Chicago, United States

Photo spots in Chicago

• Millennium ParkParks
  Cloud Gate and Jay Pritzker Pavilion in downtown core
• Cloud Gate (The Bean)Monuments
  Iconic reflective sculpture with skyline mirror effect
• North Avenue BeachBeaches
  Iconic skyline view from Lake Michigan shoreline
• Navy PierWaterfront
  Iconic pier with Ferris wheel and city lights
• Adler PlanetariumViewpoints
  Museum on peninsula with outstanding skyline views
• Shedd AquariumWaterfront
  Lakefront museum with backdrop skyline views
• Grant ParkParks
  Large central park with monuments and lake views
• Lincoln ParkParks
  Scenic lakeside park with zoo and natural areas
• 360 Chicago (Hancock Tower)Viewpoints
  Observation deck with 360-degree city and lake views
• Chicago RiverwalkWaterfront
  Scenic promenade with reflections and architecture
• Wicker Park NeighborhoodHistoric
  Bohemian neighborhood with street art and shops
• Museum CampusMuseums
  Cluster of world-class museums on lakefront peninsula
• Northerly IslandViewpoints
  Park with lake views and downtown skyline backdrop
• Pilsen NeighborhoodHistoric
  Vibrant Mexican-American area with murals and galleries
• Rate FieldNeighborhoods
  Historic South Side neighborhood with cultural heritage
• Art Institute of ChicagoMuseums
  Enter on Michigan Avenue between Edward Kemeys' two bronze lion statues (1894), free to photograph from the sidewalk without a ticket; go weekday morning to beat the queue.
• Field MuseumMuseums
  Daniel Burnham's 1921 Classical Revival building on Museum Campus; shoot the north steps and colonnade from the lawn at golden hour for a clean skyline backdrop.
• Museum of Science and IndustryMuseums
  Lakefront Hyde Park building housing the U-505 submarine; the domed rotunda over the main entrance is the strongest exterior frame, shot from the south lawn.
• Chicago History MuseumMuseums
  Clark Street facade at the edge of Lincoln Park near North Avenue; pair it with a walk through the park across the street rather than a standalone stop.
• National Museum of Mexican ArtMuseums
  Free admission year-round inside Harrison Park, Pilsen; combine with a walk down 18th Street for the neighborhood's murals instead of driving straight in and out.
• DuSable Black History MuseumMuseums
  In the 1910s former South Park Administration Building on the east edge of Washington Park near 57th and Cottage Grove; exact entrance position is approximate, confirm on arrival.
• Driehaus MuseumMuseums
  Gilded Age Nickerson Mansion on East Erie Street with 17 types of marble in the main hall and Tiffany glass throughout; a paid timed-entry ticket is needed for interior photos.
• The Rookery Light CourtArchitecture
  Frank Lloyd Wright's 1905 marble-and-gold light court is viewable free from the LaSalle Street lobby during business hours; look straight up through the 5,000-pane skylight.
• Chicago Cultural Center Tiffany DomeArchitecture
  Preston Bradley Hall holds the world's largest Tiffany glass dome, about 38 feet across; free entry, shoot straight up with a wide lens, quietest on weekday mornings.
• Marina CityArchitecture
  Bertrand Goldberg's 1960s 'corncob' towers on State Street at the river; shoot from the Dearborn or State Street bridge, or from a river cruise boat, for the full curved facade.
• Willis Tower SkydeckViewpoints
  Ride to the 103rd floor and step onto The Ledge, glass boxes cantilevered over Wacker Drive on the south and west facades; go near sunset, lines are long midday.
• Chicago Architecture Center River Cruise DockArchitecture
  The Chicago's First Lady boats dock at 111 E Wacker Drive by the Michigan Avenue Bridge; book the 90-minute Architecture Center river cruise for close skyline shots from the water.
• Wrigley FieldSports
  The red marquee at Clark and Addison is the classic non-game-day shot; the ivy-covered outfield walls are only visible on a stadium tour or during a game.
• Soldier FieldSports
  Home of the Chicago Bears near McFetridge Drive on Museum Campus; the Doric colonnades against the glass bowl read best from the Field Museum side at golden hour.
• Garfield Park ConservatoryParks
  Free West Side glasshouse with Persian-influenced palm and fern rooms; the Horticultural Hall glass domes photograph best on an overcast day so the glass doesn't blow out.
• Lincoln Park ZooParks
  Free, no-ticket zoo at 2400 N Cannon Drive open 365 days a year; arrive at opening for the fewest crowds and best light through the historic Kovler Lion House.
• Maggie Daley ParkParks
  Free undulating play park behind Millennium Park at 337 E Randolph; the climbing walls and winter ribbon ice rink frame the skyline, best shot from the park's east rise.
• Promontory PointParks
  Hyde Park limestone-block peninsula at the lakefront end of East 55th Street; sit on the rocks at the tip for a clean south-facing skyline shot, exact tip position is approximate.
• The 606 TrailParks
  Elevated rail-trail running 2.7 miles between Ashland and Ridgeway; enter near the Damen Avenue overpass for the Damen Arts Plaza and a raised sightline over the surrounding rooftops.
• Chinatown GateNeighborhoods
  The paifang gate spans Wentworth Avenue at Cermak Road; shoot from the south side looking north so the characters read correctly, it's lit up well after dark.
• Devon AvenueNeighborhoods
  South Asian 'Little India' corridor between Ravenswood and California avenues; go hungry, the sari shops and sweets counters are busiest and most photogenic on weekends.
• Green Mill Cocktail LoungeNightlife & music
  Former Capone-era speakeasy turned jazz club at Lawrence and Broadway in Uptown; go for a late set, the neon sign and horseshoe bar are the shot, cash cover most nights.
• Kingston MinesNightlife & music
  Chicago's oldest continuously operating blues club, 2548 N Halsted in Lincoln Park; two stages run to 4am Fri/Sat, closed Mon-Wed, check the door for the cover charge.
• Pullman National Historical ParkHistoric
  Far South Side company town built for Pullman rail-car workers in the 1880s, now a National Historical Park; walk the brick rowhouses on Champlain Avenue for intact Victorian streetscapes.
• Buckingham FountainParks
  Center of Grant Park near Columbus and Ida B Wells drives; water shows run hourly on the hour, 8am-11pm, May to mid-October, with lit night shows synced to music after dark.
• Flamingo Sculpture, Federal PlazaArchitecture
  Alexander Calder's red steel stabile at 230 S Dearborn sits against Mies van der Rohe's black Kluczynski Federal Building; shoot low and wide to contrast the red curves with the glass grid.
• Picasso Sculpture, Daley PlazaArchitecture
  Untitled Cor-Ten steel Picasso in front of the Daley Center at 55 W Randolph; the plaza hosts markets and events, come early on a weekday to shoot it without a crowd around the base.
• Wrigley BuildingArchitecture
  White glazed terra-cotta clock tower on the Magnificent Mile at the river; floodlit after dark, best framed from the Michigan Avenue Bridge looking north with Tribune Tower alongside.
• Tribune TowerArchitecture
  Neo-Gothic tower at 435 N Michigan with stones set into its lower walls from the Great Wall, the Parthenon and dozens of other landmarks worldwide; read the labels at street level.
• Chicago Theatre MarqueeMarkets
  The vertical red-and-white marquee on State Street is the most photographed sign in the Loop; shoot straight-on from the pedestrian island after dark when it's lit.
• Chicago Water TowerHistoric
  Yellow limestone tower that survived the 1871 Great Chicago Fire, at Michigan Avenue and Pearson Street; frame it against the Hancock tower behind for an old-versus-new contrast.
• Merchandise MartArchitecture
  Massive Art Deco block on the river bordered by Orleans, Wells and Kinzie; shoot the full river-facing facade from the north bank walkway or from a river cruise boat.
• Aqua TowerArchitecture
  Jeanne Gang's 82-story tower at 225 N Columbus Drive has rippling concrete balconies that read as waves in raking light; shoot from street level on Columbus Drive or Millennium Park's Nichols Bridgeway.
• Union Station Great HallArchitecture
  The 110-foot barrel-vaulted skylight atrium was restored in 2018-19 for more natural light; shoot from the balcony above the grand staircase for the classic wide interior shot.
• Robie HouseArchitecture
  Frank Lloyd Wright's 1910 Prairie-style masterwork at 5757 S Woodlawn on the University of Chicago campus; the exterior is free to view any time, the interior needs a paid guided tour.
• Graceland CemeteryHistoric
  Historic cemetery entered at Clark and Irving Park, free to walk; look for Louis Sullivan's Getty Tomb and Lorado Taft's Eternal Silence statue, quiet early-morning light works best.
• Oak Street BeachBeaches
  Small lakefront beach at the north end of the Magnificent Mile below the Drake Hotel; the skyline curves into view to the south, best right at sunrise before the beach fills up.
• Victory Monument, BronzevilleMonuments
  WWI memorial to the all-Black 8th Illinois Regiment at 35th Street and King Drive, the historic heart of Bronzeville's 'Black Metropolis'; pair with a walk down King Drive for the landmark row houses.
• AndersonvilleNeighborhoods
  Swedish-American district centered on Clark and Berwyn; independent boutiques, bakeries and the Swedish American Museum line Clark Street, best browsed on foot on a weekend afternoon.
• Maxwell Street MarketMarkets
  Sunday open-air market on Desplaines Street between Roosevelt and Harrison, the historic home of Chicago electric blues; go early for the best food-vendor smoke shots and thinner crowds.
• Fulton Market DistrictFood & drink
  Former meatpacking blocks between Randolph, Lake and Halsted now hold Chicago's densest strip of chef-driven restaurants; old cattle-district signage still hangs over some doorways.
• United CenterSports
  Home of the Bulls and Blackhawks at 1901 W Madison; the Michael Jordan 'flying' statue moved inside the east atrium in 2017 and is viewable without a ticket during arena open hours.
• Buddy Guy's LegendsNightlife & music
  Buddy Guy's own blues club at 700 S Wabash in the South Loop; catch a late set most nights, the memorabilia-covered walls make a good interior shot, Guy himself often plays a January residency.
• Time Out Market ChicagoFood & drink
  Curated food hall inside a converted warehouse in the Fulton Market District; the rooftop bar has a West Loop skyline view, go on a weeknight to actually get a seat, exact address unconfirmed.
• Museum of Contemporary Art ChicagoMuseums
  The real subject is the building: a top-lit central staircase and fourth-floor barrel-vaulted galleries with clean north light. Handheld only unless you arrange tripod permission in advance; Tuesdays are pay-what-you-wish for Illinois residents and the stair fills up fast.
• Brookfield Zoo ChicagoZoos & aquariums
  Seventeen km west of the Loop and far less crowded than Lincoln Park, with big naturalistic habitats that shoot well from the outdoor viewing rails. Parking is a separate fee from admission, and indoor halls like Tropic World are dim enough to need f/2.8 and ISO 3200.
• Frank Lloyd Wright Home and StudioMuseums
  Timed-entry interior tours through Wright's own Oak Park house; the barrel-vaulted playroom and the octagonal drafting balcony are the two frames worth queuing for. No tripods or flash inside, and tours sell out on weekends, so book several days ahead.
• Chicago Botanic GardenParks
  Nine islands in a lagoon system in Glencoe, about 35 minutes north; admission is free but parking is the ticket you actually buy. Get there at opening for still water and mist across the Japanese Garden's Shoin house before the wind picks up.
• Morton ArboretumParks
  Sixteen hundred acres of collections in Lisle with a drivable loop road, which lets you work from the car in bad weather. Timed tickets are required and mid-October is the fall-colour peak on the East Side maples.
• Peggy Notebaert Nature MuseumMuseums
  Small paid museum on the north edge of Lincoln Park whose Judy Istock Butterfly Haven is a warm, glass-roofed greenhouse full of free-flying species. Bring a macro or a close-focusing zoom and let cold gear acclimate for ten minutes or it will fog solid.
• Hull HouseMuseums
  Settlement house in Chicago, Illinois, United States; carries an official heritage designation
• Gold Coast Historic DistrictHistoric quarters
  Historic district in Chicago, Illinois, United States; carries an official heritage designation
• Miró's ChicagoMonuments
  Sculpture by Joan Miró
• Holy Name Cathedral, ChicagoReligious sites
  Catholic cathedral in Chicago, Illinois, United States; carries an official heritage designation
• Reliance BuildingArchitecture
  Building; carries an official heritage designation
• Holy Trinity CathedralReligious sites
  Cathedral in Chicago, Illinois; carries an official heritage designation
• Symphony CenterCulture
  Concert hall in Chicago, Illinois, United States; carries an official heritage designation
• Biograph TheaterCulture
  Theater and former movie theater in Chicago, Illinois, United States; carries an official heritage designation
• Roanoke BuildingArchitecture
  Chicago skyscraper; carries an official heritage designation
• 860–880 Lake Shore Drive ApartmentsArchitecture
  Architectural structure; carries an official heritage designation
• Burnham ParkParks
  Urban park
• Trump International Hotel and TowerArchitecture
  Skyscraper condo-hotel in downtown Chicago, Illinois
• 311 South Wacker DriveArchitecture
  Tower Block
• Lake Point TowerArchitecture
  High-rise residential building in Chicago, Illinois
• Chicago Harbor LightLighthouses
  Lighthouse, built 1893.
• Belmont Harbor Inner LightLighthouses
  Lighthouse.
• Wilson Avenue Breakwater LightLighthouses
  Lighthouse.
• Farwell Avenue Breakwater LightLighthouses
  Lighthouse.
• Wilson Avenue Crib LighthouseLighthouses
  Lighthouse.
• Crib LightLighthouses
  Lighthouse.
• Calumet Harbor Breakwater South EndLighthouses
  Lighthouse.
• Calumet Harbor Entrance South SideLighthouses
  Lighthouse.
• Four Mile Crib LighthouseLighthouses
  Lighthouse.
• William E. Dever Crib LighthouseLighthouses
  Lighthouse.
• Foster Avenue Breakwater LightLighthouses
  Lighthouse.
• Southeast Guidewall LightLighthouses
  Lighthouse, built 1912.
• North Avenue Jetty LightLighthouses
  Lighthouse.
• Harbor LightLighthouses
  Lighthouse.
• Hollywood Avenue Breakwater LightLighthouses
  Lighthouse.
• Reid-Murdoch BuildingArchitecture
  Stock photo · Pexels

Where to stay

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