Bucket List.
Venue Phone: 312-742-1168
Venue Website: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park.html
Address: 201 E. Randolph St., Chicago, Il, 60602
A first-time visit to Chicago isn’t complete without a stop at Millennium Park. Situated in the Loop just north of the Art Institute of Chicago, this 24.5-acre space is used to showcase cutting-edge art, architecture and landscaping; it also acts as a backdrop for concerts and festivals. Most visitors come to Millennium Park to see the Crown Fountain and Cloud Gate, better known as “The Bean.” Designed by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, the Crown Fountain features two 50-foot towers that face each other at opposite ends of a shallow reflecting pool. The towers’ LED screens project the faces of 1,000 different Chicago residents, which are perfectly aligned with spouts so that it appears they are spitting water on passersby. Cloud Gate – created by British artist Anish Kapoor – is a 110-ton bean-shaped sculpture forged from stainless steel. The Bean’s elliptical shape reflects the Chicago skyline.
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Venue Phone: 312-875-9696
Venue Website: https://theskydeck.com/
Address: Willis Tower:, 233 S Wacker Dr, Chicago, Il, 60606
No trip to Chicago is complete without a visit to the top of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and The Ledge at Skydeck Chicago! Treat yourself to a “one stop Chicago” experience on your journey to the 103rd floor. Enjoy 360-degree views spanning up to 50 miles and 4 states and our most spectacular view – 1,353 feet straight down! “Dare to Stand Out” on The Ledge – glass balconies extending 4.3 Feet outside the building provide a thrilling, once in a lifetime experience!
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Venue Phone: 888-875-8439
Venue Website: https://360chicago.com/
Address: 875 N Michigan Avenue, 94th Floor, Chicago, Il, 60611
360 CHICAGO observation deck, located 1000 feet above the famed Magnificent Mile in the iconic John Hancock Building, offers breathtaking 360 degrees views of the city skyline and Lake Michigan. 360 Chicago observation deck is also home of TILT – Chicago’s highest thrill ride – an enclosed moving platform that literally tilts you out over Michigan Avenue from the 94th Floor. With its many interactive learning opportunities on the city’s rich history, colorful neighborhoods and its iconic architecture, along with a modern Bar and Café where you can relax and enjoy the best views of the city, 360 CHICAGO is the perfect place to enjoy an unforgettable experience.
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HCA Exclusive: Reserve through the Peninsula Hotel's concierge and guests will receive complimentary access to TILT as well as the “Sun and Stars” experience.
Contact: Susan Ellefson
+1 (312) 573 6616
Venue Phone: 312-967-8687
Venue Website: https://www.chicagohelicopterexperience.com/
Address: 2420 South Halsted, Chicago, IL 60608
Chicago Helicopter Experience provides the most spectacular and unique views of the world’s best skyline. Amazing panoramas of the city, scenic waterfront, and historic landmarks await you from the optimal vantage point in the sky. Your journey begins at our downtown, private heliport just minutes from the “Loop.” Here you can learn fun city facts and enjoy interactive games in the customer center. You’ll glide through the air in one of our luxurious, state-of-the-art aircraft. Our experienced pilots are well versed in the lore of the city, which they’ll share throughout your 24-mile journey. You’ll marvel at breathtaking vistas of the skyline, Navy Pier, Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain, Willis (Sears) Tower, John Hancock Center, Wrigley Field and so much more. Bring your camera for the optimal photo ops or get our GoPro to record your exhilarating adventure. Once you land, don’t forget to pick up the photo of you and your helicopter as a souvenir of your amazing event.
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HCA Exclusive: Reserve through the Peninsula Hotel's concierge and guests will receive preferred pricing for a private tour, a printed photo of the experience as well as a complimentary glass of champagne before the flight.
Contact: Susan Ellefson
+1 (312) 573 6616
Venue Phone: 312-939-2438
Venue Website: https://www.sheddaquarium.org/
Address: 1200 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605
At Shedd Aquarium experience unforgettable encounters with animals from aquatic environments around the world! All Shedd’s efforts are directed toward achieving a world thriving with aquatic life, sustained by the people who love, understand and protect it.
HCA Exclusive: Reserve through the Peninsula Hotel's concierge and guests who purchase their ticket through the Concierge will receive complimentary access to Shedd’s 4-D experience.
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Contact: Susan Ellefson
+1 (312) 573 6616
Venue Phone: 312-742-2000
Venue Website: https://www.lpzoo.org/
Address: 2001 North Clark Street, Chicago, Il, 60614
Established in 1868, this 35-acre, beautifully landscaped zoo is one of America’s last free-admission zoos. The Great Ape House has one of the best assemblages of gorillas and chimpanzees in the world.
Venue Phone: 212-465-6000
Venue Website: https://www.msg.com/the-chicago-theatre
Address:
175 N State St, Chicago, Illinois, 60601
Chicago’s breath-taking National Landmark Theatre hosts concerts, comedians, theatrical productions and special events every year. The 3,600 seat auditorium is seven stories high, and the vertical “C-H-I-C-A-G-O,” sign is one of the few such signs in existence today. A symbol of State Street and Chicago, the marquee is a landmark in itself, as is the Wurlitzer pipe organ. Patrons can also go behind-the-scenes on their educational venue tour, which runs a few times a week.
Chicago Prohibition Tour
Speakeasies might be a cutesy drinking trend today, but during Prohibition, they were downright seedy establishments full of corruption and crime. This boozy tour visits four historic bars that still serve Prohibition-era cocktails. Sip old-school drinks as you learn how organized crime outfits built their businesses on booze. ~$45 / 3.5 hours
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Gangsters and Ghosts Tour in Chicago
The towering skyscrapers and shining facade of Cloud Gate might make the Loop seem glitzy and glamorous, but it was once a hotspot for vice. In the ’20s and ’30s, this nabe was the epicenter of bootlegging and gangbanging in Chicago. Take a walking tour through the area to spy speakeasies, secret underground tunnels and maybe even a ghost or two. ~$27 / 2 hours
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Chicago Crime and Mob Tour
Follow in the footsteps of infamous gangsters like charming bank robber John Dillinger and Polish mobster Hymie Weiss on this bus tour. You’ll hear stories about the who’s who of Chicago organized crime, drive by a few murder locations and spot the historic courthouse where many criminals were thrown in the clink. ~$37 / 1.5 hours