Downtown
- Grant Park. The city's front yard, home to Buckingham Fountain and many of the big summer festivals.
- Millennium Park. Cloud Gate, Crown Fountain, Lurie Garden, and the Pritzker Pavilion.
- Maggie Daley Park. Play areas, climbing walls, and a skating ribbon in winter.
- Northerly Island. A quiet lakefront peninsula with prairie paths and skyline views.
North and west
- Lincoln Park. A long lakefront park with the free Lincoln Park Zoo, a conservatory, and a nature boardwalk.
- Humboldt Park. Lagoons, a historic boathouse, and the heart of the city's Puerto Rican community.
- Garfield Park. Home to the Garfield Park Conservatory, one of the largest in the country.
South
- Jackson Park. Site of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, with the Garden of the Phoenix on Wooded Island.
- Promontory Point. A Hyde Park peninsula with limestone steps down to the lake and wide skyline views.
- Washington Park. A large historic park next to Hyde Park.
Beaches
Chicago has more than two dozen public beaches along Lake Michigan, including North Avenue, Oak Street, and Montrose. They are free. Swimming season with lifeguards generally runs from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day.
Hours, prices, schedules, and free days change. Check the official site for each place before you go.
Plan it in ChiVibe
ChiVibe is a free iPhone and iPad app for Chicago. Discover live events across the city and suburbs, explore parks and culture, build a smart walking tour, check transit and Divvy, and ask ChiVibe for ideas using private on-device intelligence.