick bites and three-course meals can be enjoyed here, perhaps the most fun can be at Eataly, a multilevel Italian marketplace complete with a fresh pasta counter, wine bar and culinary education center.
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835 N. Michigan Ave. / Website
This eight-story shopping mecca is home to a vast selection of over 100 stores, including the must-see American Girl Place and Chicago-themed restaurants such as Harry Caray’s 7th Inning Stretch. After the shops close, the Broadway Playhouse theater offers fun—and often family-friendly—performances.
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1854 W. North Ave. / Website
Chock-full of titles, zines, graphic novels and comics by independent artists, Quimby’s is sure to give daring readers a well-needed dose of spunk.
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26 E. Madison / Website
This curated record shop has been a Chicago classic since 1988 and offers an optimal selection for music and film lovers alike. Sift through vintage cassettes, films and a massive collection of new and used vinyl.
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3519 N. Clark St. / Website
This luxury eclectic theater offers the best place to view in comfort and style. Enjoy crudité and cocktails while taking in the next blockbuster.
See more: The Ultimate Chicago Neighborhood Guide
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800 W. Superior St. / Website
Occupying a cavernous space in River West, AIRE is an experience unlike any other in the city. The serene candlelit space features hot and cold pools to traverse at your leisure. The thermal experience promotes tranquility while awakening the senses. A pair of steam rooms, heated marble stones and ultraluxe add-ons complete the picture.
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222 W. Kinzie St. / Website
By now, we are all aware of the benefits of meditation. The tricky part, though, is getting started. That’s where this new modern meditation and wellness studio in River North comes in. Chill aims to make meditation approachable with various classes, ranging from the 30-minute Breath to the 60-minute Yoga and Meditation. Its services are currently offered online.
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1347 N. Wells St., 346 N. State St. / Website
Doctors Jack Dybis and Scott Yilk are behind the IVme treatments that cater to weight loss and fat burning, jet lag, cold and flu, vitality and fatigue at their Old Town facility. An experienced, registered nurse from IV Doc will travel to your home, office or hotel room to administer its services, such as migraine relief and antioxidant therapy.
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330 N. Wabash Ave. / Website
Every treatment at Chuan Spa begins with the optional Chuan Bathing Ritual, which is recommended to prepare your body and mind. Guests can go through four hot and cold rooms to loosen muscles and stimulate the senses in the comfort and privacy of gender-separate locker rooms. The Herbal Sauna opens the respiratory system; the Salt Stone Sauna reduces stress and heals skin ailments; the Experience Shower uses aromatherapy to awaken and invigorate; and, finally, the Oriental Steam room soothes with the scent of chamomile.
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303 W. Erie St., 1143 S. State St. / Website
With five float suites and three different types of tanks, there’s something for everyone at Float Sixty. Floating in an Epsom salt-concentrated tank reduces stress-causing cortisol and increases dopamine and endorphins, resulting in increased immune function and pain management benefits.
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Photography by: KaidoKarner/iStock
