Verdict

Chicago on a budget

Worth the spend, plus the free and near-free wins.

Independent, never pay-to-rankGraded for who you areHow we decide
Chicago travel
  1. Pilsen Murals & 18th Street1.Pilsen Murals & 18th StreetOn a budget, Pilsen Murals & 18th Street still earns its price.
  2. Millennium Park & Cloud Gate (The Bean)2.Millennium Park & Cloud Gate (The Bean)On a budget, Millennium Park & Cloud Gate (The Bean) still earns its price.
  3. Garfield Park Conservatory3.Garfield Park ConservatoryOn a budget, Garfield Park Conservatory still earns its price.
  4. Jackson Park & Garden of the Phoenix4.Jackson Park & Garden of the PhoenixOn a budget, Jackson Park & Garden of the Phoenix still earns its price.
  5. Starved Rock State Park (day-trip)5.Starved Rock State Park (day-trip)On a budget, Starved Rock State Park (day-trip) still earns its price.
  6. Lakefront Trail6.Lakefront TrailOn a budget, Lakefront Trail still earns its price.
  7. Chicago Cultural Center7.Chicago Cultural CenterOn a budget, Chicago Cultural Center still earns its price.
  8. Chicago Architecture River Cruise8.Chicago Architecture River CruiseOn a budget, Chicago Architecture River Cruise still earns its price.
  9. Chinatown9.ChinatownOn a budget, Chinatown still earns its price.
  10. Girl & the Goat10.Girl & the GoatOn a budget, Girl & the Goat still earns its price.
  11. Green Mill Jazz Club11.Green Mill Jazz ClubOn a budget, Green Mill Jazz Club still earns its price.
  12. The Loop & the 'L'12.The Loop & the 'L'On a budget, The Loop & the 'L' still earns its price.
  13. Lincoln Park13.Lincoln ParkOn a budget, Lincoln Park still earns its price.
  14. Logan Square14.Logan SquareOn a budget, Logan Square still earns its price.
  15. Wicker Park / Bucktown15.Wicker Park / BucktownOn a budget, Wicker Park / Bucktown still earns its price.
  16. Chicago Architecture Walking Tour16.Chicago Architecture Walking TourOn a budget, Chicago Architecture Walking Tour still earns its price.
  17. Art Institute of Chicago17.Art Institute of ChicagoOn a budget, Art Institute of Chicago still earns its price.
  18. Hyde Park18.Hyde ParkOn a budget, Hyde Park still earns its price.
  19. Smoque BBQ19.Smoque BBQOn a budget, Smoque BBQ still earns its price.
  20. Chicago Riverwalk20.Chicago RiverwalkOn a budget, weigh it — Chicago Riverwalk isn't cheap for what it is.
  21. North Avenue Beach21.North Avenue BeachOn a budget, weigh it — North Avenue Beach isn't cheap for what it is.
  22. Indiana Dunes (day-trip)22.Indiana Dunes (day-trip)On a budget, weigh it — Indiana Dunes (day-trip) isn't cheap for what it is.
  23. Pequod's Pizza23.Pequod's PizzaOn a budget, weigh it — Pequod's Pizza isn't cheap for what it is.
  24. Old Town24.Old TownOn a budget, weigh it — Old Town isn't cheap for what it is.
  25. Monteverde25.MonteverdeOn a budget, weigh it — Monteverde isn't cheap for what it is.
  26. Lincoln Park Zoo26.Lincoln Park ZooOn a budget, weigh it — Lincoln Park Zoo isn't cheap for what it is.
  27. Grant Park27.Grant ParkOn a budget, weigh it — Grant Park isn't cheap for what it is.
  28. Au Cheval28.Au ChevalOn a budget, weigh it — Au Cheval isn't cheap for what it is.
  29. Milwaukee (day-trip)29.Milwaukee (day-trip)On a budget, weigh it — Milwaukee (day-trip) isn't cheap for what it is.
  30. Alinea30.AlineaOn a budget, weigh it — Alinea isn't cheap for what it is.
  31. Museum of Contemporary Art31.Museum of Contemporary ArtOn a budget, weigh it — Museum of Contemporary Art isn't cheap for what it is.
  32. Lou Malnati's Pizzeria32.Lou Malnati's PizzeriaOn a budget, weigh it — Lou Malnati's Pizzeria isn't cheap for what it is.
  33. Buckingham Fountain33.Buckingham FountainOn a budget, weigh it — Buckingham Fountain isn't cheap for what it is.
  34. Chicago Athletic Association Hotel34.Chicago Athletic Association HotelOn a budget, weigh it — Chicago Athletic Association Hotel isn't cheap for what it is.
  35. The 606 (Bloomingdale Trail)35.The 606 (Bloomingdale Trail)On a budget, weigh it — The 606 (Bloomingdale Trail) isn't cheap for what it is.
  36. Deep-Dish Pizza Crawl36.Deep-Dish Pizza CrawlOn a budget, weigh it — Deep-Dish Pizza Crawl isn't cheap for what it is.
  37. 360 Chicago (Hancock)37.360 Chicago (Hancock)On a budget, weigh it — 360 Chicago (Hancock) isn't cheap for what it is.
  38. Field Museum38.Field MuseumOn a budget, weigh it — Field Museum isn't cheap for what it is.
  39. Museum Campus39.Museum CampusOn a budget, weigh it — Museum Campus isn't cheap for what it is.
  40. The Publican40.The PublicanOn a budget, weigh it — The Publican isn't cheap for what it is.
  41. Adler Planetarium41.Adler PlanetariumOn a budget, weigh it — Adler Planetarium isn't cheap for what it is.
  42. The Robey42.The RobeyOn a budget, weigh it — The Robey isn't cheap for what it is.
  43. Willis Tower Skydeck43.Willis Tower SkydeckOn a budget, weigh it — Willis Tower Skydeck isn't cheap for what it is.
  44. Ace Hotel Chicago44.Ace Hotel ChicagoOn a budget, weigh it — Ace Hotel Chicago isn't cheap for what it is.
  45. The Peninsula Chicago45.The Peninsula ChicagoOn a budget, weigh it — The Peninsula Chicago isn't cheap for what it is.
  46. The Langham, Chicago46.The Langham, ChicagoOn a budget, weigh it — The Langham, Chicago isn't cheap for what it is.
  47. The Second City47.The Second CityOn a budget, weigh it — The Second City isn't cheap for what it is.
  48. Wrigleyville48.WrigleyvilleOn a budget, weigh it — Wrigleyville isn't cheap for what it is.
  49. The Walnut Room49.The Walnut RoomOn a budget, weigh it — The Walnut Room isn't cheap for what it is.
  50. The Hoxton, Chicago50.The Hoxton, ChicagoOn a budget, weigh it — The Hoxton, Chicago isn't cheap for what it is.
  51. Four Seasons Hotel Chicago51.Four Seasons Hotel ChicagoOn a budget, weigh it — Four Seasons Hotel Chicago isn't cheap for what it is.
  52. Museum of Science & Industry52.Museum of Science & IndustryOn a budget, weigh it — Museum of Science & Industry isn't cheap for what it is.
  53. Christkindlmarket53.ChristkindlmarketOn a budget, weigh it — Christkindlmarket isn't cheap for what it is.
  54. The Purple Pig54.The Purple PigOn a budget, weigh it — The Purple Pig isn't cheap for what it is.

Itineraries are prefiltered verdict lists — every spot is graded honestly, not pay-to-place.