What to do for 7 days

Hi everyone,

My husband, sister and I are going to Chicago for 7 days in early May. Will 7 days be too long just to be in Chicago? Can you recommend any other big cities to visit besides Chicago? Initially we were thinking of Milwaukee, but after reading some comments on this forum, people say there aren%26#39;t much to do. We won%26#39;t be having a rental car, just by public transit. Thank you!

What to do for 7 days

Actually, I don%26#39;t think that 7 days is too long at all. There is plenty to do and you can take it easy and relax while you are here. I often see people on this and other forums try to cram way too much in a short visit.

What to do for 7 days

www.explorechicago.org and the Visiting Chicago section of this web site have loads of information. Milwaukee is a good option for a day or two. You can get there via Amtrak or Megabus.

Thank you for all the replies. Since I%26#39;m from the west coast, I just wanted to check out as many things as I can. I will see how many attractions I will need to hit in Chicago. Would there be anything to do in Indiana or Michigan? Thanks.

Yes. But you%26#39;ll need to rent a car.

I like Milwaukee as an option for a day trip, they have a great art museum, good German food, the historic Pabst Mansion and lots of festivals although May is a little early for most of them. And you can get there without a car, Amtrak and Megabus go up there.

Indiana and Michigan are difficult to visit without a car. But there are worthwhile places to visit should you change your mind about renting one for a day, Amish country in Shipshewana, Indiana, the coastal towns along Lake Michigan in Michigan, Indiana Dunes to name a few.

Other daytrips more local-Oak Park if you enjoy architecture (Frank Lloyd Wright), the Chicago Botanic Gardens up in Glencoe, the Brookfield Zoo.

I could easily spend 7 days in Chicago though, in addition to the major attractions, look into getting a Chicago Greeter, architectural tours, a cruise on the lake/river, check out some of the neighborhoods like Pilsen, Devon Avenue, Hyde Park, Wicker Park, Lincoln Park

The Indiana/Southwest Michigan area is great to visit but as stated before does require having a car. Oak Park and the Chicago Botanic Garden can be reached by public transportation, Oak Park on the CTA and the Botanic Garden by the commuter train Metra, they run a trolley on weekends from the Glencoe station, or a Pace bus. I also like Milwaukee. If you%26#39;re interested in Lincoln history, you could take the Amtrak to Springfield and visit the Lincoln Museum, which is terrific, and Lincoln%26#39;s home. You could either spend the night in Springfield (admittedly, not a whole lot to do in the evening) or do it as a bit of a long day trip, I think it%26#39;s about 3 hours by train, check the Amtrak schedule, there are several trains per day.