Fun Facts About Chicago: Your Essential Trivia

By Katie Sagal

How much do you know about Chicago? Test your knowledge of the Windy City with our trivia below. These fun facts are sure to come in handy on your Chicago vacation!

Top Chicago facts 1-10

Image of City, Urban, Metropolis, Building, Cityscape, High Rise, Nature, Outdoors, Sky, Adult, Male, Man, Person, Office Building, Backpack, Photography, Neighborhood, Horizon,
  1. The world’s very first skyscraper was erected in the city in 1885.
  2. Skydeck Chicago is a film star! Catch a glimpse of the experience in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
  3. The Willis Tower is the eighth tallest building in the world, coming in at 1,450 feet and 110 stories tall.
  4. Chicago invented deep-dish pizza.
  5. The Navy Pier Centennial Wheel was preceded by an iconic Ferris wheel, which welcomed over 17 million riders in its ten-year life span.
  6. Historic Route 66 begins in Chicago (and terminates in Santa Monica, CA).
  7. The Field Museum’s newest addition is Máximo the Titanosaur: the largest dinosaur ever discovered, weighing 70 tons.
  8. Chicago is known as “The Windy City” for the bombast of its politicians—not for its weather.
  9. Chicago is home to an impressive 56 museums, including the famous Art Institute of Chicago.
  10. The Taste of Chicago — a summer legend in Chicago — is the world’s largest free outdoor food festival.

Top Chicago facts 11-20

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  1. The Museum of Contemporary Art is the only museum in the city to feature dozens of works with the title, “Untitled.”
  2. Batman’s iconic Gotham City was based on Chicago; not, as many people assume, NYC.
  3. The Lincoln Park Zoo is one of the world’s rare free zoos.
  4. Malört, one of the most distinctive liquors in the world (and some say the most unpalatable), was created in Chicago. Today, more than 90% of the national consumption of Malört is still confined to the greater Chicago area.
  5. The Adler Planetarium was America’s first planetarium.
  6. The Adler Planetarium is also one of the best places to get a great view of the skyline.
  7. The Museum of Science and Industry is one of the largest science museums in the world, with more than 400,000 square feet of exhibit space.
  8. The renowned Pablo Picasso sculpture, created specifically for the city and located in Richard J. Daley Plaza, weighs an intimidating 162 tons. It is also called 'Untitled'.
  9. Chicago's Brookfield Zoo was the first such institution in the world to successfully perform brain surgery on a gorilla.
  10. The Brookfield Zoo is also known for its majestic fountain, named for Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States who is remembered for expanding protections on wildlife.

Top Chicago facts 21-25

Image of City, Urban, Road, Street, Metropolis, Building, Cinema, Downtown, Office Building, Tower,
  1. The Chicago Theater's grand lobby is inspired by the Royal Chapel at Versailles.
  2. The Chicago Theater also boasts one of the oldest Wurlitzer pipe organs remaining in existence.
  3. The Ernest Hemingway Home was the first house to have electricity in Oak Park.
  4. The American Writer’s Museum is the only museum in the world devoted exclusively to American writers and their works.
  5. The Shedd Aquarium has more than 32,000 animal inhabitants.

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Katie Sagal
Go City Travel Expert

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NASCAR
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In Chicago for NASCAR 2025? Then read this!

Have you heard? NASCAR's returning to the streets of Chicago for another spectacular race. On the weekend of July 5-6, the Windy City will play host to this special Grant Park event, featuring two days of racing, music, and much more!  With plenty going on to mark the occasion, there's no better time to visit. Whether you're heading to the race or just vacationing in Chi-town that weekend, we're here to get you up to speed on all you need to know about the event.  Read on for some handy tips on navigating Chicago during NASCAR Street Race 2024! Where is NASCAR Chicago taking place? Grant Park in Downtown Chicago is where you’ll find most of the weekend’s action. The actual race days are Saturday July 5 and Sunday July 6. How easy will it be to get around Chicago that weekend? During and on the lead up to the event, you can expect some road closures, parking restrictions and traffic diversions around Grant Park. The latest traffic information can be found on the NASCAR website. Be sure to check this before you travel! If you're planning on sightseeing in Chicago around this time, we recommend allowing for extra travel time between attractions, as public transport and roads are expected to be a bit busier than normal. If you can, explore on foot. It'll be your best option in most cases. Will Chicago's attractions be open during NASCAR Chicago Street Race? If you’ve bought a Chicago pass from Go City, you may be wondering whether or not the Street Race will affect local businesses' opening hours. With many of Chicago’s top attractions such as Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium and the Field Museum being located around Grant Park, that's a fair question. It’s likely that attractions will have reduced opening hours during the race days, and some may close for the weekend. If you plan on using our pass between late June and early July, we recommend you check each attraction's page on our website or app directly for the latest information on opening hours and closures. Are there still tickets available for NASCAR Chicago Street Race? If you want to get in on the action, tickets are still available for the racing event of the year! Weekend tickets start from $187pp, giving you access to all the racing and music action.  Premium access tickets are also available if you’ve got some extra cash to splash. All options can be purchased on the official website. Is it worth going to the NASCAR Chicago Street Race? With all ticket options, you'll get access to a snazzy trackside vantage point to watch the races. Saturday’s race – The Loop 110 – is a 50-lap extravaganza taking place over 110 miles, and Sunday's event – the Grant Park 165 – is a 75-lap race over 220 miles. As well as the race, enjoy a live performance from the multi-platinum, GRAMMY® Award-winning, Zac Brown Band. Are there any free NASCAR events I can go to? If you're not too bothered about seeing the race up close, you can still enjoy the exciting atmosphere of the event by heading to Butler Park, where there will be free festival activities, without the pricey admission ticket. And if NASCAR's not your thing, there are still plenty of top attractions and experiences in Chicago to be found with Go City! Where's best to eat and drink near Grant Park? If you've got tickets to the race, NASCAR's got you covered for food and drinks. They're promising plenty of delicious foodie options within the event! If you're just looking to be near the action, Downtown Chicago has literally endless options for wining and dining. First off, we recommend you make your way to Eleven City Diner, where you can load up on big plates of classic breakfast food. For lunch on the move, we recommend hitting Devil Dawg's South Loop venue and grabbing a loaded Chicago-style hotdog. Sticking with Chicago classics, if you'd rather a sit-down meal, we cannot hype up Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria's deep dishes enough! When evening rolls around, there's nowhere we'd rather be than The Gage. With its large mahogany bar, well-poured pints of Guinness, and sage green tiles, this gastropub has all the makings of a great Irish bar. Check out this handy resource guide to find more dining spots that are close to the race.  What other events are taking place in Chicago? NASCAR aside, July is a great time to be in Chicago, with plenty of summer celebrations to keep you busy. You've got the award-winning Grant Park Music Festival starting from July 12 and taking place on select weekends. Down by Navy Pier, there's the fabulous Live on the Lake event, which runs throughout the summer. Here, you can enjoy great live music against a backdrop of gorgeous lakeside scenery - and it's totally free! If you're in the Windy City in early August, you can't miss Lollapalooza – Chicago's world-famous music festival, with Olivia Rodrigo, Tyler the Creator and Sabrina Carpenter headlining. Got more questions about NASCAR Chicago Street Race? Then check out their FAQs page. Ready to plan your Chicago trip? Then find out more about our Chicago passes!
Kirsten McCroskrie
Kirsten McCroskrie
Robie House
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Frank Lloyd Wright and beyond: free attractions near Robie House

Step out from Robie House and into a world of free campus art, sweeping city views and peaceful parks.
A walker takes in Chicago's fall color
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Chicago in November

Visit Chicago in November and you’ll discover a city preparing itself for the depths of winter but not quite done with fall. Temperatures are generally healthy enough to allow you to still spend plenty of time outdoors, where it’s usually possible to see the last of the fall color or the first flurries of snow. As the days get shorter towards the end of November, there’s also the start of the Christmas festivities to look forward to as well as the celebrations around Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of the month. Wondering how cold Chicago is in November and what there is to do? We’ve brought together all the top tips so you need to look nowhere else. Enjoy the end of the fall color Chicago weather in November sees average daily temperatures rise to 50°F, equivalent to a cool spring day. Whilst you’ll want to wrap up warm, do so properly and just eight days of rain will mean you can get out amidst the city’s green spaces to take in the final days of reds, oranges and gold with the turning of its leaves. Should you choose, you could traverse Chicago’s shores on Lake Michigan without ever leaving parkland. A popular pick with those looking to get into the saddle of the city’s rental bicycles – but welcoming to walkers, joggers and skateboarders too – the Lakeshore Trail covers 18.5 miles. Starting at Edgewater Beach in the northern suburbs, it then runs south past many of the city’s top attractions. The first is the free-to-visit Lincoln Park Zoo, whose residents include great apes, big cats, a burr oak older than the city and the Lionel Train Adventure and Endangered Species Carousel rides. Further south lie other major things to do in Chicago in November including the magnificent Field Museum. As one of the largest natural history museums around, it is simply stuffed full of stuffed animals, cultural artifacts from across the globe and the famous skeleton of Sue the T-Rex – one of the most complete and best-preserved examples yet discovered. A short way across the state border, alternative vistas can be sought out at Indiana Dunes National Park. Situated close to the southernmost point of Lake Michigan, the park’s impressive dunes offer a wealth of walking trails, albeit without the fall color. Kick off the festive season Thanksgiving focusses very strongly on Chicago’s downtown areas. Taking place on the grid of streets which form immediately south of the fork in the Chicago River, the annual Thanksgiving Parade is a family-friendly affair which sees State Street taken over by giant helium balloons, dance troops and marching bands. Thanksgiving is also closely associated with the Black Friday sales. Still on State Street, there are a great number of smaller stores, whilst the Magnificent Mile boasts higher end boutiques, department stores including Marshalls and Nordstrom and several shopping malls. If you prefer the artisan touch, look no further than the Chirstkindlmarket that appears in front of Daley Plaza’s 50-foot tall steel Picasso sculpture towards the middle of the month. Its German-style wooden chalet-like stalls are awash with beautiful ornaments, jewelry and tasty treats. Alternatively, you might want to try your hand at another winter staple – ice skating. The city’s largest outdoor rink is the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink that sits beneath the gaze of Anish Kapoor’s Bean, although the Maggie Daley Park Skating Ribbon provides an attraction that’s a little more unusual, with a track winding through the tree cover twice the length of a lap around the Bean’s rink. Savor the views With such a long list of things to do in Chicago in November you shouldn’t forget to stop for a moment or two and take in the windy city in all its glory. One way to do this would be to give your feet a rest by opting for the Hop-On Hop-Off sightseeing bus instead. Taking in sights you might otherwise miss, it also connects up many of Chicago’s top attractions, including the Willis (Sears) Tower. Entering the history books as the world’s tallest building from its topping out ceremony in 1974 until 1998, it continues to host the highest observation tower in the United States – the Skydeck. From its 103rd floor vantage, visitors are able to take in no less than four states whilst feeling the building move in the wind at almost 1400 feet up. Giving the Willis Tower a good run for its money is 360 CHICAGO at 875 North Michigan Avenue. Although its views come from nine stories below the Skydeck, its wrap-around glass windows still have extraordinary panoramas over the city. Get better acquainted with the city’s art Art lovers don’t need to look far in Chicago in November to get a fill of their passion. For one, the city has a huge array of public artworks. As well as the giant sculpture by Picasso in Daley Plaza and Anish Kapoor’s Bean, Chicago also has outdoor works by Joan Miro, Marc Chagall and Magdalena Abakanowicz. The immense Merchandise Mart building comes to life with the world’s largest video installation, projected annually onto the side of the structure from September through November. There’s also an impressive array of murals covering the ends of buildings throughout the city. West Town Street has developed into a mile-long open-air gallery, with other works including the mural of local photographer Vivian Maier in Wicker Park and an unforgettably bright 100 foot image of American singer-songwriter Muddy Waters on North State Street. The pick of the galleries includes the Art Institute of Chicago. One of the largest museums of its kind, the 300,000 objects in its permanent collection spans the genres, ranging from native American textiles to contemporary photography. Making the most of Chicago in November With so much to see and do in Chicago in November you won’t want to waste a second. Skip the lines and save big on admission to many of the city’s top attractions with Go City. Then the only thing left to do is have an incredible time in one of America’s greatest destinations!
Ian Packham

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