My Windy City Bucket List

As a Chicago-based blogger + photographer, I have A LOT of places to go and adventures to have on my Chicago Bucket List. While I do love this amazing city, I know that my time here may be fleeting as I resent the cold more and more each year *sigh*. That being said, I wanted to create a fun bucket list of everything you could possibly want to see, do, & taste in the Windy City. There are so many things to do in Chicago that creating this list became quite difficult because I didn't want to leave any "must do" out! 

I would love to hear your thoughts on your own Chicago bucket list and places/experiences you wish to try! Feel free to share this list and add to it!

To Eat At + Cheers At...

⬜️Lowcountry
⬜️Funkenhausen
​⬜️Summer House Santa Monica
⬜️Smoque BBQ
⬜️Shore Club
⬜️Honey Butter Fried Chicken
⬜️Fat Rice
⬜️Mindy's Hot Chocolate
⬜️Au Cheval
⬜️Girl & The Goat
⬜️Alinea
⬜️Spiaggia
⬜️Pacific Standard Time
⬜️Summer House Santa Monica
⬜️Cindy's 
​⬜️Carnivale
​⬜️Happy Camper
⬜️Chicago Diner
⬜️Handlebar
⬜️The Purple Pig
⬜️Big Star
⬜️The Publican
​⬜️The Berghoff
⬜️Parson's Chicken
⬜️Lonesome Rose
⬜️Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits
⬜️Mott Street
⬜️90 Miles Cuban Cafe
⬜️The Radler
⬜️Furious Spoon
​⬜️Geja's Cafe
⬜️Longman & Eagle
⬜️Lost Lake
​⬜️Giordano's
⬜️Lou Malnati's
⬜️Gino's East
⬜️Portillo's
⬜️Sunda
⬜️Three Dots & A Dash
​⬜️Goose Island 
​⬜️Maple & Ash
⬜️Fig & Olive
⬜️Velvet Taco
⬜️Homeslice
⬜️Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!
​⬜️XOCO
⬜️Pequod's
⬜️Sushi Para II
​⬜️The Walnut Room
​⬜️Harry Caray's
⬜️Gibson's
⬜️Chicago Q BBQ
⬜️Ditka's
⬜️The Nutella Cafe
⬜️RPM Steak
​⬜️Tanta
⬜️Le Colonial
⬜️The Dearborn
⬜️Athena Greek Restaurant
⬜️The Signature Room @ The 95th
⬜️RL Restaurant
⬜️Rosebud on Rush
⬜️Lockwood
⬜️Carmine's
⬜️Wrigley BBQ
⬜️Greek Islands
​⬜️Hopleaf
⬜️Safehouse
⬜️Roanoake
⬜️Catch 35
⬜️Blackbird
⬜️Nico Osteria
⬜️Connie's Pizza
​⬜️Lillie's Q BBQ
⬜️Boka
⬜️Giant
⬜️Devil Dawgs
⬜️Green Street Smoked Meats
⬜️Frontera Grill
⬜️Kuma's Corner
⬜️Paco's Tacos
⬜️Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder Co.
⬜️Pizano's
⬜️Del Seoul
⬜️Duck Duck Goat
⬜️Smoke Daddy
​⬜️Cheesie's
⬜️Dryhop Brewery
⬜️Mousetrap Brewery
⬜️Wilde Bar
⬜️Mortar & Pestle
⬜️Kanela Breakfast Club
⬜️Hutch
⬜️Taco Joint
⬜️Barcocina
​⬜️Prost!
⬜️Broken English
⬜️Beermiscuous
⬜️Nookies Too
⬜️Molly's Cupcakes
⬜️Gemini
⬜️The Violet Hour
⬜️Sultan's Market
⬜️Oiistar
⬜️3 Arts Club Cafe
​⬜️The Vig
​⬜️ZED451
⬜️Pops For Champagne
⬜️Hannah's Bretzel
⬜️Stocks & Blondes
⬜️Italian Village
⬜️Flaco's Tacos
⬜️The Chicago Firehouse
​⬜️Velvet Lounge
​⬜️Lagunitas Brewery
​⬜️Del Toro
⬜️DeColores
⬜️Dark Matter Coffee
⬜️The California Clipper
​⬜️Nana's
⬜️Maria's Packaged Goods
⬜️Moody Tongue Brewery
⬜️Half Acre Brewery
​⬜️Carnitas Uruapan
⬜️Rainbo Club
⬜️Old Town Ale House
⬜️Drumbar
⬜️The J. Parker
​⬜️Don Churro
⬜️Crisp
⬜️Ann Sather
⬜️Delilah's
⬜️The Drifter
⬜️Milk Room
​⬜️The Map Room

To Experience...

⬜️A Cubs Game at Wrigley Field
⬜️Attending a Sox Game 
⬜️A relaxing Spa Day At Aire Ancient Baths
⬜️Practicing your swing with Topgolf at the Chicago Athletic Association 
⬜️Shopping & vintage finds on Clark Street in Andersonville
​⬜️Friday the 13th at L&L Tavern
​⬜️Scottish beer at Duke Of Perth's
⬜️Game night at Replay
⬜️Karaoke at Mom's Place
​⬜️Dancing at Beauty Bar
​⬜️St. Patrick's Day In Chicago & seeing the river dyed green
⬜️Drinking wine & perusing the furniture at Restoration Hardware
⬜️Music & libations at the Redhead Piano Bar
​⬜️A night out at Untitled Supper Club
​⬜️Concerts / Movie Nights at Millennium Park
⬜️High views from The Ledge @ The Willis
⬜️Jazz at the Green Mill
​⬜️Reggie's Rockclub
⬜️A Sofar Sounds Show
​⬜️A fun time with friends at Punchbowl Social
​⬜️Zoo Lights at the Lincoln Park Zoo
⬜️Comedy at Second City
⬜️A Steppenwolf Theater Play
​⬜️New music at Empty Bottle
​⬜️Drag Brunch In Boystown
⬜️Movie night at Music Box
⬜️Seeing a Bulls Game
​⬜️Spring at the Chicago Botanical Gardens
⬜️An Improvised Shakespeare show at iO
⬜️The Renaissance Festival
⬜️Dancing at The Hideout
​⬜️Kingston Mines live music
⬜️The magic shows that take place at Chicago Magic Lounge
​⬜️Riding the swings or ferris wheel at Navy Pier (+ see the fireworks!)
⬜️A historic homes architecture tour by carriage horses off Oak Street
⬜️A beach day at North Ave Beach
​⬜️Searching for the perfect book at Myopic Books
⬜️The views of the city from the London House rooftop bar
⬜️Let loose & dance all night at Smart Bar
​⬜️Lollapalooza
​⬜️Amazing views of the Air & Water show
⬜️Thrift store hopping off Milwaukee Ave in Wicker Park
​⬜️Seeing the sunrise at Cloudgate 
⬜️A Chicago gangster + ghost tour
​⬜️Reading books & playing games over coffee + beer at kibbitznest
⬜️A relaxing weekend getaway in Lake Geneva
​⬜️The beauty of the Chicago Cultural Center
⬜️Touring the Richard H. Driehaus Museum
⬜️A Blackhawks game
​⬜️Getting splashed at Crown Fountain
⬜️Admiring the Robie House architecture by Frank Lloyd Wright
⬜️An amazing show at the Symphony Center
⬜️Getting dressed up & seeing an award-winning show at the Chicago Theater
⬜️A full day at the Brookfield Zoo
⬜️Getting your food fix after a night of drinking by The Tamale Guy
⬜️The Chicago Jazz Festival
⬜️Bowling at The Pink Squirrel
⬜️A Vaudeville show at Bordel
⬜️The unique entrance + cocktails at Bim Bom Lounge
​⬜️Live music at The Hideout
⬜️Bar hopping in River North 

To Try...

⬜️Cooking Classes At Read It & Eat
⬜️The 14K Chocolate Cake at RPM Steak
​⬜️Biking the 606 trail
​⬜️Visiting ALL of the museums
​⬜️Taking a wine tasting class at wineHOUSE
⬜️Swing dancing classes at Big City Swing
⬜️Mermaid swimming at Aquamermaid
​⬜️Axe throwing at Bad Axe
​⬜️Making new friends at a Meetup group (hello , check out mine!)
⬜️Running the Chicago Half Marathon (or full marathon!)
​⬜️City Mini Golf
⬜️Winning bowling with your friends at Pinstripes
​⬜️A shot of Malort
⬜️Drinks at Rite Liquors
​⬜️Making your own perfume at Aroma
​⬜️Ceramic painting at Glazed Expressions
⬜️The taxi water boat on a warm summer day
​⬜️Getting photos at all of the Chicago Instagram spots!
​⬜️Capturing a gorgeous night photo of the Buckingham Fountain water display
​⬜️Running / Walking / Biking the entire Lakefront Trail
⬜️A mob & crime bus tour
⬜️Escaping your comfort zone & feed sharks the Shedd!
⬜️Finding all the famous landmark stonework pieces at the Tribune Tower
⬜️New food finds at The Taste
⬜️Trapeze class at TSNY Chicago
⬜️Indoor skydiving at iFLY
⬜️Finding & drinking inside Janitor's Closet Speakeasy