Things To Do
CAC River Cruise aboard Chicago's First Lady
Jackson and I highly recommend the boat tour that is run by the Chicago Architecture Center. The boat tour is about a 5-minute walk from the Royal Sonesta Hotel. The tour guides are volunteers (retirees) from the Center who pack the full 90 minutes of the tour with information about the beautiful buildings of Chicago. You will get to go out and get a good shot of the skyline, seen above. If you want to go out onto the lake, see the boat tour below!
Wendella Lake and River Boat Tour
This boat tour is great if you want to spend most of the tour out on the lake and get to see the beautiful skyline. The boat tour is about a 5-minute walk from the Royal Sonesta Hotel. Jackson and I have taken this tour once and recommend it if you want some lake time and great pictures of the city!
Chicago Cubs Game
The Chicago Cubs will play a home game on Monday, May 26th, 2025 at 1:20pm against the Colorado Rockies. A quick ride on the Red Line going North to the Addison stop will drop you off right next to the famous Wrigley Field.
White Sox
Want to catch a Baseball Game before the wedding? The White Sox will play home games on Friday, 5/23/25 and Saturday, 5/24/25!
The Art Institute of Chicago/ THE Bean
The Art Institute of Chicago is about a 15-minute walk from the Royal Sonesta or 0.7 miles. Jackson and I have gone several times for multiple hours at a time and still have not seen the entire exhibit. A bonus to going to the Art Institute is that you will walk past the Bean on your way (you must flick the bean).
Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago Public Library
Looking for something free to do? Head south from the Royal Sonesta and walk about 20 minutes or 0.9 miles to the Harold Washington Library. Go all the way to the top floor to sit in the beautiful architecture in the picture above!
Willis Tower
The famous Willis Tower (formally known as the Sears Tower) has the Skydeck up on the 103 floor. This is a classic tourist spot for the city of Chicago! In our opinion, this is a little pricey for the event itself (which is a lot of standing in line) but we still love our pictures from our trip and remember it fondly!
Lincoln Park Zoo / Conservatory
The Lincoln Park Zoo is free and located in the middle of one of the most idyllic public parks in the country--it was where we had our engagement photos taken. The Zoo is also near the Flower Conservatory, which is also free! It is possible to board a CTA bus on Michigan Avenue, near the Royal Sonesta, and take that bus directly to the zoo. Otherwise, you will need to Uber.
Navy Pier
The Navy Pier is a neat spot to add to your list. The Pier itself is free to go and walk around. The Ferris wheel and other small attractions are ticketed events, there are also several shops and restaurants on the pier for your dining pleasure. We recommend taking an Uber to the Pier unless you really want to get your steps in!
Chicago's Beaches
Chicago Beaches? What? Chicago is home to several beaches littered across the Lake front. Again another free activity to take advantage of while you are in town!