134 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Chicago - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Oz Park

This whimsical Oz-themed park had a wonderful impact on the surrounding neighborhood.

rdb

Chicago, Illinois

Tiffany Dome

This massive stained-glass masterpiece is thought to be the largest Tiffany dome in existence.

Added by zackofalltrades

Chicago, Illinois

Wicker Park Secret Agent Supply Co.

This shop for all your super spy needs hides an educational secret.

HJHausman

Added by HJHausman

Chicago, Illinois

Woolly Mammoth Antiques and Oddities

This morbid, delightful curiosity shop offers everything from animal bones to human teeth.

Added by dmholtz

Chicago, Illinois

Willis Tower Glass Platform

Four glass boxes hover over 1,000 feet in the air to give visitors an unparalleled view of Chicago.

Chicago, Illinois

The Violet Hour

A speakeasy takes on Chicago's drinking culture.

Added by lizzieboyle

Chicago, Illinois

International Museum of Surgical Science

A monument to the art of slicing people open.

Added by mbison

Chicago, Illinois

Shit Fountain

A giant bronze coil of feces is both a tribute to doggie defecation and a reminder to pick it up.

Josh

See All 134 Things to Do in Chicago See All 134 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
in Chicago

Atomic Cake

Gastro Obscura

Atomic Cake

This Chicago specialty stacks three cakes into one monster dessert.

Gastro Obscura

rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Gym Shoe Sandwich

Gastro Obscura

Gym Shoe Sandwich

The South Side favorite is a cross between a meat-lover's sub and a gyro.

Gastro Obscura

rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Tom and Jerry

Gastro Obscura

Tom and Jerry

A small industry of themed glassware was launched solely for the enjoyment of this hot winter punch.

Gastro Obscura

Rohini Chaki

Added by Rohini Chaki

Lanzi's Cashew Nut & Rice Crunch

Gastro Obscura

Lanzi's Cashew Nut & Rice Crunch

Candy makers recently resurrected this crispy Chicago confection from the graveyard of vintage sweets.

Gastro Obscura

Added by alankstewart

See all 8 things to eat in Chicago See all 8 things to eat in Chicago

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

Chicago

Just when you thought you knew the Windy City, it finds new ways to surprise you.

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

Just when you thought you knew the Windy City, it finds new ways to surprise you.

View this Itinerary

Join Faier (Henry Darger Room Collection at Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art)

Community Forums / United States / US: Midwest

Top Discussions in the US: Midwest Travel Forum

Post	Replies	Views	Activity
Enchanted Highway Sculptures	4 June 22, 2019	1527	June 22, 2019
Beaver Dam Pepper	3 July 03, 2019	858	July 03, 2019
Lakenenland	7 May 23, 2019	588	May 23, 2019
Limburger Sandwich	2 August 13, 2019	254	August 13, 2019
Calumet Fisheries	1 May 24, 2019	323	May 24, 2019

New Post Visit the Forum

Explore Chicago, Illinois

Launch Map

Chicago Leaderboard

Places Added

Places Edited

Places Visited

Recent Chicago Activity

obturator error has been to Narwhals at the Field Museum

obturator error has been to Myopic Books

kdhp175 wants to go to Narwhals at the Field Museum

kdhp175 wants to go to Michael's Museum

kdhp175 wants to go to Terra Cotta Row

Stories
About Chicago

The map is richly detailed—and a little whimsical too.

For Sale: An Old Map of Small-Town Chicago

Recognize anything?

by Jessica Leigh Hester

When the goats aren't eating grass, they enjoy scoping their surroundings from higher ground.

Meet the Farm Animals That Help One of America’s Busiest Airports Run

At Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, these hungry herds serve an additional purpose beyond simple gardening.

The stem has outgrown its room!

A 'Century Plant' in Chicago Is Having an Epic Growth Spurt

It's outgrown the greenhouse, and it's a big greenhouse.

by Evan Nicole Brown

Competitors at the Pro Circuit Championship.

Chicago Has Become the Nerve Center of Competitive Pinball

Experience the thrill of multiball mayhem and the agony of a double drain.

by Lindsey Quinn

Geese will probably be fine.

How Will Chicago's Birds Weather the Polar Vortex?

Here's how the region's avian residents will survive the cold snap.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

January 30, 2019

The 'Folded Map' Project Bridges the Distance Between Chicago's Neighborhoods

Tonika Lewis Johnson, a local artist and activist, connects individuals from the North and South Sides through her art.

by Hannah Steinkopf-Frank

January 23, 2019

Sue looking at home in their new suite at the Field Museum in Chicago.

Sue the Celebrity Dinosaur Just Got a Makeover

The 67-million-year-old T. rex has been tweeting all about it.

by Shaena Montanari

December 21, 2018

October 1951: The inner court with a glass roof is a feature of each wing of the U-shaped Mecca apartment building.

Rediscovering Mecca Flats, a Legendary Chicago Apartment Building

It was destroyed in 1952, but this storied residence was once a gathering spot for the Chicago Black Renaissance.

by Hannah Steinkopf-Frank

November 08, 2018

Lists Featuring
Chicago