Chicago Travel Professionals Guide - 2025

Student and youth groups can easily fill a Chicago visit with entertaining and educational experiences. A trip here also includes safe and affordable lodging in the city, in addition to restaurants that welcome young diners.

CHICAGO STORIES

Enlighten students on walking tours or river cruises offered by the Chicago Architecture Center. They’ll see skyscrapers and architectural gems while learning about the city’s history and urban development. Inside the Chicago Architecture Center, view exhibits on the city’s history, attend programs about design and preservation, and see scale model buildings.

Start your students’ tour of Skydeck Chicago in the lower-level museum at Willis Tower. Interactive exhibits showcase the city’s milestones, architecture, traditions, and culture. On the 103rd floor step onto The Ledge, a glass balcony that dramatically juts out from the building and offers amazing views.

Take in impressive vistas from the 94th-floor observation deck at 360 CHICAGO. Students will love the thrill of the attraction’s TILT ride, with downward-facing views of Michigan Avenue 1,030 feet below.

Peek into the past at the Chicago History Museum, where students can learn about the city through exhibits and workshops with themes such as the Great Chicago Fire, Abraham Lincoln, and the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. View The Great Chicago Adventure film and be transported to major historical city events, including President Barack Obama’s rousing victory speech in Grant Park.

Discover Pullman National Historical Park, the 1800s community built for Pullman railcar company workers. Stop by the Pullman Exhibit Hall and National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum, plus take a Pullman House Project tour to explore the area’s unique architecture.

Students can cheer for the Chicago Cubs during a baseball game at historic Wrigley Field. Arrange for an Educational Tour led by a knowledgeable guide and hear about this storied stadium and the baseball greats who have played here while viewing points of interest like the press box, field, and players’ dugout.

THEATRE & MUSIC

Secure discounted tickets and catch top theatre productions presented by Broadway In Chicago. Make it an interactive and educational experience by arranging post-show sessions with cast members.

Navy Pier hosts classic and contemporary plays offered by the Chicago Shakespeare Theater on three stages, including a variety of shows at The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare. Take advantage of student matinee pricing.

Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park hosts dynamic international dance, music, and drama performances. Students can attend artistic programs by one of the 30 resident companies.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Center offers discounted tickets, special performance options, and educational programming for student groups. Meet the conductor and orchestra members after a practice session.

At the Lyric Opera of Chicago, learn what it takes to stage an opera during a Student Backstage Tour of the art deco opera house from October through May. Discounted group tickets are available for performances.

MUSEUM MUST-DO’S 

NATURE/SCIENCE/HISTORY

To see natural history wonders such as SUE the T. rex, marine life experiences like the Beluga Encounter, and deep space exploration, take students to three world-class museums — the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium (currently undergoing a major renovation), and the Adler Planetarium — all on the lakefront Museum Campus.

Spend a day of discovery in Hyde Park at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. With 800 exhibits, students will have fun while learning through interactive science, technology, engineering, and math lessons.

Explore history, culture, and traditions within the Black diaspora at The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, a Smithsonian affiliate. Exhibit themes range from civil rights to storytellers, diversity, art, and more.

Take students to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum to see animal habitats, nature-inspired artwork, and walking trails. Stroll among 1,000 butterflies inside the Judy Istock Butterfly Haven and get tips about ways to save the environment in the Sustainability Center.

Student groups will be excited to see what $1 million looks like at the Chicago Fed Money Museum, located within the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Learn about interest rates and counterfeit currency. Students can take home a bag of shredded money as a free souvenir.

The Medieval Torture Museum, an intense attraction recommended for older students, revisits the Middle Ages via recreations of torture chambers, with chilling collections of over 100 implements and devices.

For a visual and sensory experience, discover over 80 exhibits, puzzles, and immersive rooms at the Museum of Illusions Chicago. It’s a fun way to learn about perception, tricks of the mind, and optical phenomena.

Play is encouraged at the Sloomoo Institute, where everyone can participate in hands-on, sensory activities. Students can make their own slime from a selection of colors, textures, and scents that include various fruits, flowers, and desserts.

Delve into the history of surgery via art, artifacts, programs, and instruments in fascinating galleries at the International Museum of Surgical Science, a division of the International College of Surgeons.

Eat unlimited frozen treats at the Museum of Ice Cream. The dessert-themed museum features whimsical immersive installations, including a ride on the pink Sprink-L train (a tip of the hat to Chicago’s ‘L’ train) and a dip in a pool filled with millions of colorful sprinkles.

ART/CULTURE

Book a private tour of the world-renowned Art Institute of Chicago. See one of the world’s largest collections of French Impressionist paintings, provocative modern art, and other masterpieces. Or explore on your own using the museum’s free mobile app.

Study the works of today's top artists at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The collection includes more than 2,000 thought-provoking pieces. Private tours are offered for student groups.

In Pilsen, visit the National Museum of Mexican Art, which preserves a 22,000-piece art collection. Cultural programs include dance, music, theatre, and author sessions.

At The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture — the only U.S. museum dedicated to the island’s art and culture — explore exhibits during docent-led tours. Your group can also attend events and programs celebrating Puerto Rican heritage and history.

Get a glimpse of Swedish history and traditions at the Swedish American Museum in Andersonville. Check out the art gallery, children’s museum, genealogy center, and special exhibits.

Interactive exhibits at the American Writers Museum bring literature to life. Schedule a private tour showcasing famous authors and their works. Participate in activities in the Children’s Gallery.

Ignite students’ curiosity by stepping into the WNDR Museum‘s fantasy world. Over 20 multisensory art and technology installations include light floors, optical illusions, infinity rooms, and interactive artwork.

Vibrant hues accentuate joyful experiences in over 14 installations at the Color Factory Chicago, located on the lower level of Willis Tower. Don’t miss exploring the confetti room and frolicking in a ball pit.