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Chicago is a city full of history, art, and culture — and you’ll find all those things in our acclaimed cultural institutions. This summer, the city’s museums are unveiling a slate of jaw-dropping exhibitions featuring everything from thought-provoking contemporary art to ancient artifacts. Here’s our list of just a few of the museum and art exhibits at Chicago museums that are worth a visit in summer 2024.

Unseen OceansVisitors experience and learn about a range of biofluorescent marine species with a towering display of glowing to-scale models; photo by Danielle Williams

Field Museum
Now open through Jan. 5, 2025

Embark on an ocean journey like no other. Unseen Oceans is an immersive new exhibit at the Field Museum that delves into the underwater world of the planet’s oceans, from sandy shores to deepest depths. Pilot a submersible, watch life-sized ocean creatures swim on wrap-around screens, and meet live critters like sea fish, jellies, and more.

Georgia O’Keeffe: “My New Yorks”

Georgia O’Keeffe. Ballet Skirt or Electric Light (from the White Rose Motif), 1927. The Art Institute of Chicago, Alfred Stieglitz Collection, bequest of Georgia O’Keeffe.

Georgia O’Keeffe. The Shelton with Sunspots, N.Y., 1926. The Art Institute of Chicago, gift of Leigh B. Block. © Georgia O’Keeffe Museum/ Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Art Institute of Chicago
June 2 – Sept. 22, 2024

One of the most famous American painters, Georgia O’Keeffe is beloved for her depictions of flowers and the Southwest. But lesser known are her works inspired by her time living in New York City. Georgia O’Keeffe: “My New Yorks” is the first art exhibit dedicated to O’Keeffe’s paintings, drawings, and pastels of urban landscapes, from still lifes to soaring skyscrapers.

Designing for Change

Mujeres Unense. Tomemos la Noche / Women Unite: Take Back the Night, Estelle Carol and Chicago Women’s Graphics Collective, 1978. Chicago History Museum. ICHi-183506

Women for Peace poster; unknown artist, c. 1967. Chicago History Museum, ICHi-183504

Chicago History Museum
Opens May 18, 2024

Explore the powerful slogans, symbols, and imagery that helped drive real social change in Chicago during Designing for Change: Chicago Protest Art of the 1960s-70s.

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Photograph: Shutterstock

Break the mold with these under-the-radar, kitschy or otherwise unique trips within a few hours’ drive of Chicago.

When it comes to a much needed escape from the city, there are countless day trips from Chicago if time doesn’t allow for a full weekend getaway. And luckily for the adventurous and curious, there are plenty of opportunities to swap typical activities like kicking back with brews for hiking among bison or spelunking in an ancient cave. Many sites and experiences within driving distance of Chicago take you far beyond the norm, from year-round Christmas at an amusement park to (not so similar) replicas of some of the world’s most celebrated cultural sites. Midwesterners may love their weekend lake house tradition, but they also love the wacky, meaningful and unexpected. Here are the most unique day trips from Chicago.

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The most unique day trips from Chicago

1. Explore the country’s largest magic museum

Driving time from Chicago: About three hours

You’ll find everything from obscure conjuring tomes to equipment used in Harry Houdini’s most famous escape acts at the American Museum of Magic in Marshall, Michigan, home to the biggest collection of magic ephemera in the United States. With more than 350,000 artifacts onsite, there’s more than enough magical entertainment to fill an afternoon: Take a self-guided tour through magic history, try to squeeze into a replica of Houdini’s Milk Can Escape or book an appointment at the museum’s Lund Memorial Library to pore over archival materials.

2. Spot bison at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

Driving time from Chicago: About one hour

Want to get a firsthand look at why Illinois is nicknamed the Prairie State? Take a trip southwest of the city to Will County, where a herd of bison roam the 9,000-acre expanses of the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie as part of an ongoing habitat restoration project (the area once housed the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant and bunkers still remain). Spotting the herd isn’t a sure thing—it’s a massive park, after all—so you’re best off bringing a pair of binoculars and starting at the Iron Bridge Trailhead, which puts you closest to the bison pasture area.

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Photograph: Johnny KnightThe best comedy clubs in Chicago to see improv, stand-up and sketches

Looking for a laugh? These are our favorite venues for stand-up, sketch and improv comedy.

One of Chicago’s greatest attractions is undoubtedly the comedy scene. Chicago is known for its second-to-none improv and sketch comedy empire, which has successfully launched the careers of legends like John Belushi and Gilda Radner and modern megastars like Tina Fey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Stephen Colbert. But the city’s comedy scene is far more rich, diverse and inventive than just those who make it to Saturday Night Live—on any given night you can see open mics or improv shows that you’ll remember forever. So the next time you’re in need of a hearty laugh or want to make last-minute date night plans, pay a visit to one of these unforgettable venues. Find yourself becoming a fan? Keep the good times going at one of these hilarious recurring comedy shows.

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1. The Second City

Located in Old Town, Second City is undoubtedly the crown jewel of comedy in Chicago. This is the place that put both sketch and improvised comedy on the map while launching the careers of many distinguished comics including Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Chris Farley, Keegan-Michael Key, Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell—to name a few. With long-running revues on both the main and e.t.c. stages and a number of smaller spaces for Second City Training Center students to hone their skills, the long-running institution has made the corner of North Avenue and Wells Street a comedy destination.

2. The Lincoln Lodge

Chicago gets a lot of international notoriety for its improv scene, but don’t sleep on local standup institutions either. The Lincoln Lodge bills itself as the nation’s longest-running independent comedy showcase, and sports a star-studded list of alumni, including Cameron Esposito, Hannibal Buress, Kyle Kinane and Kumail Nanjiani. Multiple shows six nights a week run the gamut from the gross-out confessional Ladylike to the daytime talk show-spoofing Dr. Fix Me. If you get the itch after attending one of their shows, try one of their popular workshops, like Feminine Comique or Stand Up Seminary.

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